How to Play Pinball: Flippers, Tilt and Scoring
Updated
In pinball you shoot a metal ball onto a sloping table and use two flippers to hit it back up before it drains away. Hitting targets, ramps and other scoring elements earns points, and the game ends when your last ball is lost. Most machines give you three or five balls a game.
The rules below follow Wikipedia's article on pinball and its glossary of pinball terms. Real machines and browser games differ in details, and the sections below say where.
The parts of a pinball table
The playfield is inclined upward and away from you, usually at about 6.5 degrees, so the ball keeps rolling back toward the flippers.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Plunger | A spring-loaded rod with a small handle that shoots the ball onto the playfield |
| Flippers | Bats at the bottom, usually worked by buttons on the sides of the cabinet |
| Bumpers | Round knobs that push the ball away when it hits them |
| Slingshots | Rubber pads near the flippers that kick the ball away |
| Targets and ramps | Targets register a hit and usually add to your score; ramps are slopes the ball can roll along |
| Spinners | Hinged flat surfaces that spin when the ball pushes through; each rotation adds points |
| Inlanes and outlanes | Inlanes feed the ball back to the flippers; outlanes send it straight to the drain |
| Drain | The gap below the flippers where the ball is lost |
How to play pinball
- Start the game. Most machines are set to three or five balls per game. You play one ball at a time, except during multiball.
- Launch the ball. Pull the plunger back and let go. The farther you pull it, the harder the ball is launched.
- Work the flippers. Press the left and right buttons to swing the flippers up and hit the ball.
- Aim. Send the ball at the ramps, spinners and targets that score. Timing your flippers and choosing your targets are the main skills.
- Lose the ball. If the ball gets between the flippers or rolls down an outlane, it drains and that ball is over.
- End the game. The game ends when your last ball is lost, and your score is the number to beat next time.
Scoring in pinball
Contact with scoring elements such as targets or ramps scores points. A machine can add these awards:
- End-of-ball bonus. Bonus points for how many times certain features were activated. A multiplier can raise it, and most games cap it at 5x or 10x.
- Skill shot. A bonus for completing a specific task as you release the ball.
- Extra ball. If you have earned one, you get another ball right away when you lose the current one.
- Ball save. A feature that stops a ball from draining, usually available at the start of a new ball.
- Multiball. More than one ball in play at once, usually with jackpot scoring. It often starts once you lock the required number of balls, often three, and ends when all but one ball is lost.
- Replay. A free game when you pass a set score. Some modern machines ask for over a billion points, so compare scores only on the same table.
Nudging and tilt
You can bump or shake the machine to change how the ball moves. This is called nudging, and players use it to keep a ball from draining down an outlane.
Nudge too roughly and the machine registers a tilt: the lights go out, play ends for the ball in play, and you usually lose the end-of-ball bonus. Modern games give tilt warnings before they take the ball, so stop at the first one.
How to win at pinball
There is no opponent on the table. You win by passing a replay score, beating a friend's score or beating your own. Timing the flippers is the main skill, and recent tables also reward strategy and planning.
- Trap the ball. Hold a flipper up as the ball rolls onto it, and the ball stays in place while you aim.
- Watch the lanes. Know which shots feed an inlane and which feed an outlane.
- Nudge in small bumps. A small nudge can steer a ball away from an outlane, and heavy shaking risks a tilt.
Pinball games in your browser
Browser pinball swaps the plunger and cabinet buttons for arrow keys, the mouse or touch, and every table sets its own rules. They play free in the browser, with no install and no registration. None of the games below mention nudging or tilt, so check each game's instructions. The first four are close to a standard table.
- Casual Pinball Game has you score points by using flippers to keep a metal ball bouncing around obstacles and targets. Left-touch and right-touch controls work the flippers and launch the ball.
- Zoo Pinball has a zoo theme: aim the ball into the jaws of the lion, tiger or hippo for points. Tap the left or right of the screen for the flippers, and swipe before playing to shoot the ball.
- Pinball 3026 is a futuristic version of the classic table, played with the arrow keys.
- Pinball Football HTML5 is a retro pinball football game. Use the left and right arrows on a desktop, or touch the left or right side of the screen on mobile.
Pinball with a twist
- Football Pinball is a table shaped like a football pitch. You get two flippers, and whatever drains between them is a goal for the other side. Kick the ball back up past three midfielders and a keeper to score. A match lasts 90 seconds and more goals wins. The left arrow, A or Z works the left flipper, the right arrow or D works the right one, and Space works both. On a phone or tablet, tap the left or right half of the screen.
- Pinball: Cube Crusher mixes pinball with demolition: use the flippers to launch balls and break cubes, and each shattered cube releases more balls. Hold the left mouse button to raise the flippers and release it to lower them, or touch the screen on a phone.
- PinBall Block Shooter uses flippers to launch the ball and smash blocks, with two-button controls. You play with a mouse click or a tap.
- Never Fall Pinball has extra-large pins. Collect the stars, avoid the black star that ends the game, and click when you need the pins to run.
More table-style games are in the arcade games guide, and brick breaker games also keep a ball in play. The sports and arcade categories hold more.
Common questions about pinball
How do you score points in pinball?
You score by hitting targets, ramps, spinners and other scoring elements. Each ball ends with a bonus, and awards such as a skill shot, an extra ball or a replay add more.
What does tilt mean in pinball?
Tilt is the penalty for shaking or bumping the machine too roughly. The lights go out, play ends for the current ball and you usually lose the end-of-ball bonus. Modern machines warn you first.
What is multiball in pinball?
Multiball puts more than one ball in play at once, usually with jackpot scoring. It often starts after you lock the required number of balls and ends when only one ball is left.
How many balls do you get in pinball?
Most machines are set to three or five balls per game. You play them one at a time, except during multiball.
Time the flippers, watch the lanes and keep the nudges small: that is most of pinball.
