Arcade Paradise

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Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 23

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Arcade Paradise is a clever management sim that puts you in the shoes of both the arcade manager and the player. The game has its fair share of bugs, and there’s far too much waiting around, but Arcade Paradise is a delightful surprise for fans of the genre.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 23

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 23

Arcade Paradise is a clever management sim that puts you in the shoes of both the arcade manager and the player. The game has its fair share of bugs, and there's far too much waiting around, but Arcade Paradise is a delightful surprise for fans of the genre.

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Critic Reviews for Arcade Paradise

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

23

Reviews

Average Score

100

Ranges

Recommended

Christian Donlan (Eurogamer)

What a thing. Arcade Paradise made me think of Outrun and GTA and Mr Driller, and also my own working life in my teens as a dishwasher and a double-glazing salesperson, sure. But it also made me think of those mazes tiled on the walls of Warren Street tube. Warren Street! Get it? Little puzzles made to be solved between trains, but tricky enough to encourage you to miss your train in the first place. Then you solve the maze and you’re off into a wider maze of the underground network. And maybe, who knows, there’s a maze beyond that too.

August 12, 2022 |

Full Review

Arcade Paradise is a superb management sim that puts you in the shoes of both the arcade manager and the player. Whether you are an old arcade head like me or somebody who can only view things through a historic lens, there is so much to enjoy here. Once you get past the necessary grind of the opening hours the game opens up to become an almost encyclopedic slice of arcade life. Even when you’ve upgraded the arcade, there are always high scores to chase too.

August 11, 2022 |

Full Review

8/10

Steve C (TheSixthAxis)

9/10

Chris White (God is a Geek)

Arcade Paradise not only looks cool, but the running of your business is fun and enjoyable, and the arcade games are wonderfully designed.

August 11, 2022 |

Full Review

Christian Donlan (Eurogamer)

Recommended - (Read Review)

Steve C (TheSixthAxis)

8/10 - (Read Review)

Chris White (God is a Geek)

9/10 - (Read Review)

Arcade Paradise not only looks cool, but the running of your business is fun and enjoyable, and the arcade games are wonderfully designed.

**Read all 23 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (23 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Bazimag	Sina Golabzade	6 / 10	08-11-2022	If this was just an Arcade management game, it could’ve been one of the greats but the laundromat side of the business is tedious, unnecessarily time-consuming and full of stupid mechanics that would makes you absolutely hate Arcade Paradise to no end in its first hours.	Read review
COGconnected	Stephan Adamus	78 / 100	08-11-2022	Despite the latter half of this review being mostly criticism, Arcade Paradise, at its core, is a very good management game, with tons of very well-parodied arcade games to play. The mix of genres works incredibly well. I really wish there was a version of Capcom Arcade Stadium in this style. Or an NES Remix. Arcade Paradise’s inauthentic aesthetic, and lack of polish bring it down. But anyone intrigued by the game’s premise should give it a try.	Read review
Destructoid	Zoey Handley	6.5 / 10	08-11-2022	I feel like the managerial side of Arcade Paradise needs to better inform the part where you just play games endlessly and vice versa. In the beginning, having to pull yourself away from your high score to move someone’s laundry into the dryer is a fun twist, but there’s nothing similar to that in the end game. You’re just playing games, waiting for the quarters to pile up so you can buy the next upgrade. Even if Arcade Paradise instead tried to present an authentic representation of the arcade experience, I feel that would have added more value. Instead, it sits in an uncomfortable middle ground like a directionless teenager.	Read review
Eurogamer	Christian Donlan	Recommended	08-12-2022	What a thing. Arcade Paradise made me think of Outrun and GTA and Mr Driller, and also my own working life in my teens as a dishwasher and a double-glazing salesperson, sure. But it also made me think of those mazes tiled on the walls of Warren Street tube. Warren Street! Get it? Little puzzles made to be solved between trains, but tricky enough to encourage you to miss your train in the first place. Then you solve the maze and you’re off into a wider maze of the underground network. And maybe, who knows, there’s a maze beyond that too.	Read review
GameSpew	Kim Snaith	9 / 10	08-11-2022	Arcade Paradise is something rather special. Its mixture of playful management sim and arcade gaming works incredibly well, and it’s all so nicely presented that you’ll easily forgive its few flaws. Whether you get swept up in keeping your laundrette and arcade running as well as possible, or whether you find yourself addicted to a particular arcade cabinet, you’re going to love your time here. And considering its bargain price, it really doesn’t get much better tan this.	Read review
Geek Culture	Jake Su	7.8 / 10	08-11-2022	Ultimately, what you’ll get out of Arcade Paradise is your appetite for repetitive chores, at least at the start, and your love for the arcade experience. With the laundromat being the gateway to a fun and engaging management and simulator experience, it is well worth washing those dirty rags to allow our dreams of a bustling arcade to come to life. And like its real-life counterparts, there is certainly magic in these dimly lit halls, even if it ends up just a few steps short of paradise.	Read review
God is a Geek	Chris White	9 / 10	08-11-2022	Arcade Paradise not only looks cool, but the running of your business is fun and enjoyable, and the arcade games are wonderfully designed.	Read review
Guardian	Keza MacDonald	3 / 5 stars	08-11-2022	This unusual game has you managing your dad’s launderette while running a secret arcade out the back.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	David Martinez	71 / 100	08-11-2022	‎Arcade Paradise has a very interesting development, which goes straight to the heart of recreational lovers. It does not stand out as a management game or as a collection of retro mini-games, but the combination of both developments is very fun.‎	Read review
Nintendo Life	Lowell Bell	8 / 10	08-11-2022	We wholly recommend Arcade Paradise if you enjoy either simulation-style games or spent the ’90s with a pocketful of quarters down at the local arcade. The narrative centred on a lazy young adult proving to their father they can run a successful business will never really grip you, and – believe it or not – laundering clothes and peeling gum off the machines becomes a bit tiresome. Yet the arcade games themselves and the sheer creativity and charm Nosebleed Interactive has packed into them more than makes up for the monotony. If we stumbled upon these games in the back of our local laundromat, we’d spend actual money there. But since that seems rather unlikely, we’re sure to boot up Arcade Paradise to try for some global rankings long after we’re done with laundering clothes.	Read review
Push Square	Sammy Barker	8 / 10	08-11-2022	If you’re nostalgic for the 90s and genuinely enjoy minigame compilations, Arcade Paradise is utterly essential. The title’s tongue-in-cheek tycoon gameplay and simulator window dressing serve as the backdrop for dozens upon dozens of video game parodies, spanning a GTA-style Pac-Man clone through to an OutRun-inspired futuristic racer. Not every idea shines, but the sheer density of content alone means you’ll never get bored. And with an addictive progression system that’s forever tempting you with something shiny on the horizon, this release actually lives up to its name: it’s truly an arcade paradise.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Steve C	8 / 10	08-11-2022	Arcade Paradise is a superb management sim that puts you in the shoes of both the arcade manager and the player. Whether you are an old arcade head like me or somebody who can only view things through a historic lens, there is so much to enjoy here. Once you get past the necessary grind of the opening hours the game opens up to become an almost encyclopaedic slice of arcade life. Even when you’ve upgraded the arcade, there are always high scores to chase too.	Read review
VGC	Chris Scullion	4 / 5 stars	08-11-2022	While it takes a while to get going, Arcade Paradise is an outstanding celebration of the ’90s arcade scene with a generous helping of fully playable retro love letters.	Read review

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About Arcade Paradise

Game Description / Storyline:

Welcome to Arcade Paradise, the 90’s retro arcade adventure game. With the keys to the family laundromat, Ashley decides to transform the business and give the sleepy town of Grindstone something to get excited about! Stay one step ahead of your father, manage and invest profits, and build your very own Arcade Paradise!

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