Arcades were my childhood refuge, and the coin pusher was always irresistible — gloriously simple yet oddly cathartic to watch coins tumble and tickets spill out. I used to feel sheepish admitting it was a favorite; it can feel indulgent to feed the machine just to see your money vanish. That very indulgence, though, is the point: the coin pusher celebrates chaotic excess, an instinct that Raccoin channels with gleeful abandon.
Raccoin is Doraccoon’s first game, published by Playstack (the team behind Balatro). Steam’s listing calls it a “coin-pushing dopamine machine,” and that description is hard to argue with. Mechanically it resembles a roguelike deckbuilder, but its real aim is something simpler and rarer: to engineer huge, satisfying numbers — the same delightful “make a massive total” loop beloved by Balatro-style games.
Even in its demo form, Raccoin has attracted enthusiastic attention. Steam reviews have skewed very positive, with several players reporting double-digit hours in the demo alone. Actor Ben Starr — a well-known Balatro enthusiast who’s become something of an unofficial mascot for that game — even mentioned Raccoin during a WhatCulture Gaming interview at the Golden Joystick Awards, drawing a direct comparison to the poker roguelike.
At first glance, Raccoin feels deceptively straightforward. Outside the shop screens, much of the gameplay boils down to choosing which side of the pusher to release coins from. But beneath that surface is a surprising depth — after several hours with the demo I still discover new interactions and tactical possibilities.
Crucially, the game avoids turning those discoveries into frustration. It rewards incremental learning and frequently offers ways to claw back from disaster, such as a powerful shake that can rescue a bankrupt run mid-round. That forgiving design keeps the experience playful rather than punishing.
The systems themselves are delightfully layered. There are three coin categories — copper, special, and bad coins — alongside keychains, chips, single-use prizes, and a reward wheel, each affecting both the current round and the broader run. Two separate currencies track progress: tickets, which buy shop items, and points, the round-specific target you’re trying to hit. Tickets can be spent mid-round to buy extra coins when you’re in a pinch.
To borrow Balatro terminology, keychains function like vouchers and chips act as jokers: both provide run modifiers such as extra scoring or expanded item slots. Prizes are one-use tools that can dramatically alter a round — for example, spawning a black hole that funnels coins. The reward wheel is a major source of mayhem: earning enough combos triggers an automatic spin that can drop game-changing effects, like a towering coin column in the center of the board.
Copper coins fire from the machine’s sides, while special coins live in a clip (which you can upgrade) and are placeable. Coins are single-use, so rather than thinking of purchases as a deck, you’re arranging and manipulating the persistent board of coins that doesn’t reset between rounds. Some coins provide passive bonuses best left on the field — the Clover Coin, for instance, increases the chance a copper converts to a silver — while others behave wildly, such as a Frog Coin that hops backward or a Boom Coin that detonates.
Bad coins act like mini-bosses, appearing periodically to upset the board — the Minus Coin reduces value from coins it touches, while the Profiteer Coin hikes shop prices. Fortunately, counters exist: the Killer Coin can eliminate threats outright, or you can nudge them off the board by clever placement and timing.
The demo offers two starting characters: the manager, who favors ticket-focused economy and combo math, and the biologist, who specializes in plant- and animal-themed interactions. The full release will expand the roster (the Steam listing already teases additional characters). You can also tweak a run before it begins by choosing a slot card, which functions like alternative decks and grants small persistent bonuses. A ticket-based difficulty system — reminiscent of Balatro — is planned for the finished game.
Raccoin delivers gratification in many small ways: the visceral thrill of a pile collapsing, the suspended second before a single coin starts a massive chain reaction, and the emotional arc from “we’re ruined” to “we’re back” when a lucky wheel spin or well-placed coin flips the outcome. I’ve hung on through desperate moments only to be rescued by a last-minute combo — those swings are the game’s lifeblood.
Although it borrows some ideas from Balatro, Raccoin stands on its own. It amplifies the original arcade premise into a strategic, chaotic roguelike that’s both accessible and richly tactical. The full release date hasn’t been announced, but the demo is free on Steam if you want to try it for yourself.
Source: Polygon
