Arcade Stud Pusher, Amusement Machine

I have been a Lego fan for as long as I can remember.

As a child I was always fascinated by the penny pusher arcade machines at my local amusements and would save up my spare change to play.

Whilst sorting out my Lego collection this year, I found myself with a huge tub of studs.

I thought it would be awesome to build a game that could use them. I decided on a penny pusher machine and set to work. It’s taken me three months to design and build the set. The hardest part was designing the mechanism to fit within the footprint I had allowed myself to keep the game compact.

It took four different designs to eventually find a process that was reliable and would fit in the base of the unit. I added lights to recreate the full arcade experience!

I believe this would make a great Lego set as it combines engineering and aesthetic‘s that results in a game that the whole family can enjoy.

It could be used for education and help with maths.

Each stud colour could represent a number, and as the child plays, the winning studs can be added together or multiplied. Correct answers wins additional studs to play.

My game has been tested by the whole family. It works just like a proper penny pusher. I spent twenty studs in one session and won nothing! My daughter came along, spend two and won big time! This happens to me every time at the amusement arcade!

it’s been almost sixty years since the penny pusher made its way into the uk amusement arcades. I believe a Lego set would be a great way to celebrate this classic game.