Pinball
Probably why you're here.
Where to Play Pinball in Akron: Arcades, Barcades, and Breweries with Machines
Akron anchors a strong Northeast Ohio pinball corridor, with family entertainment centers, barcades, and breweries spread from downtown to surrounding communities and extending to Youngstown.
Colin Alsheimer
Review: Williams Pinball Volume 8 on Pinball FX
Zen Pinball FX Volume 8 revives Banzai Run, Black Knight 2000, and Earthshaker! with faithful physics and smart extras. See more in our review.
Noah Crable
The Score Card: April Flippers Bag Big WPPRs
Europe crowns a new champion, King Kong storms Kalamazoo, and familiar faces take home trophies as the 2025 competitive pinball season heats up. This edition of The Score Card rounds up major tourney results from across the U.S. and abroad.
Matt Owen
Where to Play Pinball in Sacramento: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
Sacramento's pinball scene spans dedicated arcades, craft breweries, and entertainment bars across the metro. Whether you're looking for tournament-ready collections or a few machines alongside local beer, the region has options.
Colin Alsheimer
Shift Into High Gear: Learn to Play The Getaway: High Speed II
Learn How to Play the Williams 1992 Release The Getaway: High Speed II.
Noah Crable
The Weird World of Pinball Arcade Hybrid Machines
Pinball is fun and so are arcade games, so why not mix the two together?
Matt Owen
Photos: The People Who Build Your Pinball Machines
A photo essay that turns the lens on line workers at Stern, Jersey Jack, and Barrels of Fun Pinball, the people who quietly build and assemble the games we love.
Colin Alsheimer
Review: No Surprise, King Kong Is Another Great Keith Elwin Game
Keith Elwin’s King Kong delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect: pinball greatness so polished it feels routine. Learn more about Stern's latest release in our hands-on review.
Colin Alsheimer
Dune Pushes the Envelope for the Cinematic Pinball Experience
Our review of the latest release from Barrels of Fun, Dune.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Launches King Kong: Myth of Terror Island
Everything we know about Stern's latest release.
Noah Crable
Barrels of Fun Reveals Dune Pinball as Game #2
Everything we know so far about Barrels of Fun's latest release, Dune Pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
First Look: The Hangover Trilogy Pinball by Brian Soares and Reby Hardy
Fresh off their 2024 TWIPY win for Custom Game of the Year with their work on Happy Gilmore, Brian Soares and Reby Hardy are back with a new custom game just in time for the 2025 edition of Pintastic New England.
Colin Alsheimer
Riddle Me This: Learn to Play SEGA's 1995 Release Batman Forever
Learn to Play SEGA's 1995 Release Batman Forever.
Noah Crable
Barrels of Updates from Barrels of Fun
Highlighting a few small updates from the Barrels of Fun team coming out of Texas Pinball Festival 2025.
Colin Alsheimer
A Tale of Two Launches: How Portal Upstaged Merlin and Revealed the Limits of Original Pinball Themes
Why did Multimorphic's Portal pinball gain mainstream attention, while Turner Pinball's original Merlin's Arcade stayed niche? We break down how licensed themes amplify coverage, audience reach, and marketing impact.
Colin Alsheimer
D&D is the Necessary Evolution of Pinball and RPGs
Stern's new Dungeons & Dragons pinball blends RPG mechanics with approachable features like saved progress, aiming to draw in both casual gamers and dedicated fans. While not flawless, it's an exciting step forward in pinball design.
Matt Owen
The Electric Playground Reveals Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper (plus an interview with Rob Rath)
Learn more about the latest release from The Electric Playground, plus an interview with co-founder Rob Rath.
Colin Alsheimer
DPX Releases Early Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Rules
DPX published an early draft of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland code. Did you see it?
Colin Alsheimer
Critical Hits: Learn to Play Stern's Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye
Learn to play Stern's new release, Dungeons and Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye.
Noah Crable
Turner Pinball Launches Merlin's Arcade
Learn more about the latest release from Turner Pinball, Merlin's Arcade.
Colin Alsheimer
Multimorphic Launches Portal Pinball
Portal Pinball is the latest full game kit release for Multimorphic and their P3 platform. Learn more in our detailed rundown.
Colin Alsheimer
Jamie Burchell Reacts to Multimorphic’s Next Game
Jamie Burchell of The Wormhole reacts to seeing Multimorphic's next game before anyone else!
Colin Alsheimer
Weekend Watch: The 4th Annual Pinball Degenerate Awards
Tune in Saturday, March 15th at 8pm ET for the 4th annual Pinball Degenerate Awards.
Colin Alsheimer
Review: Inclusive GameWerks' Adaptive Flipper Controller Opens Pinball to More Players
Getting hands on with the Inclusive GameWerks adaptive pinball controller.
David Hutchison
Competitive Pinball Roundup: The 2025 Season Begins
Kicking off a new regular series on tournament pinball with a look at the end of the 2024-2025 season and the start of the 2025-2026 season.
Matt Owen
Where to Play Pinball in Columbus: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
Columbus has developed into one of the stronger pinball metros in the Midwest, with machines spread across downtown entertainment venues, suburban breweries, and neighborhood barcades. The region hosts regular leagues and tournaments, drawing competitive players from across Ohio.
Colin Alsheimer
An Open Letter to the Pinball Community: How Toxicity is Draining the Fun from Pinball
An open letter from Enzo La Pegna to pinball fans everywhere.
Enzo La Pegna
Barrels of Fun Factory Photos From the End of the Labyrinth Run
This past Monday following the TWIPY Awards, I was fortunate to go back out to the Barrels of Fun factory to run around and take photos with workers on the line.
Colin Alsheimer
Hybrid Best Game: How to Play the New IFPA Tournament Format
Learn how the new IFPA tournament format, Hybrid Best Game, works.
Matt Owen
Modern Kiss: Learn to Play Stern’s 2015 Refresh of the Classic Kiss Table
Learn how to play Stern's 2015 release, Kiss pinball.
James McFatter
Classic Kiss: Learn to Play Bally’s 1979 Rock-Themed Pinball Chart Topper
Learn to play 1979's Kiss pinball machine by Bally.
James McFatter
Rise to the Challenge: Learn How to Play Jersey Jack’s Avatar: Battle for Pandora Pinball
Explore the alien landscape of Pandora and take down the RDA foundation, responsible for taking away its natural resources. Based on the first two Avatar films directed by James Cameron.
Noah Crable
Making Moves at The Electric Playground: Rob Rath Talks New Hires & Product Announcements
Rob chats new hire news and several new product announcements.
Colin Alsheimer
How a Pinball Newbie Qualified for the Ohio State Championship
From a wide-eyed newbie to a last-minute qualifier at the 2024 IFPA Ohio State Pinball Championship, this is the exciting story of one player’s improbable rise through countless league nights and fierce tournaments.
Matt Owen
Turtle Power: Learn how to play Stern’s 2020 release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Learn how to play Stern’s 2020 release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Noah Crable
IFPA Rookie of the Year Jaden Rich Talks Competitive Pinball Success
Jaden Rich of Louisville, Ohio, has taken the pinball world by storm, earning the prestigious IFPA Rookie of the Year title in his first season of competition. In an exclusive interview, Jaden shares how a birthday tournament with his dad sparked his passion for competitive pinball and more.
Matt Owen
Where to Play Pinball in Pittsburgh: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
Pittsburgh spreads pinball across breweries, bars, and entertainment venues from South Side to the Strip District. Here's where to find machines across the Steel City.
Colin Alsheimer
Another Cunning Development: A Retrospective on the Pro Pinball Series
Read this deep dive into several extremely influential digital pinball releases from the Pro Pinball digital pinball series in the 1990s.
Noah Crable
Number Crunching the Pinball Class of 2024
Analyzing public market data of pinball machine releases in 2024 to get a better read on the pinball landscape.
Colin Alsheimer
First Impressions of Blues Brothers Pinball by Homepin
Dr. John Cosson took delivery of the first Blues Brothers pinball machine off the Homepin line, and put it through its paces.
Dr. John Cosson
It’s Payback Time: Learn to Play the 1991 Classic Pinball Machine, Terminator 2
Learn to Play the 1991 Classic Pinball Machine, Terminator 2 in our detailed tutorial from Noah Crable.
Noah Crable
Visual History: A Story of Pinball Innovation in the Early Solid State Days
A story of pinball innovation in the early solid state days.
Colin Alsheimer
Hands on with Stern's Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye
First impressions of Stern's latest pinball machine release, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye.
Colin Alsheimer
Where to Play Pinball in Sydney: Arcades, Bars, and Pubs with Machines
Sydney's pinball scene stretches from dedicated barcades in the inner suburbs to traditional pubs scattered across the metro. Whether you're after a tournament venue or a few flips with a beer, the city has options in every direction.
Colin Alsheimer
Where to Play Pinball in Tampa: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
Tampa Bay spreads pinball machines across barcades, craft breweries, and one dedicated arcade museum. Here's where to find them from downtown St. Pete to the beaches and beyond.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Launches Dungeons & Dragons
Learn about Stern Pinball's newest cornerstone game release, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye
Noah Crable
Where to Play Pinball in Cleveland: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
The Greater Cleveland area offers pinball at dedicated arcades, neighborhood barcades, and breweries along the Cuyahoga River. Machines range from restored classics to the latest releases.
Colin Alsheimer
Where to Play Pinball in Detroit: Arcades, Bars, and Breweries with Machines
Detroit's pinball scene spreads across the metro area, from dedicated arcades with vintage collections to neighborhood breweries with rotating machines.
Colin Alsheimer