Arcade games transport us straight back to childhood, where we try desperately, using all our spare coins, to win a toy. The claw machine is one of the most popular games at the arcade, but it’s also really hard to win on.

Using a joystick or buttons, players are supposed to guide the claw over their desired prize. As it plunges, seizes the item, and begins its ascent to glory, it all too often callously releases it just shy of the chute.

The agony of defeat is palpable when the claw fails to…