Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2013

Ditching the streets and heading inside a nice, cool arcade is one of way of chilling that as old as the ‘80s—it’s also an easy way to gamble and lose your cold, hard cash. Try these tips for taking top prize at UFO Catcher.

1. A UFO Catcher prize is worth only as much as you think it is. Decide how much you’re willing to spend before you put in the first coin. If you don’t think you can win within your budget, walk away.

2. The longer you take to play, the “looser” the claw will get when it drops. Be decisive and act fast.

3. Most prizes can’t simply be lifted and carried; they must be dragged, pushed, or tipped over the edge.

4. When in doubt on how to win something, ask a staffer. They’ll often demonstrate the best way to win a prize, and will even move it to a better position if you ask nicely.

5. The bigger and better a prize is, the harder it is to get.

6. Know your surroundings. Is it a dingy and dirty local game center or a polished Taito? Is it empty or full of tourists and Japanese? Are games affordable or do they cost ¥200 a shot? How often are prizes swapped out? Answer key: ¥100 game centers are better, arcades that get a lot of tourists tend to rip them off. Dingy arcades rarely have good prizes and often rip you off as well.

7. To “push” items, figure out which UFO catcher arm is “weak” and “strong.” Some machines let you rotate the claw before it drops—use this to your advantage.

8. Most boxes have holes of some sort on the sides just as most stuffed toys have ribbons, loops, or something else that the claw can catch onto and drag.

9. Prizes that look like they’re precariously perched over a ledge are often supported by hidden platforms, sticky material, or rounded edges. Know what you have to beat before you start playing.

10. If you want a certain prize badly enough, there are plenty of stores in Akihabara and elsewhere that sell them. But that’s no fun, is it?