‘Arcade Spirits’ akin to beach read

For those with fond memories of basking in the backlit glow of arcade machines, “Arcade Spirits” will elicit warm fuzzies. This visual novel written by Stefan Gagne and Aenne Schumann is about the ups and downs of a staff working to keep a smalltime arcade afloat. The game, which was recently released on consoles, plays on nostalgic feelings with knowing references to game culture while speaking to the economic anxieties that underlie so much of modern life.

“Arcade Spirits” tells the story of Ari Cader, a 20-something — you can choose Ari’s pronouns at the start of the game — whose post-adolescent life has been marked by financial hardship.

Ari wanders over to the Funplex, a scrappy arcade where she meets Francine, the Funplex’s octogenarian proprietor. Francine eventually offers her an entry-level job. Ari’s duties include watching over the establishment to make sure that customers are happy and not engaging in unruly behavior as well as helping them to redeem tickets for cheap prizes. Over the rest of the game’s eight levels, the narrative explores the trade-offs that arise with following those dreams, where reality is capable of turning them to ash. If players help Ari fight for her dreams — she can give up on them, which leads to Game Over — they’ll encounter the diverse employees and enthusiasts whose lives converge around the arcade.

Developed by Fiction Factory Games; published by PQube; available on Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One