Rick’s Pinball Resolutions

Nudge Magazine (website feed)·article·analyzed·Jan 21, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.016

TL;DR

Rick Brewster's 2026 pinball resolutions prioritize joy, social play, and emotional regulation over competitive grind.

Summary

Rick Brewster reflects on a difficult 2025 where pinball took a backseat due to personal and global circumstances, and outlines four resolutions for 2026: stop rage-tilting, appreciate available pinball venues despite imperfections, play more socially with friends, and maintain fun as the central priority. The piece balances personal vulnerability with humor while advocating for a healthier, more community-oriented approach to the hobby.

Key Claims

Rick barely played competitive pinball in 2025 despite it being his primary hobby for seven years
high confidence · Rick Brewster, personal reflection essay; first paragraph
Rick lives in Minneapolis and has access to approximately 50 pinball games within a half-hour radius across 3 locations
high confidence · Rick Brewster, direct statement in Resolution 2
Memorable pinball experiences with friends are more lasting than solo high-score chasing sessions
high confidence · Rick Brewster, Resolution 4; personal recollection and philosophical observation
Rick describes himself as 'about as introverted of an ambivert as you can get'
high confidence · Rick Brewster, Resolution 4; self-description

Notable Quotes

“My pinball life in 2025 was on life support.”
Rick Brewster @ opening — Sets the tone for the piece; establishes that 2025 was difficult for pinball engagement
“We're adults flipping around a metal ball in a cabinet. We're playing with large toys. If we aren't having fun, what the fuck are we doing?”
Rick Brewster @ mid-article — Core philosophy of the piece; reframes pinball as fundamentally about enjoyment, not competition or perfection
“Rage tilting, cussing, storming away from games = it's lame. It does not make people think 'wow, that person must be really good, but got unlucky there!' It makes you look like a crybaby jackass. All of the time.”
Rick Brewster @ Resolution 1 — Direct call-out of negative behavior; particularly significant because he acknowledges this is self-directed advice
“I have multiple places I can go with 50 games under one roof. And I'm not satisfied? I can't find a single game to have fun on? What am I doing?”
Rick Brewster @ Resolution 2 — Self-reflection on entitlement and gratitude; highlights privilege of access
“I can't really remember any standout solo sessions. But I can remember, very fondly, the days and nights out with my close friends and casual acquaintances.”
Rick Brewster @ Resolution 4 — Key insight about memory and meaning; advocates for social over individual achievement

Entities

Rick BrewsterpersonNudge MagazineorganizationDocpersonTwin Citiesevent|venueFish Talesgame Konggame

Signals

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sentiment_shift: Rick reports significant retreat from competitive pinball in 2025 after seven years as primary hobby; attributed to external life pressures and global circumstances
high · My pinball life in 2025 was on life support. I barely played competitive pinball, which has been my primary hobby over the last seven years.
?
community_signal: Article opens with explicit discussion of mental health struggles affecting pinball engagement; author advocates for peer support and community checking-in
high · Check on your people. You have more power than you think. And if you're struggling, don't hesitate to reach out.
?
operational_signal: Rick identifies specific venue maintenance issues in Twin Cities locations: leaning games, dead slings, bad feeds, broken mechs; indicates common operator maintenance problems
high · Leaning games, dead slings, bad feeds, broken mechs, you name it.
?
gameplay_signal: Author reflects that memorable pinball experiences are tied to social group play at venues rather than solo high-score grinding
high · I can't really remember any standout solo sessions. But I can remember, very fondly, the days and nights out with my close friends and casual acquaintances.
?
venue_signal: Twin Cities area has substantial pinball infrastructure: 3 venues with ~50 games accessible within 30-minute radius; represents healthy regional market density
high · I'm in the Twin Cities, and I have 3 locations with ~50 games within a half hour of me. That's insane to step back and think about.

Topics

Mental health and emotional regulation in pinballprimaryCommunity and social play vs. solo grindingprimaryGratitude and venue appreciationprimaryPersonal reflection and self-improvementprimaryCompetitive pinball burnoutsecondaryPinball as leisure vs. achievementsecondaryGlobal mental health crisis impact on hobbiesmentioned

Sentiment

mixed(0.65)— Opens with vulnerability and heaviness (personal struggle, global crisis), transitions to optimistic and lighthearted resolutions. Ends on hopeful but realistic note. Tone shifts from dark to encouraging throughout; author acknowledges cynicism but advocates for positivity.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Rick’s Pinball Resolutions By Rick Brewster Written DEC 2025 My pinball life in 2025 was on life support. I barely played competitive pinball, which has been my primary hobby over the last seven years. I also basically didn’t play on location for about half the year. And, you know, the world (specifically in Minneapolis, where Rick lives, — ed.) is kind of on fire, and horrendous things are happening everywhere, and there are a lot bigger theoretical fish to theoretically fry than pinball. Not to get too heavy right off the bat, but I think we’re all over these chaotic, unprecedented, and often pretty fuckin’ shitty, times. Pinball got lost. I’m thankfully doing well enough, I haven’t lost anything or had anything tragic happen, but it’s simultaneously hard to remember and easy to forget a lot of people absolutely are not. Check on your people. You have more power than you think. And if you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out. To your people, to me, to anyone. You’re not in this solo. I’m not big on reflection or a New Year’s resolution dude, and never really have been, but there’s a certain magic the new year and what it might bring. So here are our pinball resolutions for 2026. Resolution are about having fun, being present, and doing what we can. While we don’t have that much control in our lives, I can at least control how I approach and play pinball in 2026. Bite off something I can chew, right? I guess I can also control finishing the travel piece I promised Doc would be done and sent like a month ago, (editor’s note: no frickin DUH) but hey, shit happens. Without sounding obnoxiously corny and going 2000s Oprah Winfrey or Ellen Degeneres on you all, here are the things I’m gonna do going into next year to make sure pinball stays fun, and doesn’t keep staying weird, or negative, or whatever else not fun it can turn into. Because, the only thing this should be is fun. We’re adults flipping around a metal ball in a cabinet. We’re playing with large toys. If we aren’t having fun, what the fuck are we doing? Resoltuion: Don’t get pissed when you’re playing. It’s the low hanging fruit here. Rage tilting, cussing, storming away from games = it’s lame. It does not make people think “wow, that person must be really good, but got unlucky there!” It makes you look like a crybaby jackass. All of the time. Yes, even in tournaments, even in close games, even when you’re one shot away from the wizard mode. Come on. Figure it out. And yes, I’m telling myself that, because I need to tell myself that. If you’re leaving your arcade or brewery or watering hole or movie theater angry after dropping half a roll of quarters in a dirty copy of Fish Tales, maybe take a moment to reassess things. It’s ok to take a break. Find another leisure hobby. We don’t have to rage. There’s enough. Resolution: Be thankful for whatever pinball is around you. I’m in the Twin Cities, and I have 3 locations with ~50 games within a half hour of me. That’s insane to step back and think about. I find myself just hating and bagging on them at times. (Some, much more often than others.) Leaning games, dead slings, bad feeds, broken mechs, you name it. Pick your annoyance and I’m sure you can find an example. It’s easy to forget: I have multiple places I can go with 50 games under one roof. And I’m not satisfied? I can’t find a single game to have fun on? What am I doing? No, we don’t need everything perfect, everything to be LE, everything to have a friggin’ $2000 topper to have a good time. Shoot shots, get points, enjoy the experience, and bask in it with your friends. Which is a perfect segue to… Resolution: Play more with other people. Pinball, with as much of its single player nature, is not actually a solo endeavor. I’m about as introverted of an ambivert as you can get, and I play solo often. I do enjoy it. Group hangs may not be the best time to gun for Kong GCs. But thinking back on 2025, I can’t really remember any standout solo sessions. But I can remember, very fondly, the days and nights out with my close friends and casual acquaintances. Bar-hopping, game-grinding, beer-guzzling, high-score-chasing, cigar-ripping good times. These are things that gave me the warm fuzzies then, and when thinking back now. Grinding for a GC on Kong solo was fun on whatever day that was, sure, but I already forgot what happened that day and what those feelings were. That’s not true for the days playing with friends. Do more of that. The Story of Nudge: Went Soft Stayed Soft I hereby mark the second occasion Nudge went Charmin soft on y’all (even though I’m really more of a Cottonelle household, tbh) and without even talking to Doc I can assure you it’s not likely to happen often going forward. So you get some positivity (insert Oprah pointing meme) and you’re gonna have to deal with it. I have no doubts we’ll be back to our snarky, somewhat grumpy selves in no time, but at least take a second to reflect and make sure you’re not too much of a hater going into 2026. I’ll try. No promises, but I’ll try. Maybe life really is like Seinfeld and no one actually learns and improves, but we can at least try to have some fun and not be grumpy asshats.