Arcade Paradise

Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Save enough to afford the “Communists From Mars” cabinet.
Buy it from: Amazon

Arcade Paradise looked like it would be right up my alley when it came out last August. It’s a work sim about managing a laundromat-turned-arcade full of early ‘90s references and vaporwave vibes. Say no more! But then, I just…never got around to it. And in my mind, it kept getting built up into something harder to get into and more time-consuming than it actually was. Earlier this week, I finally dug my heels in and got down to business turning my in-game uncle’s small business into a thriving, coin-operated mecca of retro nostalgia.

Nosebleed Interactive’s first-person adventure through the nine-to-five grind has you juggle drudgery like swapping laundry between the washer and dryer and taking out the garbage with ordering fictional arcade cabinets inspired by real-life games (“Knuckles and Knees” is a riff on Streets of Rage) and stealing time off the clock to daydream inside of them. It’s a simple concept executed with precision and beauty that nails the feeling of finding little epiphanies while slacking off. Digital Trends’ Giovanni Colantonio called it one of 2022’s most underrated games, and he was right. Being on Game Pass right now should hopefully fix that. — Ethan Gach

And that’s it for our games this time around. What are you playing this weekend?