How to Play Pinball: Rules, Controls and Scoring
To play pinball, launch the ball with the plunger, then keep it in play with the two flippers at the bottom. Everything the ball touches (bumpers, targets, lanes, ramps or holes) scores points. If the ball falls past the flippers it drains; you usually get three balls, and the game ends when the last one drains. The goal is the highest score.
What is pinball?
Pinball is played on a sloping table with a steel ball. Gravity pulls the ball down towards you, and your only way to send it back up is a pair of flat paddles called flippers. Around the table are things to hit, each worth points, and most tables have a set of goals (light these lanes, knock down those targets) that unlock bigger rewards.
There's no finish line. Every game is a race against the drain: the longer you keep the ball alive and the better you aim, the higher your score. That's why one game can last 30 seconds and the next ten minutes.
The parts of a pinball table
Every table is different, but most share the same basic parts. Here they are on GameLake's lake table:
- Plunger and shooter lane: the spring on the right that launches each new ball.
- Flippers: your controls. Each one swings up when you press its button.
- Bumpers: round posts that kick the ball away when it touches them. On GameLake they're lotus flowers.
- Slingshots: the triangles above the flippers. Their rubber sides kick the ball across the table.
- Lanes and rollovers: narrow channels the ball rolls through. Here, the three lily lanes at the top.
- Targets: things to hit. Stand-up targets (H, O and P) stay put; drop targets (the lily pads) fall down when hit.
- Saucer: a hole that catches the ball for a moment and kicks it back out. On this table it's Hop's hollow log.
- Orbits: long loops around the top of the table, entered from the left or right side.
- Inlanes, outlanes and the drain: the channels at the bottom. Inlanes feed the ball back to a flipper; outlanes and the gap between the flippers lose it.
Launching the ball
Each ball starts on the plunger in the shooter lane. Pull the plunger back and let go: the further you pull, the harder the ball flies up the lane and around the top of the table.
| Device | How to launch on GameLake |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Drag down anywhere on the table and let go (or tap the shooter lane for a medium shot). |
| Computer | Hold Space (or ↓) and release. Holding longer pulls further. |
Many tables reward a perfect launch with a skill shot. On GameLake one of the three top lanes blinks orange while the ball waits. Launch with just the right pull to drop through that lane for 3,000 points.
Using the flippers
The left button works the left flipper and the right button the right one. A flipper only stays up while you hold its button, so a quick tap gives a quick swing and holding it keeps the flipper raised.
| Device | Left flipper | Right flipper |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Touch the left half of the table | Touch the right half |
| Computer | ← or Z | → or M |
Stuck for what to do? Press Teach me and Hop marks the next shot and the spot on the flipper to hit it from (coached games don't count for best scores). Two things to know from the start. First, a raised flipper catches the ball: let it roll down onto a flipper you're holding up and it comes to rest at the bottom of the flipper, so you can take your time. Second, where the ball is on the flipper decides where it goes, which the pinball tips guide explains with diagrams.
How scoring works
Points come from everything the ball hits, but the big scores come from finishing goals. Here's what everything is worth on GameLake's table, before the multiplier:
| What you hit | Points |
|---|---|
| Slingshot | 30 |
| Lotus bumper | 100 |
| Lily pad drop target | 400 (all four: +2,000) |
| H, O or P target | 500 when it lights (all three: +1,500 and multiball is lit) |
| Top lily lane | 500 when it lights (all three: +1,000 and the multiplier goes up) |
| Orbit (left or right loop) | 1,000 (3,000 during multiball) |
| Hop's log | 750 (2,500 when it starts multiball, 5,000 for a jackpot during multiball) |
| Skill shot | 3,000 |
| Combo (two big shots within 4 seconds) | 500 × the combo count |
The multiplier is the most important number on the table. Each time you light all three top lanes it goes up by one, to a maximum of ×5, and it multiplies everything, jackpots included. It resets to ×1 when the ball drains, so build it early on every ball. Flipping also shifts which top lanes are lit, so you can move the dark lane under a falling ball.
When a ball drains you also get an end-of-ball bonus: a little for every lane, target and shot you made with that ball, times the multiplier.
Draining, ball save and kickbacks
A ball is lost when it falls between the flippers (down the middle) or down an outlane, the outer channel against each side wall. The inner channel next to it, the inlane, is safe: it rolls the ball back onto a flipper.
- Ball save: for the first few seconds after each launch, a lost ball is put straight back in play. The lily pad between the flippers blinks while it's on (15 seconds on Easy, 8 on Medium, 4 on Hard).
- Kickbacks: when the arrow at the foot of an outlane is lit, a ball that falls in is fired back up. Knock down all four lily pads to light both. On Easy they're always lit and relight themselves.
Multiball and jackpots
Multiball means more than one ball on the table at once, and it's where the biggest scores are. Hit the H, O and P targets on the left to light it, then shoot the ball into Hop's log on the right. Hop holds it for a moment while two more balls launch, and you get 12 seconds of ball save to settle in.
While at least two balls are in play, the log pays a jackpot of 5,000 points (times your multiplier). After a jackpot, shoot an orbit to light it again. Multiball ends when you're down to one ball.
Modes, the Daily table and the online race
| Mode | Balls | Ball save | What's different |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5 | 15 s | Gentler slope, kickbacks always on |
| Medium | 3 | 8 s | The standard table |
| Hard | 3 | 4 s | Steeper, faster table |
| Daily | 3 | 8 s | Medium, with the same table luck for everyone that day |
| Race (online) | 3 | 8 s | 3 minutes against another player on the same table; highest score wins |
Frequently asked questions
How do you play pinball for beginners?
Launch the ball with the plunger, then press the flipper on the side the ball is coming down. Don't flip both flippers every time; flip only the one the ball is heading for. Hold a flipper up to catch the ball when you need a moment to think.
What's the goal of pinball?
To score as many points as possible before your last ball drains. There's no level to finish: the score is the result, so you play to beat your own best or someone else's.
How many balls do you get in pinball?
Most games give you three balls. On GameLake you get three on Medium and Hard, and five on Easy. Ball save and kickbacks can give a lost ball back.
What is a drain in pinball?
A drain is when the ball falls off the bottom of the table, either between the flippers or down an outlane at the side, and that ball is over.
What is multiball in pinball?
Multiball is a mode with two or more balls in play at once, usually with jackpots worth far more than normal shots. On GameLake you light it with the H-O-P targets and start it in Hop's log.
Can I play pinball on my phone?
Yes. GameLake's pinball is made for phones: touch the left or right half of the table to flip and drag down to launch. It's free in the browser, with no download.