Scritchy Scratchy is a scratchcard simulator (yes, really) coming to iOS and Android

• Scritchy Scratchy is a scratchard simulator (really) coming to iOS and Android
• It tasks you with, well, scratching, and using your winnings to enhance your luck and power
• There's hints of a deeper psychological meaning, and disturbingly arresting gameplay to enjoy here

You know, we got some off-the-wall ideas floating across our desk here at Pocket Gamer towers. Roguelike spinoffs, eldritch fishing sims and whatever the heck Nekopara is about. But Scritchy Scratchy, while it may not be the strangest, is no doubt the most audacious I think I've ever seen on mobile.

Scritchy Scratchy is a scratchard simulator. And if you don't know what scratchcards are, well, first of all, congratulations on your disciplined life, and secondly, they're basically gambling. Fortunately, Scritchy Scratchy isn't actually a gambling app, but that might just make it a bit more off-the-wall in terms of concept.

In Scritchy Scratchy, your objective is to gather scratchcards, scratch them (naturally) and earn purely in-game currency. These aren't just regular scratchcards, of course, and they come with Balatro-like upsides, downsides and twists. As you progress, you'll increase your scratching ability, luck, and even unlock your own auto-scratching robot.

Casino royale

Now, if Scritchy Scratchy doesn't accidentally fall afoul of regulators, I don't know what will. But as absolutely wild as the concept is, I can see the appeal. There's a tongue-in-cheek element to the trailer with a mysterious voice urging the player on and even offering up 'helpful' loans that indicate a slightly deeper, psychological element to Scritchy Scratchy.

Fortunately, the only in-app purchase you'll find here is a supporter upgrade, so don't worry about this being some kind of ludicrous venus flytrap into real gambling. Yet even so, I can see Scritchy Scratchy being quite a marmite experience for many when it's set to release on March 18th for iOS and Android.

Still, if you'd rather take a look back into the past to try and reset your brain after all of that, why not dig into our Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary retrospective series as we look at each year of our site's existence and the major trends in mobile at the time!