New arcade games with old-school rules

New arcade games come in two kinds: faithful ports of coin-op classics, and fresh games built on the same rules, short levels, high scores, one more credit. 2026 brought both. Here are the recent releases worth a coin, plus arcade games on Roam you can learn in a minute.

Classic arcade, new releases

Arcade Archives 2 (Hamster). Faithful ports of old coin-op games for Switch 2 and PS5. Space Invaders Part II arrived on Switch 2 in January 2026 and Space Cyclone in June 2026.
Arcade Archives: Rave Racer (February 2026). Namco's arcade-only racer finally came home, on PS5 and Switch.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac (Bandai Namco, September 2025). A remake of the 2002 3D Pac-Man adventure, now with two-player couch co-op.

New games with arcade rules

What still counts as arcade: you understand it in ten seconds, a run lasts a few minutes, and your score is the story. Galaga (Namco, 1981) and Angry Birds (Rovio, 2009) are still the two references most new arcade games get compared to.

Astro Fighters 2 (March 9, 2026). A vertical shooter on Steam where grazing enemy bullets boosts your score. Built for chasing a high score.
Retro Arcade Shop Simulator (September 2026). Not an arcade game but a game about one: run your own arcade, in early access on PC.

Arcade games on Roam

Roam is a free iPhone app with a full arcade row. STARFIGHT is Galaga-style: Earth orbit, three waves, keep firing. Keep Exploding is a guided-missile chain blaster: hit, relaunch, hit again. Guard the Core has you rotate a shield and block everything.

Pigs Will Fly is the Angry Birds slingshot: pull back, let go. BOOMDIG is hold to dig, tap for TNT, keep going down. BOLLARD BOSS is pure reflexes: stop the wanted cars, let the rest go.

Play it on Roam

Make your own arcade game with Roam

Say what you shoot, dodge or launch, and what the score is for. Roam makes it playable, and you can add a boss wave by asking. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.

Try: "arcade shooter where my cat defends the fridge from flying cucumbers, 3 waves, a boss melon, high score table for my friends"

Create it with Roam Pre-register on Android See Roam

Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.

Questions people ask

What are Arcade Archives?

A long-running series from Hamster that ports classic coin-op games faithfully to modern consoles. Arcade Archives 2 is the newer line for Switch 2 and PS5.

What makes a game an arcade game?

Simple controls, short runs, rising difficulty and a high score. You learn it in seconds and keep playing to beat your best.

Are there arcade games on iPhone?

Yes. Many classics are on the App Store, and Roam has quick arcade games you can play free on iPhone.