Crane Game

The Crane Game is a recurring mechanic in the Persona series.

Overview

The crane game was first introduced in Persona 3 as a way to obtain items, modeled after real life Claw machines. It has since reappeared in other Persona games. Starting with Persona 4 Golden, the prizes obtained from the crane game can also be used as cosmetics to decorate the protagonist's room.

Mechanics by Game

Persona 3 FES / Persona 3 Portable / Persona 3 Reload

The crane game outside of the Game Panic (or Game Parade in Reload) in Paulownia Mall can be played for ¥200. Only two prizes can be won, a Ganesha Bank and a Jack Frost Doll, and the odds of obtaining either are completely random. The items won are used as gifts for Social Links and for Elizabeth's Requests.

Persona 4 Golden

Main article: Okina § Crane Game

The protagonist can use the crane game in Okina to get dolls of Personas to display on his shelf at the Dojima Residence.

Persona 5 / Persona 5 Royal

The arcade in Akihabara allows the protagonist to play a crane game for ¥300. The chances of winning are increased by the protagonist's proficiency stat, or by playing on a day that ends in 7 (i.e. the 7th, 17th, and 27th of each month). The prizes are decorations for the protagonist's room in Café Leblanc:

Arcade Crane Machine Prizes
Prize	First Day Available
Prize	P5	P5R
Jack Frost Doll	September 2nd	September 1st
Burger-kun Doll	September 19th	September 22nd
Wanna-kun Doll	October 1st	October 14th
Lexy Doll	October 15th	November 3rd
Sheep Man Doll	November 1st	November 25th
Royal exclusives
Black Frost Doll	-	December 15th
Buchimaru Doll	-	January 13th
Jagao Doll	-	January 23rd

Persona 5: The Phantom X

The arcade in Akihabara has two crane games that can grab dolls of different types and sizes; the green machine along the wall gives small dolls, and the orange machine in the middle of the room gives medium dolls. They can be played once for ¥1200 or five times for ¥6000. Each machine has the chance to draw 18 different colored common dolls of the same theme, 2 rare animal-themed dolls, and 1 special ultra rare doll based on different Demons. Each machine refreshes its selection of rare and ultra rare dolls at regular intervals. The base chance to obtain a doll is 35%; if the player fails to grab a doll four times in a row, the probability will increase for each subsequent play. The maximum probability is 37.3%, and a doll is guaranteed every 10 pulls. Each machine increases its probability ceiling separately. After pulling a doll, the probability of it being a common doll is 88.75%, a rare doll is 9%, and a ultra rare doll is 2.25%.

Unlocking Mayumi Hashimoto's synergy will increase the chance of pulling a doll from the small doll machine, and reaching rank 3 will increase the chance of the medium doll machine the same amount. The probability increases from 35% to 50%, the probability ceiling after failing four plays increases to 50.8%, and a doll will be guaranteed every 9 plays. When her confidant reaches rank 13, the odds of obtaining rare and ultra rare small dolls increases, and at rank 17 the chance of obtaining rare and ultra rare medium dolls increases. After reaching these ranks, the probabilities of obtaining a common doll is 84.25%, a rare doll is 12.6%, and a ultra rare doll is 3.15%.

New dolls that are won at the arcade can be displayed in the protagonist's home in Zoshigaya. Dolls that the player has multiple of can be exchanged for Game Center Exchange Tickets in the Doll Recycling Center sub-menu. Exchange tickets can be exchanged for large dolls, ultra rare dolls in the current rotation, and confidant gift items.

Arcade Crane Machine Prizes
Prize	Type	Rarity

Nomenclature

"Crane game" is a wasei-eigo term (Japanese compound word formed from English words) that refers to claw machines.

Names in Other Languages
Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	クレーンゲームPersona 3 Persona 4 Golden Kurēn gēmu	Claw machine (lit. "crane game")
Simplified Chinese	娃娃机 wáwájī	Claw machine (lit. "doll machine")
Traditional Chinese	娃娃機 wáwájī	Claw machine (lit. "doll machine")
Korean	크레인 기계 krein gigye	Claw machine (lit. "crane machine")

Trivia

The crane game's musical theme in the Persona 5 series of games is a remix of the Junes Theme
The crane game's musical theme in Persona 3 Reload is a remix of Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy's Theme