Proposal:Key:amusement arcade

Tagging scheme for arcade machines
Proposal status:	Proposed (under way)
Proposed by:	Unnerving duck
Tagging:	`leisure=arcade_machine`
Applies to:
Definition:	This proposal aims to document various types of arcade machines found at arcade venues.
Statistics:
Draft started:	2024-08-28
RFC start:	2024-08-29

Proposal

This proposal attempts to gather a list of commonly seen arcade machines found at amusement arcades. These can be pinball and claw machines, dance games, driving simulators etc.

Individual arcade machines would be tagged with leisure=arcade_machine and arcade_game=* to define the game. count=* can be used to specify the number of machines, in case it's not feasible add a new node for each one.

For a more general approach, you can add arcade_game=* to leisure=amusement_arcade and list the offered games, separated with a semicolon ;

arcade_machine=* can be used to specify the type of game system, e.g. arcade_machine=virtual_reality

To describe an amusement arcade that focuses on certain types of games, e.g claw machines and video games, amusement_arcade=* can be used.

Rationale

Arcade game machines often have different physical features that distinguish them from one another, so dedicated tags for them makes sense. Apart from traditional arcade machines with joystick controls, some games can feature a motorcycle you can ride on, a dance game has a set of tiles you must step or a basketball hoop to throw balls onto.

Specifying these serves a purpose, as there are communities that revolve around specific types of games. For example The Finnish Dance Gamers' Association attempts to list a couple of dance arcade machines, so having this data in OSM would be beneficial.

It very much resembles the widely used scheme Key:playground, which is used to map individual playground equipment.

Tagging

Sport games

Add leisure=arcade_machine and arcade_game=sport and specify it with the following tags.

Key

Value

Element

Comment

Photo

sport

air_hockey

Air hockey tables feature a low-friction surface with little holes that push out air. Two players push the puck and attempt scoring goals.

Air hockey table with puck and paddles

sport

basketball

In basketball games you have to throw as many balls as possible successfully through a hoop in a certain time.

2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup basketball shooting arcade game

Other games


Key	Value	Comment	Photo
arcade_game	claw	Claw machines where you can win prizes from. They feature a claw you can usually control with a joystick, and are mostly a game of luck.	Claw crane in Ustroń, Poland 2017
arcade_game	pinball	Pinball is the classic arcade game where a ball is shot into the game table, where it bounces around obstacles and scores points.	Terminator 2 pinball machine
arcade_game	video_game	Arguably the most common type of arcade game. Usually features a screen and joystick controls.	Donkey Kong arcade
arcade_game	skeeball	Skee-Ball is played by rolling a ball up from a ramp to the bullseye rings.
arcade_game	motorcycle	Features a motorcycle you can ride on. This is connected to a game that responds to the movement on the vehicle.
arcade_game	dance	In dance games the player must perform a set of moves in a dance pad. The dance patterns are matched with music played from the machine.	Dance Dance Revolution
arcade_game	driving	A driving simulator with at least a steering wheel you can turn. Connected to a game that responds to the movement on the wheel. Not to be confused with attraction=bumper_car
arcade_game	shooting	A game with guns where you attempt to shoot virtual targets.	Shoot the Bear Arcade Game
arcade_game	coaster_simulator	A fixed device that shakes and moves around to simulate a roller coaster ride.