Arcade games whisk us back to the golden days of childhood, a time rife with the clinking sounds of coins and the palpable excitement at winning that coveted big-eyed, plush teddy. A popular game at any gaming arcade is none other than the infamous claw machine – a contraption where hopefuls manoeuvre a stubborn claw in an attempt to snag a prize after popping in their tokens or spare change.
With controls like joysticks, punters keenly aim the temperamental claw above their chosen prize. As it descends with the promise of victory, clasps the object, and lifts it towards triumph – only to cruelly drop it within a whisper of success.
Frustration mounts when the claw can’t even seem to grip the toy. But all is not lost – an arcade worker from @arcadefriends on TikTok has come to the rescue with several savvy strategies that promise to raise your game. Against instinct, bypass the bigger body parts of that stuffed animal and instead go for the smaller parts.
“In order to get a good grab it’s important for the claw to completely close around the plush. This is impossible if you’re aiming for a large part of the plush, like the head,” they revealed.
If the claw machine toy seems just out of reach, one arcade expert suggests the “swinging” method, which involves deftly manoeuvring the joystick to rotate the claw into a better position over part of the toy. “By using the joystick in a swinging method, the expert was able to position the claw over the smaller part of the toy’s body,” shared the expert on the knack of grabbing that coveted prize.
Another tip is the “double-tap” approach, which “allows you to stop the claw exactly where you want to”. The trick here is to double-press the grab button once the claw hovers over the target spot.
For those with eyes on the plushie prizes perched near the exit chute, there’s a strategy for that too. The advice is to “slightly over the prize chute in an attempt to drag or swing the plush over into the prize chute when it picks it up”.
Social media users have been astounded by these insights, sharing their surprised reactions online. One user exclaimed: “You can stop the claw…?”. While another wistfully commented: “Could’ve told me this before I spent $34 [£27] trying to get a plushie [sulk].”
And a third user noted: “I always thought you had to aim for the biggest part.” Additional advice comes from a fellow UK gamer, who advised: “For those in the UK, I recommend swinging the closest plush into the hole, some claws do not grab at all and based on how many goes have been played, if the claw doesn’t grab or close, its not ready.”