Pinball Expo 2025: A Year of Mystery and Magic

Kineticist·article·analyzed·Oct 26, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.010

TL;DR

Pinball Expo 2025 review: Star Wars underwhelms, Winchester Mystery House steals show.

Summary

A Pinball Expo 2025 attendance report evaluating new game releases across manufacturers. The author found Star Wars: Fall of the Empire competent but underwhelming, praised Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky's offerings including Evil Dead, criticized American Pinball's non-pinball venture Whirl-O-Ball, highlighted Turner Pinball's Merlin's Arcade as a solid boutique success, found Pinball Brothers' Predator divisive, and crowned Barrels of Fun's surprise Winchester Mystery House as the standout game of the show.

Key Claims

John Borg's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire has decent code but feels strategically bare in competitive play and lacks innovation despite strong theme.
high confidence · Matt Owen, primary writer, Kineticist article, direct hands-on experience
Jersey Jack Pinball had the largest presence at Expo 2025 with Avatar: Battle for Pandora, Harry Potter, and other titles.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, event observation
Winchester Mystery House, designed by Karl DeAngelo for Barrels of Fun, experienced hour-long lines throughout the weekend.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, direct observation and personal experience
American Pinball (under Orbit Games umbrella) released Whirl-O-Ball, a 1930s alley-bowling game positioned for ticket redemption arcades.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, direct observation
Turner Pinball's Merlin's Arcade showed improved code and flipper quality compared to the summer prototype version.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, hands-on experience with both versions
Pinball Brothers' Predator was the most divisive game at the show with polarized opinions ranging from best game to flop.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, event observation
Karl DeAngelo is Winchester Mystery House's first-time designer and known tournament competitor/Twitch streamer.
high confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, biographical context
Pinball Expo 2025 had longer lines and more attendees than previous years despite lighter show floor offerings.
medium confidence · Matt Owen, Kineticist article, subjective comparison to prior years

Notable Quotes

“The code is decent compared to other modern Stern releases, but the strategy feels bare in competition. While Fall of the Empire is fun enough to shoot and comes packed with modes, general Star Wars fatigue and a lack of innovation left me feeling lukewarm overall.”
Matt Owen @ N/A — Direct critical assessment of Stern's major flagship title, setting tone for mixed reception narrative
“Again and again, I can't help but fall in love with the light shows of JJP and the excellent theme integration of Spooky, and found myself consistently returning to their respective games for casual fun.”
Matt Owen @ N/A — Positive comparative analysis of boutique vs. major manufacturer quality perceptions
“Winchester Mystery House was the best kind of surprise you could ask for at Pinball Expo, and I can't wait to play it again.”
Matt Owen @ N/A — Declares Barrels of Fun's game as standout highlight; reinforces boutique manufacturer momentum
“With constant outlane saves and easy-to-deal-with feeds, games went on long, even if you weren't playing well.”
Matt Owen @ N/A — Specific gameplay criticism of Pinball Brothers' Predator regarding balance and player flow
“I played the game three times and waited for roughly an hour each, but it was worth it.”
Matt Owen @ N/A — Quantifies Winchester Mystery House demand and demonstrates author's personal enthusiasm

Entities

Matt OwenpersonJohn Borgperson Karl DeAngelopersonStern PinballcompanyJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky PinballcompanyAmerican Pinballcompany Barrels of Funcompany

Signals

?
product_launch: Star Wars: Fall of the Empire received mixed reception despite being Stern's flagship release; author found it competent but strategically thin with Star Wars fatigue evident.
high · Direct hands-on review comparing to other modern Stern releases; described as having decent code but bare competition strategy
~
sentiment_shift: General Star Wars fatigue noted in pinball community regarding yet another Star Wars-themed game from major manufacturer.
medium · Author explicitly mentions 'general Star Wars fatigue and a lack of innovation'
?
product_launch: Winchester Mystery House experienced unexpected massive demand with hour-long lines throughout Expo weekend despite being surprise announcement.
high · Author played three times with hour-long waits each time; 'sold' signs quickly filled Turner Pinball booth; described lines as 'lengthy without fail'
?
collector_signal: Winchester Mystery House generated significant FOMO and demand surge at physical event with sustained multi-hour queue lines.
high · Consistent hour-long waits throughout weekend; author prioritized waiting in line despite only single play opportunity per session
~
sentiment_shift: Clear positive sentiment shift toward boutique manufacturers (Turner, Barrels of Fun, Spooky, JJP) with mixed/lukewarm reception of major manufacturer flagship.
high · Author consistently praises boutique manufacturers' theme integration and light shows while finding Stern's major release underwhelming; notes 'blossoming manufacturers stepped in to pick up the dead weight'

Topics

Pinball Expo 2025 event coverage and game reviewsprimaryStar Wars: Fall of the Empire critical receptionprimaryWinchester Mystery House as standout/surprise releaseprimaryBoutique vs. major manufacturer comparative qualityprimaryEmerging boutique manufacturers (Turner, Barrels of Fun, Pinball Brothers)primaryGame design, gameplay mechanics, and player experiencesecondaryCompetitive vs. casual play considerationssecondaryAmerican Pinball's diversification into non-pinball productssecondary

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

web_scrape · $0.000

Like what you're reading? Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox. Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox. One of the most alluring parts of attending Pinball Expo is the chance to play every new game you could imagine, whether recently announced or a few years post-release. There's arguably no modern manufacturer as influential as Stern Pinball, and they brought their freshest pins to the show, including John Borg's latest: Star Wars: Fall of the Empire. This was the first time I had a chance to try it out, and after playing it a few times in both casual and competitive settings, I've come away with mixed feelings. The code is decent compared to other modern Stern releases, but the strategy feels bare in competition. While Fall of the Empire is fun enough to shoot and comes packed with modes, general Star Wars fatigue and a lack of innovation left me feeling lukewarm overall. Jersey Jack Pinball, Spooky Pinball, and American Pinball also had a presence at the show, with JJP being the largest, offering titles like Avatar: Battle for Pandora, Harry Potter, and more. I had a good time flipping on these fresh machines and basked in one of the best games of Evil Dead I've ever played. Again and again, I can't help but fall in love with the light shows of JJP and the excellent theme integration of Spooky, and found myself consistently returning to their respective games for casual fun. However, I was particularly confused by American Pinball's newest non-pinball creation (operating under the umbrella of Orbit Games): a fresh run of the 1930s alley-bowling game called Whirl-O-Ball. This full-sized, bulky machine plays just like Skee-Ball, but instead of aiming for holes on the backboard, you roll the balls up a ramp and out of sight to earn points. Unfortunately, it lacked the satisfaction of standard Skee-Ball, failed to properly explain the objective to the player, and generally left me less than enthusiastic. According to American Pinball/Orbit Games, this is a product designed for ticket redemption-style arcades, but is void of the spectacle and dopamine rush one would expect from that sort of entertainment. Maybe a coin pusher would've been a better bet. Luckily, where some of the larger companies underwhelmed, several blossoming manufacturers stepped in to pick up the dead weight. Turner Pinball's booth was abuzz, thanks to their newest game, Merlin's Arcade. Bright, vivid, and complemented by its high fantasy theme, Merlin's Arcade feels like a step up from Turner's imaginative and enjoyable previous game, Ninja Eclipse. In comparison to the prototype version I tried out in the summer, this commercial version of Merlin's Arcade contained much better code and felt a bit more solid on the flippers. I especially enjoyed the built-in tap pass buttons, making manual tap passes feel all the more rewarding, while providing an easy transfer for less experienced players. Generally speaking, I had a great time playing Merlin's Arcade, and it seemed like general attendees shared the sentiment, as “sold” signs quickly occupied every machine at Turner Pinball's booth. On the other side of the convention hall, tucked under an appropriately camouflaged tent, was Pinball Brothers' latest game: Predator. This is a game that saw quite a bit of conversation at Pinball Expo, and out of all the machines on display, it was probably the most divisive. While some deemed it the best game of the show and others decried it as a flop, I sat somewhere in the middle. While the presentation was top-notch and the light show was particularly cool, I was let down by a clunky layout and lack of flow. With constant outlane saves and easy-to-deal-with feeds, games went on long, even if you weren't playing well. To be fair, I only played it once, but didn't feel the urge to wait in line for another go. I'm a big fan of Pinball Brothers' Alien, and while Predator feels similar in a lot of ways, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed. Without a doubt, the true standout of Pinball Expo 2025 was the surprise release from Barrels of Fun: Winchester Mystery House. This machine was created by first-time designer Karl Karl DeAngelo, most well-known as a cutting-edge competitor in tournament pinball, along with his entertaining and impressive streams on his Twitch channel, IEPinball. With its spooky, supernatural theme, which evokes a palpable sense of intrigue, and an excellent layout that holds some truly inventive shots, Winchester Mystery House wowed me even when I struggled to rack up points. Barrels of Fun's signature narrative-driven, cinematic style presentation is on full display here, as you explore the many winding pathways of the Winchester Mystery House, with plenty of secrets to discover. It was a treat to play this game in Barrel of Fun's designated “Quiet Room”, away from the bustling show floor, where I could fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the machine undisturbed. Throughout the entire weekend, the lines to play the game were lengthy without fail, as everyone eagerly waited to get a flip. I played the game three times and waited for roughly an hour each, but it was worth it. As both Karl Karl DeAngelo's debut and another undeniably immersive game from Barrels of Fun, Winchester Mystery House was the best kind of surprise you could ask for at Pinball Expo, and I can't wait to play it again. Of course, new machines weren't the only cool part of Pinball Expo 2025. In addition to the flashy manufacturer booths, there were tons of vendors set up, ranging from custom topper companies like The Electric Playground to pinball personalities like Pinball Jen. Expo 2025 wasn't a pinball exclusive show either, as attendees could peruse retro video games and records, try out arcade machines, and more. One of my favorite parts of the show floor was the Homebrew Pinball section, featuring enticing, one-of-a-kind games that you won't find anywhere else. Panels and meet-and-greets filled the schedule, a Stern Pro Circuit tournament satiated competitive players, and we were warmed to see yet another successful Pinball Media Mixer at Enterrium (thanks, Scorbit!). Overall, Pinball Expo 2025 was a blast and fully worth the trip to Illinois. Though the show floor offerings seemed lighter than last year, there was more than enough to hold my attention for the full duration of the weekend, wishing for just one more day to play. If anything, Pinball Expo 2025 was absolutely bustling, with longer lines and more excitable attendees than ever before. As always, it was great to see my pinball pals, talk shop, and spend the weekend engrossed in the world of pinball. Now, the only thing to do is wait for Pinball Expo 2026, which is sure to be a doozy. Matt Owen is a lifelong gamer and overall media fiend. He can often be found playing endless hours of games or watching an absurd amount of movies and television: action, horror, mystery, and sci-fi in particular. When he's not bingeing entertainment media, Matt enjoys reading and writing fiction, playing pinball, broadcasting, and attempting to cook.