Pocket Arcade Story (2022)

Developer: Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 3.7 of 5, 54 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 6.7 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A lighthearted and charming management sim where you build and run a dream arcade, with gentle strategy and simple retro pixel visuals.

casualmanagementpixel graphicsretrocuterelaxingsimulationsingleplayer

What players say

Players are split on Pocket Arcade Story. Many enjoy the familiar Kairosoft management loop of building and decorating an arcade, but a loud group finds the required fighting tournament minigame frustrating and random, calling it a tedious grind that overshadows the simulation. The need to grind characters through a poorly explained friendship system to unlock machines also draws complaints.

Screenshots

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More by Kairosoft

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.