I've visited Houston several times, and each time, I stop at a place like Teso to play claw machines. It's super addictive, and before I know it, I've spent hundreds of dollars! On my latest trip, I discovered Craft Land. I arrived Saturday 2/15 evening around 5 PM and spent $20 for about 46 tokens.
I was pleasantly surprised by the claw machines here; you don't lose every time. I'd say the chances of winning are about 4 out of 10 plays. Each play costs 2 tokens, and if you win, you get cute small plush toys. Each small plush toy equals 1 point, and if you collect enough points, you can trade them in for larger prizes, like bigger Pokémon plush toys. I had my eye on a big Bulbasaur, which cost 45 points. I kept playing and eventually spent $300 to collect enough points for it.
However, I noticed a staff member watching me closely as I won, almost as if he didn't like that I was succeeding. I brushed it off and continued playing. The next day, I came back because I wanted to get another big Pokémon, Espeon, but it was already claimed. I spoke to the manager, Jessica (I think that was her name), who said she only had Flareon available for 35 points. I focused on winning enough prizes to get Flareon, but then I saw it placed on a shelf labeled as 40 points, which made me lose interest.
I found a claw machine that was much easier to win from, so I kept playing that one. It had a capybara coin pouch as a prize, which didn't attract many players since everyone else was after plush toys. However, the same staff member (short hair with glasses) kept staring at me, making me uncomfortable. Eventually, he asked another staff member to stand in front of the machine, blocking people from playing it. He later emptied that machine to prevent anyone from playing anymore. Is there a policy against winning too much? I had spent around $500 over the two days, so I figured redeeming a couple of big Pokémon plush toys shouldn't be an issue.
When I finally gathered around 30 points, I showed interest in a Cyndaquil, but there wasn't a price sticker on it. I asked another staff member how many points it required, and after checking with the manager Jessica, he said it was 35 points. I bought another $20 in tokens, and once I had enough prizes for 35 points, I went back to redeem Cyndaquil. This time, the same manager told me it was 40 points. I was frustrated because she had just said it was 35! So, I bought $30 more in tokens. I asked the manager if I could get a stamp (if you spend $50, you get 1 point stamp; $100 gets you 2 stamps) since I had spent $50, but she said it had to be in the same transaction. I thought that was odd since it was still $50 spent overall.
In the end, I played enough to redeem Cyndaquil for 40 points. Overall, I wouldn't recommend Craft Land if you're hoping to win a lot of prizes. The staff seemed to hover over me when I won, making the experience uncomfortable. While some employees were friendly and helpful, others took their roles too seriously and showed annoyance when customers won. The manager wasn't very welcoming either and frequently changed the point system, leading to confusion. I'd suggest checking out Claw Wonderland across the street instead. The staff there are much friendlier, and I had a better chance of winning without feeling scrutinized. read more