Unshine Arcade mixes horror and gacha in an arcade

Unshine Arcade is set in an abandoned arcade and centers on one strange game machine. In each round, you first guide a small alien through maze-like rooms, avoiding enemies and collecting gacha balls, coins, and bonuses.

At the end of the round, the game changes into an isometric shooter. Then you fire back at the enemies you were hiding from and earn tickets for every one you defeat. If you clear the round, you can open the gacha balls you collected and choose one reward to keep.

Between runs, the game uses a branching progression map, but the choices are fairly simple. You can head into another round, buy more gacha balls, upgrade abilities, or visit a shop. Tickets also carry over after failure, so progress still feels steady.

The surrounding arcade hides more machines, codes, and secrets. Some let you power up abilities, while others unlock extra modes like Pong-style games or slot machine-style gambling. The game has a weird, dirty atmosphere, but it also feels bright and playful in its own strange way.