Angry Birds Boom! may be the next arcade project from Raw Thrills, with a playable location test now spotted at an American family entertainment centre. The game is not confirmed for production, so the available evidence should be treated as an early look rather than a final reveal.
Angry Birds Boom! Test Cabinet Spotted
A photograph shared by ArcadeZ shows the machine at In The Game, an FEC in Crestwood, Illinois. The image was taken by a friend of Adventures with Krit, who shared the discovery through the community’s Discord server.
Raw Thrills does not comment on unannounced games. However, because visitors can reportedly play this build at the venue, it appears to be a genuine location test rather than a delayed April Fools joke.
Readers familiar with Raw Thrills hardware will notice that the test unit appears to be a reskinned Nerf Arcade cabinet. That does not necessarily indicate the final design. Developers commonly reuse an existing cabinet during testing before creating a dedicated production model, although retaining the same hardware could also reduce manufacturing costs.
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Another Angry Birds Arcade Project
This would not be the franchise’s first appearance in arcades. Play Mechanix previously worked on Angry Birds Arcade with ICE, and the Play Mechanix logo is also visible on the spotted machine. LAI Games and Adrenaline Amusements have also produced games based on the property.
Rovio is now owned by Sega, which might suggest Sega would be a natural partner for a new arcade release. Sega Amusements International’s current structure may create legal or business complications, however. SAI previously distributed Angry Birds Arcade, so it is also possible the company chose not to pursue this project while focusing on games using other intellectual properties.
What Could The Gameplay Be?
Only one photograph is available and no gameplay video has surfaced, but the cabinet offers a few clues. The mounted guns appear designed to launch Angry Birds as projectiles, while the pigs face the players at varying distances. That layout could mean that more distant targets award higher scores than nearby targets.
The image also seems to show pigs descending through pipes. A completed game could feature multiple stages with different target arrangements, although the development team may change the concept substantially before release.
Because Play Mechanix is involved again, a connection to the earlier Angry Birds Arcade remains possible. At this stage, though, that is only an informed possibility rather than confirmed information.
When Could It Be Announced?
If the location test performs well, the game could move closer to production, but its schedule is unknown. Bowl Expo 2024 was one possible venue for an announcement; if it did not appear there, IAAPA 2024 in November was another potential opportunity.
Until Raw Thrills confirms the project, collectors and operators should treat this as an early test build. Anyone considering an arcade cabinet for home or business use can compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide or browse upright arcade machines.
What do you make of Angry Birds Boom! from the first image? Would this shooting-style Angry Birds game earn a place in your local arcade?
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