collect-'em-up

plural collect-'em-ups

1. video gamesA video game based around collecting items.

   Mix together a shoot-’em-up, a collect-’em-up and a maze game, add sundry reaction tests to taste and you’ve got a tasty game indeed.

   1988, Firefly (game review) in CRASH magazine (issue 50)

   2 more examples

   It's a scrolling, platform, arcade collect-'em-up adventure which shows off the SNES well, and not one you'll complete on the first couple of attempts!

   1993, Neil West, Nick Roberts, Super NES Games Unauthorized Power Tips Book

   In the beginning there were no genres. There was only a small number of games, most of which looked very different. As more games appeared you could perhaps begin to classify them: spaceship games, collect-'em-ups, and so on.

   2012, Clive Fencott, Jo Clay, Mike Lockyer, Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games

   Synonyms: collectathon