How to Win at the Claw Machine

Yes! It IS possible to win at the Claw Machine Game!

I hear it all the time-- No one ever wins those games. They're all a sham!

Well, I can attest to the fact that it is indeed possible-- very possible-- to win at the seemingly impossible Claw Machine game! I have played many Claw Machines and have won over 60 stuffed animals over the last several years. That girl in the picture? That's me back in 2006 with some of my conquests. If I see a claw game, I HAVE to try it!! I believe that the Claw Machine, if you find the right one, is one of the cheapest, and best ways to win a prize at the arcade or carnival.

Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about, but for those of you who don't know what the Claw Machine is, I'm sure you'll know once I describe it to you!

The Claw Machine can typically be found in video arcades, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys, and amusement parks. It basically looks like a vending machine with a pile of lovely stuffed animals in it ready for the picking. It has a mechanical claw in it, which the player can maneuver with a joystick to make it hover over the stuffed animal that the player wants to win. The player then presses a button to drop the claw down over the prospective prize with hopes that the claw will pick up the prize and swoop it over to the prize drop.

The Claw Machine may also be referred to as a teddy picker, claw crane, candy crane, claw game, crane vending machine, arcade claw, grab machine, crane game or simply the claw. It looks deceptively easy. How many times have you played the Claw Machine, only to walk away in frustration, grumbling about how you knew that game would be a waste of a dollar, and feeling ripped off?

Well, my friends, I'm here to tell you how to WIN! Here is my comprehensive guide for claw game strategies based on my real life experience. Follow the tips in this guide, and you'll have a much more fun time with the Claw Machine!

Not All Claw Machines Are Created Equal

The overall operation of Claw Machines are the same: use a joystick to maneuver the claw, then press a button to drop the claw. There are, however, many variations to these rules. It's very important to know the rules of the game so you don't waste your money learning to play the game through trial and error. Usually the rules are labeled clearly on the machine. Here are some variations that I've seen:

Classic Mode

This involves moving the claw with the joystick (up, down, left, right) and pressing a button the drop the claw. The claw will drop and rise automatically, and as it rises, the springs in the claw will close the claw, and hopefully grab the prize in the process. Really straightforward. This operation is found on most machines.

The Dumb Claw

No, this isn't what you call the game when you lose at it. This machine operates very similarly to Classic Mode, in that you can move the joystick any which way, and you press a button to drop the claw. The claw in this game, however, is "dumb" because it doesn't automatically rise, and you need press the button again (or a different button) to tell the claw to rise and try to pick up your prize.

The Upside Down "L"

I call this version the "Upside Down L" because the machine will only let you maneuver the claw in a one-shot, L motion. There is no "drop claw" button on these machines. You are only allowed to move the claw up, and then right. Once the claw is positioned, you move the joystick left to drop the claw, and the claw will automatically rise and close. This is the hardest kind of claw game because every movement counts. It's just up, and right, and that's it! There is no "Oops, I passed the toy I was aiming for so let me move the claw left or down to fix that" in this game. My advice in playing this game is to advance slowly and in spurts so you don't overshoot the prize you're aiming for.

The Upside Down "L" Dumb Claw Hybrid

In the Upside Down L, you use three of the directions on the joystick (up, right, and left) to operate the machine. There are some machines that add another little twist to this and utilize that 4th down direction. This machine is basically an Upside Down L machine with a Dumb Claw. Operation goes like this:

- Move the joystick up, and then right to position the claw over your prize.

- Move the joystick left to drop the claw

- Once dropped, move the joystick down to raise the claw

This wily machine may actually require a couple of practice runs to get used to.

“Be one with The Claw!”

Know the Claw: Claws are like people -- some are shady as hell

Most claw machines will give you a fair chance, but you can tell if a claw game is shady right off the bat just from looking at the claw. At the very minimum, the claw should have three prongs, or "fingers", if you will. The claw should be compact and strong looking. A good comparison is that it should look like how your hand looks when you're scratching your arm (or leg, or back, or wherever your scratch on your body). Most machines are built this way.

If you claw looks like any of the following, then you're looking at a "shady" claw. Just know that this claw game is going to be more challenging, if not virtually impossible:

1) A claw only two prongs, kind of like tweezers or salad tongs
2) A claw that has long, thin fingers
3) A giant claw with long thin fingers meant to win large beach balls or stuffed animals
4) The claw is much too small (mainly distance between tips of the claw fingers) for any of theprizes in the machine and there is no way it could ever get around the toy
5) The claw is much too large for any of the prizes in the machine and the prize will most likely fall out

But don't get me wrong-- you CAN win these prizes, even with a shady claw! You just need a little extra luck on your side!

Choose Your Prize Carefully

Not All Prizes are Easy (that's what she said)

Another crucial rule to increasing your chances of success at the claw game: Pick the right prize! The right prize is the one that's sitting at the top of the pile with NOTHING holding it down. You can see all of its limbs. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can get that really cute dog at the bottom of the pile. Or if there are a bunch of freshly packed stuffed animals that look like they're getting ready to take a class picture at school, chances are it's going to be pretty difficult to pull one of these prizes.

Also, it's generally easier to win stuffed animals that are small, like the size of a beanie baby. It's good if they have long arms and legs because ideally you'd want to grasp the prize firmly around the body, and stuffed animals that are leggy give the claw more exposure to the body.

The Test Run

It Pays to Get Tested

After you have understood the game, and you've picked your prize, you will typically need to perform a "test run" of the game to test some other things out, like the behavior of the claw, your understanding of the game, and the feasibility of your prize. Your test run is your first try at the game. If you notice that the claw is very weak and just strokes your prize the way a mother strokes her child's hair, then you'll know it's time to bail on this particular machine sooner than later:

If the claw can at least move the toy that you're after, then you have a fair chance at winning since you've got a good claw. If you're really lucky, you'll win your prize on your test run!!

Alternate Strategy to Getting Your Prize

The 2-step strategy

So what happens if the super cute dog that you want is lying underneath a really ugly, cheapy, purple banana that you don't want? Well it depends on how badly you want the dog and how much you'll pay for it. This is where the 2-Step Strategy comes in. There is nothing wrong with going for the banana so that at minimum, you move it away from the dog (it's ok, you didn't want it anyway), or you actually win the banana (in which case you can give it to some kid you don't like or to your real dog as a chew toy). Either way, you've move the obstacle from the real prize that you're going for. Depending on how covered your coveted prize is, you might repeat this strategy several times, but just keep in mind how much money you're spending, and how many ugly stuffed animals you're winning, just to get to the prize you want.

And Finally, RELAX!

It's just a GAME!!

I just want to give you all a friendly reminder that the Claw Machine game is exactly what it says it is-- A GAME!! And games are created so you can win and lose at them. I've seen people watch someone win a prize at the Claw Machine and then go into it thinking that it's going to be an easy win, and end up twenty games later, jerking the joystick around in anguish and stubbornly clinging to the prospect of winning, only to walk away with nothing but sunken pride. I'll even admit to have done that once or twice! This is great for the arcade, but no good for you!!

Decide upfront how much money you want to spend on said prize. You don't want to end up spending more on it than you would have if you just bought it.

I hope this tutorial was helpful, and that you have just as much fun as I've had with the Claw Machine!

GOOD LUCK!!