The Best Pinball Machines of 2025 Ranked

Kineticist·article·analyzed·Dec 29, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.029

TL;DR

Harry Potter ranked #1 of 2025 pinball releases; author emphasizes subjectivity and limited playtime on unreleased games.

Summary

Kineticist ranks the best pinball machines of 2025, placing Harry Potter at #1 for its impressive theming and fun layout, followed by King Kong and D&D. The author acknowledges subjectivity and notes that several anticipated 2025 releases (Winchester Mystery House, Predator, Portal, Beetlejuice) remain in production and are evaluated separately with limited playtime.

Key Claims

Harry Potter exceeded expectations as a comprehensive film-based adaptation with excellent theming, varied layout, and immersive presentation
high confidence · Author played the game multiple times and ranked it #1; offers specific praise for layout variety, video assets, and actor callouts
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire has poor playfield layout with difficult ball control and unexpected outlane drains
medium confidence · Author's subjective opinion based on multiple plays; cites specific layout issues (pop bumpers placement, awkward ramps)
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye emphasizes progression and character development mechanics similar to RPG video games
high confidence · Author explicitly compares it to RPG mechanics; mentions character creation, leveling up, gear collection, and Stern Insider Connected integration
Keith Elwin designed King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island with satisfying shots and excellent feature synergy
high confidence · Author identifies Elwin as designer and praises specific design elements; notes substantial code updates throughout 2025
Harry Potter launched with AI-generated playfield art issues but remains an excellent machine overall
high confidence · Author explicitly mentions 'egregious instances of AI-generated playfield art' as a flaw in an otherwise positive assessment

Notable Quotes

“For decades, Harry Potter stood as a 'holy grail' theme for many pinball players, due to both fervent nostalgia and the never-ending meme of becoming a 'pinball wizard'.”
Author (Kineticist) — Contextualizes the cultural weight of Harry Potter in pinball community; explains why this license was so anticipated
“What stands is a fantastic machine that's immersive, entertaining, and a true spectacle, which lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations.”
Author (Kineticist) — Core justification for Harry Potter #1 ranking; emphasizes meeting/exceeding community expectations
“Though not a great game for high-level competition, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye is one of my favorites of the year for casual play, constantly beckoning me to drop more quarters in pursuit of beating the campaign”
Author (Kineticist) — Identifies D&D as a casual-focused game with strong engagement/progression mechanics, ranked #3 despite not being competitive
“If it wasn't clear by now, Keith Elwin is one of the best pinball designers in the industry, and his latest game, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island, is another example of his mastery.”
Author (Kineticist) — Affirms Elwin's status as top designer; positions King Kong as exemplary of his work
“Star Wars fatigue... Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire didn't do much to change my mind, either, as it feels pretty by-the-numbers as far as modern machines are concerned.”
Author (Kineticist) — Establishes personal bias against Star Wars IP and positions Fall of the Empire as generic despite decent mechanics
“The game feels clunky on the flippers and the majority of the shots are super safe, leading to a long-playing experience that lacks excitement.”
Author (Kineticist) — Critical assessment of Predator; identifies flipper feel and shot design as primary weaknesses
“Unfortunately, the Portal pinball machine was a miss in my opinion, mostly due to the same issues that plague other P3 releases... software crashes and flipper issues.”
Author (Kineticist) — Links Portal's failures to broader Multimorphic P3 platform reliability issues; suggests structural problem beyond Portal itself

Entities

Harry Pottergame Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's EyegameKing Kong: The Myth of Terror IslandgameStar Wars: Fall of the Empiregame Dunegame Merlin's Arcadegame

Signals

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sentiment_shift: Harry Potter exceeded community expectations as a 'holy grail' license; author notes it 'lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations'
high · Author contextualizes decades of community longing for Harry Potter license and confirms delivery on expectations
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competitive_signal: D&D: The Tyrant's Eye recognized as casual-play focused rather than competitive game despite strong engagement mechanics
high · Author explicitly states 'not a great game for high-level competition' but ranks #3 overall due to casual appeal and progression hooks
?
design_philosophy: Star Wars: Fall of the Empire exhibits poor playfield ergonomics with pop bumpers 'halfway up playfield' and 'awkwardly' placed ramps causing unexpected ball behavior
high · Author critiques 'two pop bumpers that sit halfway up the playfield and a few ramps that sit awkwardly' causing 'ball to spiral out of control'
?
design_philosophy: Keith Elwin demonstrates signature design philosophy through King Kong featuring satisfying shots, feature synergy, and risk/reward mechanics with strong progression options
high · Author notes 'Keith Elwin is one of the best pinball designers in the industry' and praises King Kong's 'satisfying shots, excellent features' and 'great synergy between game features'
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market_signal: Boutique manufacturers (Barrels of Fun, Turner Pinball, Pinball Brothers) establishing themselves as quality alternatives with innovative designs
medium · Author describes Barrels of Fun as 'pretty new in the pinball scene' with 'immersive machines' and Turner Pinball as learning from debut; three boutique manufacturers featured in rankings

Topics

Game ranking and subjective assessment methodologyprimaryHarry Potter as long-anticipated license and #1 ranked gameprimaryPlayfield design and ball control quality across 2025 releasesprimaryTheming, IP licensing, and narrative integration in pinballprimaryCode development and post-release updates for 2025 gamessecondaryMultimorphic P3 platform reliability issuessecondaryCasual vs. competitive gameplay focus and design prioritiessecondaryBoutique manufacturers (Barrels of Fun, Turner Pinball) emerging in marketmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.72)— Author is enthusiastic about 2025 releases, particularly Harry Potter, King Kong, and D&D. Star Wars (ranked #6) generates frustrated tone due to personal fatigue with IP rather than game quality. Predator and Portal reviews are critical but measured. Overall tone celebrates strong lineup despite some disappointments.

Transcript

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The pinball industry has been booming lately in terms of new releases, with each year granting us lucky players several new machines to enjoy. This year was no different, with ten brand new pins to play, including several unique themes, big-budget licenses, and more. The best pinball machines of 2025 wowed us with their innovation, fine-tuned flow, and excellent layouts, producing some truly standout experiences. In celebration of this year's best release, I've whipped up a list of the best pinball machines of 2025, highlighting the games that kept the quarters spewing from our collective pockets. Important note: This ranked list of the best pinball machines of 2025 is entirely subjective and based solely on the opinion of the author. Sales figures, Pinside rankings, and other external factors have not been considered. Due to the staggered nature of machine announcements and availability, I've chosen to only include games that I've personally played several times, but I'll still deliver my thoughts on the rest of this year's releases in a separate section at the end. Homebrews, home editions, re-releases, and remastered titles have not been included. With that in mind, let's jump right into my ranked list of the best pinball machines of 2025. Further disclaimer: After taking a beating in online comments, I would like to clarify that this list only includes pins that were announced in 2025. In my opinion, Evil Dead was the best pin announced in 2024, but here, I'm focusing on games that were announced in 2025. Sorry, Ash. 2025 Pinball Machines Ranked from Worst to Best 6. Star Wars: Fall of the Empire If there's one type of fatigue I feel greater than most, it's Star Wars fatigue. More so than even Marvel, I just can't get excited for the property anymore. Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire didn't do much to change my mind, either, as it feels pretty by-the-numbers as far as modern machines are concerned. Even though there is a decent selection of modes, good assets, and fun multiballs to be had, the general playfield layout is full of rejects, hard to control, and hectic in the wrong ways. With the two pop bumpers that sit halfway up the playfield and a few ramps that sit awkwardly, it's far too common for the ball to spiral out of control, catch a sling, and snipe itself into an outlane at subsonic speeds. Even now, with the improved code, I can't help but feel unenthused every time it pops up in tournament or casual play. 5. Merlin's Arcade Turner Pinball saw decent success with their debut pin, Ninja Eclipse, and Merlin's Arcade uses the lessons learned from that initial release to provide a much better experience overall. The theme, which offers a whimsical take on Arthurian legend, affords colorful art and playful modes, but lacks cohesion. Still, Merlin's Arcade brings a few innovations to the table, most notably the tap pass buttons, which let any player execute the challenging flipper skill on command. To be fair, I only played the game a handful of times in its prototype stage, then later at Pinball Expo 2025, but it was still lots of fun to flip on. Assuming that the code continues to develop, Merlin's Arcade is another impressive machine from Turner Pinball, especially given their status as a relatively new pinball manufacturer. 4. Dune Like Turner Pinball, Barrels of Fun is a company that's pretty new in the pinball scene, but they've made a significant splash with their immersive machines. Like their previous game, Labyrinth, Dune marries a beloved cinematic theme with an intriguing layout, packing as much personality into the machine as possible. Based on the popular Dune films, this pin puts you in the shoes of a Fremen rebel living on the desert planet of Arrakis, blasting your way through the movie’s biggest moments. Despite the underdeveloped code on launch, Dune wows with its awesome theme integration and a visually stunning day-and-night cycle, while also providing unique shots and plenty of big, cinematic moments. Playing Dune with the sound blasting and in a dark room makes all the difference, as its arresting visuals and excellent audio package deserve your full attention. 3. Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye Though I appreciate the concept and have rolled dice a few times with my buddies, I'm not exactly a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons. However, I am a very big fan of role-playing video games, which is basically what Stern's Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye tries to emulate in pinball form. Like a true DnD adventure, this pin lets you spin up a character, obtain new gear and equipment as you level up, battle dragons, and save the world (or doom it). Plus, by using Stern Insider Connected, your progress can be saved and carried from game to game. Although the playfield layout leaves a bit to be desired, with lots of shots up the center spinner and a reject-happy left ramp, DnD: The Tyrant's Eye makes up for it with interesting modes, a cool story, and a satisfying feeling of progression. Though not a great game for high-level competition, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye is one of my favorites of the year for casual play, constantly beckoning me to drop more quarters in pursuit of beating the campaign and unlocking some of its extra endgame content. 2. King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island If it wasn't clear by now, Keith Elwin is one of the best pinball designers in the industry, and his latest game, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island, is another example of his mastery. Opting for another movie monster escapade, Elwin brings his signature style to the world of King Kong, with a playfield that totes tons of satisfying shots, excellent features, and more progression options than his previous pins. Brought to life by aggressively colorful playfield art, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island is vibrant and very fun to shoot, and once you start digging into the nuance of the game's modes and multiballs, it really starts to shine. There's great synergy between game features, exciting moments of risk and reward, as well as satisfying side objectives that dole out small bursts of dopamine. Thanks to several substantial code updates, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island has stayed fresh throughout the year, and always makes for a fun game of pinball. 1. Harry Potter For decades, Harry Potter stood as a “holy grail” theme for many pinball players, due to both fervent nostalgia and the never-ending meme of becoming a “pinball wizard”. When Jersey Jack Pinball scooped up the license, it was easy to expect an ultra-packed machine, but few foresaw just how impressive it would be. Based on the films rather than the books or a general “Hogwarts” theme, this pin offers everything you'd want in a Harry Potter pinball machine: main modes that cover the entirety of Harry's adventure, a dedicated Quidditch area, massive amounts of video assets, actor-appropriate callouts, and an all-around spectacle unlike any other. Best of all, the game is remarkably fun to flip, thanks to a varied layout with awesome shots and tons of unique pathways. It's not a perfect game, as its audio design occasionally feels like a slot machine rather than a pin, and it launched with egregious instances of AI-generated playfield art, but the overall presentation is still excellent thanks to top-notch theming. What stands is a fantastic machine that's immersive, entertaining, and a true spectacle, which lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations. Other New and Notable Pins of 2025 In addition to the pins listed above, there were several machines that were announced in 2025, but still remain in production and haven't yet popped up on location. While I got the chance to flip on most of these upcoming releases, my playtime wasn't long enough to form a definite opinion, so I've consolidated them here in their own separate section. As we reflect on the best pinball machines of 2025, let's also take a look at the pins that are soon to come, listed in no particular order. 1. Winchester Mystery House The newest game from Barrels of Fun, Winchester Mystery House is the debut pin from designer Karl Karl DeAngelo, and it made a big impression at the 2025 Pinball Expo. Based on the mysterious California home of urban legend, this pin evokes supernatural vibes with its spooky theming and unique playfield layout, accompanied by a solid set of rules and satisfying risk/reward. I've played two games of Winchester Mystery House in total, and have come away more than impressed. Not only is the game fun to play, but it's also appropriately creepy. I look forward to playing more when the game finally launches, as this pin shows significant promise and has kept me intrigued from the first plunge to the final drain. 2. Predator Predator, created by the Pinball Brothers, was another game that I got to check out at the 2025 Pinball Expo, but unfortunately, it failed to leave a good impression. Despite being a decent fan of the theme and some of Pinball Brothers' past pins like Alien, Predator simply didn't speak to me. The game feels clunky on the flippers and the majority of the shots are super safe, leading to a long-playing experience that lacks excitement. In short, Predator hasn’t been much fun to play so far, but I'm still interested in checking it out in the future to see if it improves. 3. Portal I'm a big fan of the Portal video games. I'm also a pretty big fan of Multimorphic, when the machines work properly, at least. Unfortunately, the Portal pinball machine was a miss in my opinion, mostly due to the same issues that plague other P3 releases. The layout and big interactive screen isn't the issue here, but rather the awkward feeling of the flippers and a tendency for the game to break. During two separate occasions, my games of Portal were cut short by software crashes and flipper issues, leaving a familiar and sour taste in my mouth. In theory, this is a pin that should be a homerun, but in practice, it can't escape the issues of its platform. 4. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the only 2025 release that I haven't had the chance to play, as it was announced close to the end of the year and most gameplay sessions have been invite-only. Like everyone else, I've had to satiate myself with gameplay videos, which have been pretty damn impressive. I'm a shameless Spooky fan, and Beetlejuice is right up my alley, with its colorful art and quirky theming. At this point, I'm loving what I see, except for the constantly flashing lighting, which I very much hope you can disable. With any luck, I'll be able to try out Beetlejuice in early 2026, but for now, it remains an ultra-promising pin that many have yet to play.