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Carl

person14 mentionsFirst seen Feb 6, 2023Last seen Feb 5, 2026

Profile

Carl is a world-class pinball player and lead game designer at Barrels of Fun, best known for designing Winchester Mystery House. He is recognized as one of the best players in the world with exceptional ball control skills. Beyond design, Carl is an active content creator who hosts the IE Pinball stream, demonstrates gameplay for various titles, and participates in tournaments as both a competitor and commentator. He has collaborated with multiple industry figures and contributed to the pinball community through streaming, design work, and competitive play.

Aliases

No aliases

Relationships

  • works_atBarrels of FunKey personnel and lead game designer at Barrels of Funmedium
  • designedWinchester Mystery HouseLead/rules designer; designed shot mechanics, rule logic, and game directionmedium
  • hostsIE PinballHost and streamer of IE Pinball content channelmedium
  • affiliated_withLoser KidCollaborator on Winchester Mystery House mode developmentmedium
  • affiliated_withKaneda

Facts

  • achievementCollaborator with Loser Kid on Winchester Mystery House modeshigh
  • achievementDescribed as 'probably the best player in the world'high
  • achievementDesigned unconventional rule mechanics for Winchester Mystery Househigh
  • affiliationGame designer at Barrels of Funhigh
  • affiliationPinball software engineer at I Pinballhigh
  • attributeKnown for tight shot design in pinball gameshigh
  • attributeWorld-class pinball playerhigh

Claims (29)

  • opinionmedium

    Carl's reputation alone was sufficient to drive 500 units of Winchester sales

    Source: Rachel BessPinball Roundtable Part - 10 with Retro Ralph, Rachel Bess and Cale Hernandez - Episode 75
  • factualhigh

    Carl built the scaled-down portable streaming rig that became the industry standard

    Source: Joe ChervinoPNP 648- Joe C Joins to Chat On ALL Things Expo and What It's Like To WIN The Gary Stern Lookalike Contest!
  • opinionlow

    2025 has been a strong year for new pinball game releases

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • opinionmedium

    Spinner lubrication is critical for game performance

Recent Mentions (14)

  • Referenced as content creator with streaming presence (Carl's stream); Keith mentions Carl taking high score challenges

    Ep 101: Elwin, Keith ElwinFeb 6, 2023
  • IO Arcade streamer; provides Dune gameplay footage for lighting demonstration

    Pinpals Ep 11 - 2025 Pinpals Awards ShowFeb 5, 2026
  • World-class pinball player and game designer; designer of Winchester Mystery House; positioned for friendly competition with Keith (other pro player/designer)

    Episode 30 :: The Electric Bat CastOct 22, 2025
  • Host/streamer of IE Pinball, demonstrates Dune gameplay and mechanics on stream

    Dune Pinball Gameplay v2025.11.26 | Barrels of FunDec 16, 2025
  • Tournament organizer/contributor; busy with game production but serving as streamer and commentator

    2025 IFPA California State Pinball ChampionshipsJan 20, 2026
  • Host of IE Pinball stream; demonstrates King Kong gameplay and provides detailed rules/mechanics commentary

    King Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern PinballAug 22, 2025

Contradictions

  • Existing: Carl is host of IE Pinball streamvsConflicting: Mention 12 identifies Carl as 'IO Arcade streamer'
    Unresolved
  • Existing: Carl is a pinball software engineer from 'I Pinball' channelvsConflicting: Multiple mentions identify him as host of 'IE Pinball' channel, not 'I Pinball'
    Resolved
    accepted_new · Mar 3, 2026
  • Existing: Carl is the lead/presumed designer of Winchester Mystery HousevsConflicting: Mention 5 identifies Carl as 'rules designer' specifically, and credits Joshua Clay as UI & 3D designer, suggesting Carl may have specialized roles rather than sole lead designer responsibility
    Resolved
    accepted_new · Mar 3, 2026

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

Colleague at Barrels of Fun; Kaneda has discussed Carl's critical contributions to Winchester's success
medium
  • affiliated_withKeith ElwinFellow world-class player and designer; positioned for friendly competitionmedium
  • affiliated_withDavidDavid discovered Carl's homebrew work and recruited him to design Winchester Mystery Housemedium
  • attributeExceptional ball control playerhigh
  • attributeWell-liked personality in pinball communityhigh
  • roleTournament commentator and streamer for IFPA eventsmedium
  • roleRules designer for Winchester Mystery Househigh
  • roleHost of IE Pinball streamhigh
  • roleLead designer of Winchester Mystery Househigh
  • Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • factualmedium

    Swamp mode with multiball exploit allows 300 million point completion due to timer pause mechanic

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • opinionmedium

    Keith's development team actively changes the game when exploits are discovered

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • factualhigh

    Power-up mode is not yet implemented in King Kong Pro

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • factualhigh

    Red rubber bumpers have shipped but not yet arrived

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • factualhigh

    Island locks feature was removed from the game and will be returned in a future update

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • opinionhigh

    King Kong Pro v0.85 has better code than earlier versions

    Source: IE Pinball streamKing Kong Pro v0.85 Gameplay by Stern Pinball
  • opinionmedium

    Live catches are less reliable on Dune Pinball than drop catches due to flipper setup design

    Source: Gameplay observation and technique discussionDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • factualhigh

    Code v2025.08.13 was released yesterday (prior to stream date)

    Source: Stream commentaryDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • opinionhigh

    Sand snorks are the most critical gameplay element for ball survival and extended play

    Source: Repeated gameplay emphasis throughout streamDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • prediction/estimationmedium

    Full game completion (both wizard modes) takes approximately 30-40 minutes of gameplay

    Source: Direct estimate during gameplayDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • factualhigh

    Dune Pinball is not set to custom/ultra-evil difficulty; played as factory configuration

    Source: Explicit statement: 'I did not put red hat on this. I've left this as factory.'Dune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • opinionmedium

    Spice combo values are undertuned and could benefit from higher point values

    Source: Gameplay commentary and strategy discussionDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • opinionmedium

    Dune Pinball requires substantial ball control skills similar to Attack from Mars

    Source: Gameplay demonstration and strategy discussionDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • factualhigh

    Wizard modes must be played sequentially in order; player cannot choose which wizard mode to play

    Source: Direct answer to viewer questionDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • opinionmedium

    Harvester multiball value scaling increases significantly around the fourth harvester completion

    Source: Advanced strategy discussionDune Pinball Gameplay Stream - Fall of Sietch Tabr Wizard Mode - Code v2025.08.13
  • factualhigh

    Carl looped Scooby-Doo on his first stream showing the software is still early in development

    Source: Carl and Joel IngleberthTriple Drain Pinball Podcast Episode 33 - TPF Prep 2023
  • opinionhigh

    Specter is the hardest of the five challenge objectives

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualhigh

    The Cube challenge was removed due to randomness

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualhigh

    Two-Minute Drill was removed from challenge objectives due to scoring issues

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualhigh

    The lock shot on 007 is much easier from the left flipper than the right flipper

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualhigh

    Games are set to five balls for the tournament

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualmedium

    Raymond Ashby coined the term 'David Raymondson' at the first IFPA heads-up championship in Vegas

    Source: Tournament commentary007 On Tilt Heads Up Pinball Launch Tournament Playoffs
  • factualhigh

    Carl built a custom mobile streaming rig that disassembles into a small case for airport travel

    Source: Broadcast commentaryPinball at the Lake 2019 - Quarterfinals
  • factualhigh

    The Sopranos multiball is set to hard difficulty requiring drop target hit twice to light lock

    Source: Broadcast commentaryPinball at the Lake 2019 - Quarterfinals
  • factualhigh

    Carl achieved 5 Sim Cards on a single ball of Dialed In, which is exceptional performance

    Source: Mark Pollock and HostOn Tilt League Finals - Season Five - Spring 2019
  • Collaborator with Loser Kid on Winchester Mystery House modes; podcast guest discussing 6 currently implemented modes out of 13 planned

    DPP #215 "Happy Halloween! (and Beetlejuice)"Oct 31, 2025
  • Designer of Winchester Mystery House for Barrels of Fun; game designer known for tight shot design; well-liked personality; drove Winchester's success

    We Are Pinball #47 "Kaneda joins WAP! Expo reviews"Oct 24, 2025
  • Identified as key personnel at Barrels of Fun; Kaneda implies his work was critical to Winchester's success and company survival

    Episode 1171: "Dune's Last Ditch NIB FOMO Attempt"Dec 18, 2025
  • Presumed lead designer of Winchester Mystery House; described as 'probably the best player in the world' and exceptional ball control player; potential concern about game difficulty being too high

    FREE SHOW: Episode 1148: Barrels of Fomo Suspends Common Sense And It's Fun To Watch!Oct 14, 2025
  • Rules designer for Winchester Mystery House; played trumpet on game audio; designed unconventional rule mechanics (jackpot building, multiplier banking); created design document for game direction

    Meet The Team... Joshua Clay - Winchester Mystery House - UI & 3D DesignOct 21, 2025
  • Designer of Winchester Mystery House; noted as personally popular in community; fan support contributed to game's pre-order success

    Episode 1151: "Kaneda's Gone Soft"Oct 25, 2025
  • Player in Dune stream referenced by Kaneda; used to illustrate game experience quality

    Saturday Morning Spectacular Take 2Jun 21, 2025
  • Pinball software engineer from 'I Pinball' channel; visiting streamer next day; described as important programming figure in pinball

    Pinball | Lord Of The Rings | A disturbing discussion about Hobbits while almost getting to ValinorFeb 14, 2025