Play Nugget Claw, a Classic Gold Miner Game for 1 or 2 Players
Nugget Claw is a classic gold miner game: time the swinging launcher, fire the claw and haul up gold, diamonds and mystery bags. Heavy loads come up slowly, so every catch trades money against time. Play alone or 2 player on one screen, each with a launcher of their own. 30 levels in five mines with a shop between them, three layouts a level, goals that tighten as you go as in the original, and a failed level never sends you back to level 1. Held upright on a phone, the whole mine turns 90° and the claw fires sideways. Play Nugget Claw free in your browser — no download, no account.
Why play Nugget Claw here?
Hold your phone upright and the whole mine turns 90°: the launcher sits on the left and the claw fires to the right, with the same levels and the same speeds as the sideways view, so nothing shrinks to a sliver. Every one of the 30 goals was checked by a program playing the level, so none is out of reach, and a failed level never sends you back to level 1 — replay it, or go back to the shop and buy less. Mystery bags and the shop's shelves are fixed per level, so a replay is the same level, not a new roll of luck. Two people can dig side by side on one computer or a phone held sideways — one purse, one shop, one pile of dynamite, 40 seconds a level, as in the original two-player game — and after level 30 the dig goes on, each goal higher than the last.
How You WinEach level lasts 60 seconds; pass it by holding at least the level's goal when time runs out. There are 30 levels in five mines, and goals add up: money you earn beyond a goal carries into the next level.
Levels
30, in five mines
Time per level
60 seconds (40 for two players)
Controls
Tap to fire; dynamite blasts the load
How to play Nugget Claw in one minute
The launcher swings back and forth. When it points at what you want, tap the mine (or press ↓ or Space) and the claw fires straight out.
The claw grabs the first thing it touches and reels it in; the money is added at the top. Heavy things come up slowly: diamonds in a moment, huge nuggets and big rocks over ten seconds.
Hold at least the goal when the 60 seconds are up to pass the level. Money carries over, so earning extra now makes the next goal easier.
After level 1 a shop opens between levels. Dynamite blasts whatever the claw is pulling up (↑ or the dynamite beside the miner); the other items help for the next level only.
30 levels in five mines, then an endless dig. Fail a level and you replay it with what you started with, or go back to the shop; you never go back to level 1. Two players: switch Players to 2 in the settings. The game saves before each level and in the shop.
Playing Nugget Claw here: common questions
Is it free, and do I need to download anything?
It is free, with no download and no login. It runs in the browser on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
No. The game saves before every level and in the shop. If you leave in the middle of a level, you come back to the start of that level with the money and items it began with.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Tap anywhere on the mine to fire the claw, the dynamite sits beside the miner and the pause button at the top right. Held upright, the mine turns 90° so it fills the screen; held sideways it looks like the classic game.
What happens if I miss a goal?
You replay that level with the money and items you started it with, or go back to the shop before it and buy less. You never go back to level 1.
Can two people play together?
Yes, on one screen: set Players to 2 in the settings. The left miner uses S to fire and W for dynamite, the right one ↓ and ↑; on a phone, tap your half of the mine (left and right sideways, lower and upper upright). Money, the shop and the dynamite are shared, and each level lasts 40 seconds.
How a run goes
You start with $0. Level 1 has only gold and rocks, and a modest goal.
Before each level you see its goal and anything new it brings: mystery bags, diamonds, moles, TNT barrels.
After level 1, a shop opens before every level: spend your money on dynamite and on items that help for the next level only. What is on the shelf, and at what price, is random.
The five mines are the Riverbank, the Old Tunnels, the Deep Cave, the Ice Cave and the Lava Vein; clearing level 30 completes the run.
After the ending you can dig on: from level 31 the Ice Cave and Lava Vein layouts come round in turn and each goal is higher than the last. Miss one and the dig stops there; the page keeps the deepest level you cleared.
Complete Rules
The launcher swings between ±68°, fast in the middle and slow at the ends, one full swing about every 4.7 seconds. Tap and the claw fires straight out along its current angle.
The claw grabs the first thing it touches and reels it in; if it touches nothing it comes back empty from the edge of the mine.
Reeling speed depends on weight: diamonds and small nuggets come up fast, huge nuggets and big rocks slowest — over ten seconds from the far end.
Values: small nugget $50, nugget $100, big nugget $250, huge nugget $500, diamond $600, mole with a diamond $602; small rock $11, big rock $20, mole $2, bone $7, skull $20.
A mystery bag holds $1 to $600, or $800, or power (everything reels fast for the rest of the level), or a stick of dynamite; its weight varies too.
Touching a TNT barrel sets it off: everything around it is destroyed, and nearby barrels go off too.
If time runs out while the claw is reeling something in, that catch still comes up and counts.
Goals add up: the money you bring into a level plus what you earn in it must reach the goal. Shop purchases are paid from your money.
Your First Game
Go for what is near, light and valuable first: small and medium nuggets, diamonds. A 60-second level only fits a dozen or so catches, so each one should count.
Wait for the angle. The launcher lingers at the ends of its swing and races through the middle, so targets off to the side are easier to hit than the one straight below.
Leave big rocks alone. One is worth $20 and can take over ten seconds to reel in — a fifth of your level.
Once you have dynamite, use it on mistakes: if the claw has a rock or a bone, press ↑ or tap the dynamite beside the miner and the empty claw comes straight back.
Practical Strategy
Think in dollars per second: a diamond is back in about 2 seconds for $600, a huge nugget takes over ten seconds for $500, so diamonds and mystery bags usually pay better for the time.
Shop for the next level: buy gem polish only if it has diamonds, the rock book only for the rock-heavy Ice Cave; the strength drink helps most with huge nuggets (three times faster).
Check the shop's "earn this much" line before buying. The more you spend, the more the level must earn; if it goes wrong, you can go back to the shop and buy less.
Don't reach for a diamond through a TNT barrel; find an angle where the claw touches the diamond first.
Winning and Special Rules
Upright play. Held upright, the mine turns 90° with the launcher on the left firing right; levels, speeds and difficulty are unchanged, so both views play the same level.
Automatic saving. The game saves before each level and in the shop. Leave in the middle of a level and you come back to that level's start with the money and items it began with.
Three layouts a level. Each level has three layouts; a new run picks one for every level, and a replay or a trip back to the shop keeps it. Starting again from level 1 may bring another.
Goals at the original's pace. The goals were checked by a program playing all 30 levels in a row: easy for the first ten, tighter after, and levels 16, 22 and 28 ask more than a level usually pays, so they need money saved from earlier.
Two players on one screen. Set Players to 2: two miners side by side, one launcher each, sharing the purse, the shop and the dynamite, with 40 seconds a level and the same goals. A phone works sideways or upright; on a computer, use the keyboard.
Automatic pause. Switching tabs, leaving the window, turning the screen or opening settings pauses the game, so the clock never runs down without you.
Common Mistakes
Going for the deepest huge nugget first. It is the slowest catch, and a big slice of the minute is gone by the time it is up.
Grabbing rocks with no dynamite. Once caught, they can only be reeled in slowly; buy dynamite in the shop beforehand.
Firing past a TNT barrel. Touch it and the diamonds and gold beside it are blown away too.
Spending everything in the shop. Goals add up, so whatever you spend has to be earned back this level.
Nugget Claw FAQ
How do you play a gold miner game?
Watch the launcher swing and tap the mine when it points at what you want (on a computer you can also press ↓ or Space). The claw grabs the first thing it touches and reels it in; the money is added when it reaches the top. Heavy things reel in slowly, so the question is always whether the prize is worth the time.
What does the up arrow (dynamite) do?
While the claw is pulling something up, press ↑, right-click the mine or tap the dynamite beside the miner to blast the load; the empty claw then comes back fast. It is mainly for heavy, cheap rocks. You start with none: buy it in the shop, and a mystery bag sometimes gives you a stick.
Do I go back to level 1 if I fail?
No. Replay the level with the money and items you started it with, or, when there was a shop before it, go back to the shop and buy less. Goals follow the original's pace: easy for ten levels, tighter after that, and a few ask more than a level usually pays, so the money you saved earlier has to cover them.
How do two players play?
Set Players to 2 in the settings and two miners dig the same mine side by side: the left one fires with S and throws dynamite with W, the right one uses ↓ and ↑. On a phone, each player taps their own half of the mine: left and right held sideways, lower (P1) and upper (P2) held upright; the halves are shown in two colours before you start. The purse, the shop and the dynamite are shared, the money counts toward one goal, and each level lasts 40 seconds, as in the original two-player game.
Can I play holding my phone upright?
Yes. Held upright, the whole mine turns 90°: the launcher is on the left and the claw fires to the right, with exactly the same play. Turn the phone sideways for the classic look; the game pauses itself when the screen turns.