Scratchers

About

Scratchers is a single player casual simulation game with a comedy theme. It was developed by muffler and was released on June 16, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

Scratchers is a comedic single-player incremental simulation where you scratch cards to earn cash, unlock upgrades, and hire helpers to automate scratching. Featuring chill progression, diverse card types with unique mechanics, and a prestige system for permanent boosts, the game offers lots of grinding but is notably buggy. Build your empire and optimize your earnings as you climb to scratcher supremacy!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 428 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

stability33 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay loop that keeps players entertained.
Charming pixel art style and relaxing soundtrack enhance the experience.
Affordable price for a short, enjoyable game.

Game is very short, can be completed in under 2 hours, leading to a lack of content.
Numerous bugs and balancing issues, particularly with prestige upgrades and scratcher mechanics.
Repetitive gameplay with little variation in scratcher types and mechanics.

gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The gameplay of the game is criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many players finding the core mechanics tedious and unengaging after initial play. While the scratch card concept offers a unique twist, the overall experience is marred by bugs, poor progression balance, and a lack of meaningful upgrades, leading to a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction. Despite some charm and potential, the gameplay ultimately feels shallow and unpolished, resulting in a short and unfulfilling experience.
- “Blending incremental gameplay with the theme of scratch-off lottery tickets is a unique twist that sets it apart from typical idle games.”
- “The gameplay loop is super satisfying — scratch, win some cash, upgrade a bit, and keep going.”
- “The pixel art is cute, the mechanics are smooth, and the sense of progression feels just right for the game's length.”
- “The main mechanic is tedious.”
- “Very repetitive gameplay, with little to no new mechanics added from prestige.”
- “There's no gameplay to speak of, it's full of bugs, it's not really clear what the win condition is (beyond 'make money, good luck'), and every part of the experience feels awful.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and stability issues, including visual glitches, inconsistent progression, and unresponsive UI elements, leading many users to describe it as a "buggy mess." Players report that these issues significantly detract from the overall experience, making it feel unfinished and frustrating. Despite some enjoyable aspects, the game's instability has led to widespread recommendations to avoid it until substantial fixes are implemented.
- “This game is so buggy now and honestly after trying it on multiple runs, it's better off if you don't waste your money on this game until it is fixed.”
- “It's buggy, the progression is very weird/inconsistent (for example, once you get to roughly $1 billion total, not per minute or something, you can suddenly upgrade your scratchers from basically worthless all the way to earning over $1 trillion per minute, making a whole bunch of card tiers you hadn't even unlocked completely pointless), there's something dodgy about some of the % chances it tells you and a lot of other not great details.”
- “Not only did the game feel pretty much over at the 30-minute mark (at which I had to spend an hour farming for enough money for the last achievement), but it's also incredibly buggy.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
5%
90%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unbalanced, particularly in the late game where players feel compelled to grind for tickets and upgrades. While some players find enjoyment in the early game mechanics and the risk/reward system, many agree that the overall experience becomes monotonous and frustrating, often requiring excessive time investment to achieve completion. Despite its potential for fun, the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a mixed reception among players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It is overall just majorly tedious; it is completely unbalanced, even for an incremental game.”
- “The main mechanic is tedious.”
- “But after that, it just became a tedious task I just wanted to be done with so I could move to the next game.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
33%
47%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe lag, poor performance, and a frustrating user interface that requires excessive clicks. Many users feel that the unoptimized gameplay detracts significantly from the experience, especially as performance worsens with progression and increased in-game activity. Overall, the optimization issues are seen as a major downside, impacting both gameplay fluidity and user satisfaction.
- “While I like the idea and I got what I paid for, it's horribly optimized.”
- “The main downside I had with this game was less than ideal optimization, which led to pretty severe lagging for the idle income portion of the game.”
- “Too bad the game is unoptimized in many ways.”
- “It almost feels like the unoptimized gameplay was somewhat intentional, as the further you progress, the lag also increases which slows down everything else.”
- “Unoptimized UI means you're required to make multiple clicks in separate menus or pop-ups to make progress.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique 64-bit art style and simplicity, contributing to an enjoyable visual experience. However, some users noted issues with graphical glitches, mismatched visuals, and performance problems that detracted from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the appealing art design and sound have left a positive impression, with many expressing hope for future titles from the developer.
- “Is very fun and nice graphic and sound design!”
- “I love the simple art style and I really enjoyed the music as well.”
- “The graphics made me buy the game and that was the reason I would not refund it.”
- “The prestige upgrades are vaguely and incorrectly worded, with mismatched graphics.”
- “If you buy the clown upgrade, it doubles the required space for you to have full automation, but the code doesn't account for this, causing crashes, frame drops, and graphical glitches.”
- “The graphics made me buy the game, and that was the reason I would not refund it.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and chill vibe, enhancing the overall experience while playing. Many users appreciate the lofi soundtrack, describing it as addictive and perfect for creating a calming atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The music as well was lovely, which at first I didn't realize existed until I turned my music off. The music in this game is nice and relaxing to listen to while you scratch and gamble.”
- “What really sets it apart is the lofi soundtrack—super chill and perfect for relaxing while playing.”
- “The only thing the game has going for it is the soundtrack.”
- “The music in this game is by Vicate (see them on Spotify and Apple Music!) and it's so good.”
- “The music in this is so chill!”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's story is generally perceived as weak and underdeveloped, with many players finding it boring and lacking a compelling narrative framework. While some appreciate the initial intrigue of the premise, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, often feeling more like a gimmick than a cohesive storyline.
- “Interesting story, as far as you can call it a story.”
- “That, along with the promise of prestiging to unlock bigger and better permanent upgrades that would help me on my quest to buy the biggest scratcher ever, were more than enough to propel me along initially.”
- “Unfinished, boring game with a weak goal and storyline.”
- “It's really a lackluster idler, small and not really enough story or framework to make it an exciting exploration.”
- “A third-person stealth mission where you sneak up on scratch-off tickets and interrogate them about your missing family?”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game is noted for having little to no replayability, with many players expressing that while it is enjoyable, there are few features that encourage starting a new game. Despite its lack of replay value, it is still appreciated for its indie development support.
- “Does it have a lot of replay value?”
- “Little to no replayability.”
- “I didn't see any obvious features for replayability; I could start a new game, but why?”
- “Though it lacks replayability, this is a great game to play if you like to support indie developers.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable and lighthearted, with amusing moments such as typos that add to the fun rather than detract from it. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the gaming experience, making it a recommended choice for those looking to relax and have a good time.
- “That made me laugh! The Bigfoot pack had a typo where it just says $60, $80, and $100 as the prize pool when it's supposed to be $60m, $80m, and $100m. I did not mind it at all, mainly because I was having so much fun and finally able to relax. I pity any alternate universe versions of me that don't play it. 9 out of 10 would recommend to a friend; I wish I had more of this game.”