Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike

Lore & Background

Raccoin was developed by three-person Chinese indie studio Doraccoon, founded in 2024 by producer ManKemono, artist Wolong, and designer JoshuaRabbit. The studio is based in Shanghai and its members graduated from the Communication University of China. Development began in July 2024 and lasted around two years, making Raccoin Doraccoon's first game. The studio received support and investment from COREBLAZER, a team established by Hypergryph, the developers of Arknights.

The game was announced for Windows on August 14, 2025, and entered an open playtest four days later. A free demo released on November 10, 2025. Raccoin officially launched on Steam for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on March 31, 2026, selling over 100,000 copies within 24 hours. Console ports were announced in June 2026 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S, with a fall 2026 release window.

In an interview, producer ManKemono cited Balatro, Luck Be a Landlord, and Ballionaire as inspirations, stating the idea came from 'wondering what would happen if we combined the mechanics of a coin-pusher game with a roguelike system like Balatro.' The game received attention for its similarities to Balatro, including from Ben Starr, the actor who portrays Balatro's mascot Jimbo.

Reader's Guide

Raccoin is a run-based roguelike where the player must complete 15 rounds per run. Each round requires shooting coins into a scoring area to push them off the edge, earning tickets and fulfilling a target. If the target is met, the round ends and the player enters a shop; if coins run out before the target is reached, tickets can be exchanged for more coins, or the run ends in failure. In the shop, tickets can be spent on special coins with abilities (duplication, explosion), expanding the clip (coin inventory), prizes (usable items), and chips (modifiers affecting scoring). Certain rounds feature 'bad coins' that provide debuffs; defeating all bad coins allows the player to choose a keychain granting powerful modifiers. Completing a run unlocks new cabinets, cards, raccoons, and ticket colors that modify subsequent runs.

Reception was mixed. Metacritic rated it 'generally favorable,' and OpenCritic reported 81% of critics recommending the game. Steam user reviews were 'very positive' with over 90% recommendation. Critics praised the addictive nature and satisfying physics, but some found it less engaging than Balatro. Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen called it 'the latest game to be labeled a Balatro-like' that 'isn't nearly as engaging as that roguelike poker hit.' Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio titled his review 'Raccoin doesn't understand what makes Balatro special,' noting it is 'exactly like Balatro, but with the hand-crafting replaced with satisfying physics manipulation backed by ASMR-worthy coin-dropping sound effects.'

Did You Know?

• Raccoin was developed by a three-person studio called Doraccoon, founded in 2024 after the members graduated from the Communication University of China.
• The game sold over 100,000 copies within 24 hours of its March 31, 2026 launch on Steam.
• Raccoin received investment and support from COREBLAZER, a team created by Hypergryph, the developers of Arknights.
• The game's inspiration came from combining coin pusher mechanics with a roguelike system like Balatro, according to producer ManKemono.