Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike
2026 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike, or simply Raccoin, (both stylized in all-caps as RACCOIN)[b] is a 2026 coin pusher-themed roguelike video game developed by Chinese studio Doraccoon and published by Playstack. It was released for Windows on March 31, 2026,[a] and is expected to release on Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S in fall 2026. In Raccoin, the player must collect tickets by shooting their own coins, which can either push coins off an arcade cabinet's edge or activate special abilities. The player can purchase various types of coins with different purposes, and can purchase upgrades which change the behaviors of coins and the amount of coins the player can shoot.
Raccoin was developed in around two years, being Doraccoon's first game. Doraccoon, a Shanghai-based studio consisting of a producer, designer, and artist, was founded after its member's graduated university. The studio received funding and support from COREBLAZER, a team established by the developers of Arknights.
Gameplay
Raccoin is a run-based game. The goal of each run is to finish 15 rounds. During each round, the player must shoot a certain amount of coins in order to push them into the scoring area (akin to a real-life coin pusher). Scored coins give tickets and help to fulfill a target. If the target is fulfilled, the round ends and the player is taken to the shop. If the player runs out of coins before they reach the target, they can exchange tickets for coins. Otherwise, the run ends and the player fails.
In the shop, the player may spend tickets, to purchase special coins, expand their clip (a coin inventory which can be expanded in the shop), and purchase prizes and chips. Special coins can be launched during the round with special abilities, such as the ability to duplicate or the ability to explode. Prizes are items which can be used during the round to activate abilities. Chips are items that give different modifiers and affect scoring. Once the player is done shopping, they may begin the next round.
Certain rounds may have "bad coins", which may provide debuffs. If all bad coins are defeated (by using coins or abilities which "kill" them) then the player can choose a keychain, which grant powerful modifiers. Once a run is completed, the player can unlock new cabinets, cards, raccoons, and ticket colors (which give runs new modifiers).
Development
Raccoin was developed by three-person Chinese indie studio Doraccoon. Doraccoon was founded in 2024, by producer Xinya Ma (ManKemono), artist Ming Tang (Wolong), and designer Hongpeng Luo (JoshuaRabbit).[1] and is based in Shanghai. The studio received support and investment from COREBLAZER (a team created by Hypergryph, the developers of Arknights), and the game was published by Playstack.[2] Development of the game began in July 2024, following the graduation of Doraccoon's members from the Communication University of China.[2]
Raccoin's soundtrack was composed by artist Zhengtao Pan.[‡ 1] It was developed with the Unity game engine.[3]
Inspiration
Raccoin is based on a coin pusher, an arcade game where the goal is to introduce coins in the machine in order to have other coins fall off the edge.[4] In an interview with Automaton West, Raccoin's producer ManKemono said:[2]
The idea for the game came about around the beginning of 2024. At the time, one of our team members, Wolong, took me to an arcade, where I played a coin-pusher game for the first time. I got hooked almost immediately, and for the next month or two I would play whenever I had free time.
Balatro, another game published by Playstack, served as an inspiration. In the same interview, ManKemono said the idea started by "wondering what would happen if we combined the mechanics of a coin-pusher game with a roguelike system like Balatro."[2][‡ 2] The games Luck Be a Landlord and Ballionaire also served as inspiration, the former also being a major inspiration for Balatro.[2][5]
Release
Raccoin was announced for Windows on August 14, 2025, before releasing into an open playtest four days later on August 18.[‡ 2] The game received attention for its similarities to Balatro, including by Ben Starr, the actor who portrays Balatro's mascot Jimbo.[6][7] A free demo released on November 10, 2025.[8]
Raccoin officially released for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on March 31, 2026, on Steam.[‡ 3] The game sold over 100,000 copies within 24 hours of its launch.[9][10]
In June 2026, it was announced that Raccoin would be releasing on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S, expected to release in fall 2026.[11][12]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC = 82/100[13] |
| OpenCritic | 80% recommend[14] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Video Games Chronicle | 4/5[1] |
Raccoin received "generally favorable" reviews from review aggregator Metacritic.[13] According to aggregator OpenCritic, 80% of critics recommend the game.[14]
Reviewers praised the game's addictive nature and the satisfaction of gameplay.[1][15][16][17] Other reviewers criticized the game's lack of engagement, especially in comparison to Balatro, with Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen saying that the "latest game to be labeled a Balatro-like isn't nearly as a engaging as that roguelike poker hit".[18] In a review titled "Raccoin doesn't understand what makes Balatro special", Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio criticized Raccoin, writing: "[Raccoin is] exactly like Balatro, but with the hand-crafting replaced with satisfying physics manipulation backed by ASMR-worthy coin-dropping sound effects."[19]
User reviews
Shortly after Raccoin's release, users on Steam gave the game "very positive" reviews, with over 90% of reviewers recommending the game.[2]
