How to play Plush Pluck

How a claw machine works

A claw machine is a glass cabinet full of prizes with a three-pronged claw hanging above them. You steer the claw left and right, forward and back, then press a button. The claw drops, closes, lifts and carries whatever it holds to a chute in the corner. A prize that reaches the chute is yours.

Three things decide a grab. Where the claw closes on the prize: on the body it grips, on an ear or a tail it slips off. How heavy and awkward the prize is. And how far it has to travel to the chute, swaying as it goes. Arcade machines also let their owners set how hard the claw grips, which is why a perfect-looking grab can still open on the way up.

Playing Plush Pluck on AllFun

AllFun Plush Pluck is an online claw machine with soft toys we drew ourselves, in four series of six: Ocean Pals, Farm Friends, Space Buddies and Forest Folk. In each series three plush are common, two rare and one gold. The Ocean machine is open from the start, and the other three open at player levels 2, 4 and 6. Each plush you win goes on your Prize Shelf, and any of them can be your picture.

Push the joystick to move the claw, or use the arrow keys on a computer, then press DROP or Space. You have 15 seconds to aim each try. Other quick games of skill wait on the arcade games page.

The rules of the machine

• A turn is 2 tries on one machine, for 40 play coins on any machine. Tries you have not used stay with that machine.
• Free every day: 2 tries and 120 Daily coins.
• Grip: a claw centred on a plush holds tight; on its edge it slips. A plush with another lying on top of it barely moves.
• Weight: rare and gold plush are heavier and sway more on the way to the chute.
• Strong grip: a free bonus that lasts a whole turn and roughly doubles your chance to hold on. It never makes a catch certain.
• Lucky grip: after 15 misses in a row on a machine, your next well-aimed grab gets extra help.
• Doubles: a second copy of a plush goes back to the prize desk for coins: 40 for a common, 150 for a rare, 500 for a gold. A full series earns a badge and 1,500 coins.

The odds, in numbers

We measured the machines with many thousands of simulated tries aimed the way a person aims. On average a common plush takes 7 or 8 tries, a rare one 25 to 29, and a gold one 55 to 63, depending on the machine. The game shows the number for that machine after a miss, and every grab follows the same rules for every player.

Six tips for better grabs

1. Choose before you steer. The best target lies alone, on top of the heap and near the chute. A prize half buried or squeezed between others is a poor bet, however much you want it.
2. Aim at the body. Find the widest, heaviest part of the plush and put the claw right over it. The ring under the claw shows which plush it will close on.
3. Line it up twice. Get the claw right from left to right first, then from front to back. Most misses are good on one axis and off on the other.
4. Use the whole 15 seconds. There is no prize for dropping fast. Small corrections at the end are where grabs are won.
5. Start with commons. They are lighter, so they finish a series sooner, and doubles still pay coins.
6. Keep Strong grip for a target you like. It lasts the whole turn, so spend both tries on a prize that is well placed.

Claw machine FAQ