Stranger Things Tutorial - Pinball Guide

Pinball Pursuit·video·11m 41s·analyzed·Jan 5, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.017

TL;DR

Detailed Stranger Things Pinball tutorial covering playfield, modes, and scoring mechanics.

Summary

Pinball Pursuit hosts Mrs. J and Dr. C provide a comprehensive tutorial of Stern Pinball's Stranger Things machine (2019), covering playfield layout, modes, multiball mechanics, and scoring strategies. The video details the game's design team (Brian Eddy, Bob Steplick, Lonnie D. Ropp, Mike Vinacore, Ken C. Hale) and explains key gameplay elements including chapter modes, Demogorgon battles, Telekinesis multiball, and Upside Down sequences.

Key Claims

Stranger Things was designed by Brian Eddy and released by Stern Pinball in 2019
high confidence · Hosts explicitly state design credits at tutorial opening
Brian Eddy designed Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars, and Stranger Things marked his return to pinball after more than two decades away
high confidence · Hosts describe Eddy's background and career gap
Art was created by Bob Steplick, blending 1980s neon aesthetic with darker horror elements
high confidence · Art department credit given in opening credits section
Code was led by Brian Eddy and Lonnie D. Ropp, with additional rule design from Mike Vinacore
high confidence · Technical credits listed in tutorial opening
Sound and music direction was done by Ken C. Hale
high confidence · Sound credits provided in opening section

Notable Quotes

“The Demogorgon Bash toy. The very toy that made me and Mrs. J go, 'Hey, pinball is still alive and well. We should look into this some more.'”
Dr. C@ 1:06 — Personal connection to the game; illustrates the Demogorgon toy's emotional impact on players discovering modern pinball
“Unlike a normal orbit, this instead goes up a ramp in the back of the game and then is sped to your right inlane. This shot is one of the two Season 1 mode start shots and is a key shot used heavily in chapter modes and combos.”
Mrs. J or Dr. C@ 2:15 — Explains unique playfield routing and strategic importance of left orbit shot
“Hitting the two targets that flank the left ramp will light the lock at the left ramp. Hitting the ramp will lock a ball and on the Premium Edition model, that ball gets magnetized to the back of the game.”
Host@ 8:53 — Explains Telekinesis multiball lock mechanism, a signature feature of Premium/LE models
“Each of these is worth millions of points, with the 5-way combo awarding 10 million points alone.”
Host@ 10:50 — Describes end-of-ball bonus structure and scoring emphasis in competitive play

Entities

Brian EddypersonBob SteplickpersonLonnie D. Roppperson Mike VinacorepersonKen C. HalepersonMrs. JpersonDr. CpersonStranger Things PinballgameStern PinballcompanyPinball Pursuitorganization

Signals

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community_signal: Pinball Pursuit producing detailed educational tutorial content on Stranger Things demonstrates ongoing community engagement with established machines and player education
high · Full-length tutorial video with comprehensive playfield, mode, and strategy breakdown
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design_philosophy: Stranger Things playfield design emphasizes strategic split between Season 1 (left) and Season 2 (right) modes, with Demogorgon battles and Telekinesis multiball as signature mechanical features
high · Detailed explanation of left/right playfield halves, mode architecture, and mechanical innovations like magnetized ball lock on Premium edition
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product_strategy: Premium Edition and Limited Edition models feature projector system and magnetized ball lock that distinguish them from Pro model
high · Hosts explicitly reference Premium Edition features including projector on stand-ups and magnetized Telekinesis lock, contrasted with standard layout

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.035

0:00

Welcome to Pinball Pursuit. I'm Mrs. J. And I'm Dr. C. Today we're diving into Stranger Things, Stern Pinball's hit machine released in 2019. The game was designed by Brian Eddy, the legendary designer behind classics like Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars. Stranger Things marked Eddie's long-awaited return to pinball design after more than two decades away. The art for the game was created by Bob Steplick, who blended the 1980s neon-soaked aesthetic with darker horror elements from the show. The game's code was led by Brian Eddy and Lonnie Ropp, with additional rule design from Mike Vinacore, and animations were done by Stern's in-house team using official Netflix assets. Sound and music direction was done by Ken Hale, giving the machine that eerie, synth-heavy Stranger Things vibe. Stranger Things stands out with its projector system on the Premium and LE models, and of course, the Demogorgon Bash toy. The very toy that made me and Mrs. J go, hey, pinball is still alive and well. We should look into this some more. As usual, we'll go through the playfield from left to right, starting of course with the inlanes and outlanes. These are standard lanes. However, on the left out lane, you can get a ball save by hitting the burn it back loop three times. Like many games, the lights in the lanes can be moved by hitting the flipper button. The reward for completing all four lights cycles between qualifying a mystery award and increasing your bonus multiplier. Above the left lanes is the ball eject or ball kicker. Getting the ball in the ejector will then shoot the ball towards the middle stand-up targets. This is by far the safest way to go after those targets if you are trying to get to a Demogorgon mode or collect the upside down hurry up points. This shot also resets all of your jackpots until it can eat multi ball and collects the 2x playfield multiplier once you get it qualified. Next up is the left orbit and spinner. Unlike a normal orbit, this instead goes up a small ramp in the back of the game and then is sped to your right in lane. This shot is one of the two Season 1 mode start shots and is a key shot used heavily in chapter modes and combos. To the right of this orbit is the left ramp. This shot is flanked by two stand-ups here and here. Hitting those two stand-up targets lights the telekinesis lock at the left ramp. The left ramp is the other shot which starts Season 1 modes In between the stand targets and the left ramp is an incredibly important shot in the game It feeds into a stand target that is hidden from view Hitting this shot will stop the ball and then let it down into the left orbit lane, so be ready to act quick. For our tutorial, we'll call this the Mystery Lane, since this is where you pick up your Mystery Awards. This shot also starts Demodogs, collects your bonus ball, and will spot a shot towards your first two chapter modes. The shot that is spotted is the one that gets you to a chapter mode the fastest.

3:25

When the game starts, the Hawkins slash projector slash Demogorgon ramp will be up, hiding the Demogorgon from sight. There are four drop-down targets that sit here. These are very dangerous to go for as they will rocket back towards your flippers, but are still incredibly important. Several chapter modes require you to shoot these. The first upside-down hurry-up has you hitting these, and of course, shooting all of these down is how you qualify a Demogorgon battle. Behind the drop-down targets are two Demo Dog targets, more on these later, and a center shot that is an important shot for many different chapter modes, and of course, starts the Demogorgon battle. To the right of the stand-ups is the Burn It Back shot, which loops underneath the Demogorgon and will exit out the left orbit lane, and it's coming at you fast. Hitting this three times lets your spell of protection outlean save, and this shot progresses you towards extra balls. Next is the Right Ramp. This shot is used to progress you towards Season 2 chapters, and is key to getting that 5-way combo. To the right of this ramp is the Right Orbit. That really isn't an orbit. This is the second shot that gets you to chapter modes for Stranger Things Season 2. This shot feeds into a pop bumper nest and then will just fall back down the same way it went in, which is why I don't think it's necessarily in orbit. Lastly, let's go over the demo dog targets and mode. There are seven stand-up targets that spell D-E-M-O-D-O-G. Hitting a target will illuminate the letter and to get to a demo dog mode you must hit every single one of them. But here's a helpful A helpful hint, if you hit the ball ejector on the left, this will spot the furthest left letter you don't already have. Once they are all lit, the mystery lane will be lit for the Demo Dog attack. The first Demo Dog attack will have you hitting all the Demo Dog targets, scoring you 1 million apiece. Starting this will get you points towards your end of ball bonus, which is an extremely important part of this game if you're in it for some competitive play. The next fight has you hitting the orbits and then moving towards the center of the game. The last one lights all of the shots for bonuses. One note is that you can start a Demo Dog Attack during a chapter mode, but you can't start a chapter mode during a Demo Dog Attack Let get to the main modes of Stranger Things Pinball The chapters The playfield is split in half with the left half being dedicated to Season 1 and the right half to Season 2 Starting a chapter is fairly easy. You just have to hit any ramp or orbit shot three times. There are light inserts below each shot that will show you how many you have yet to hit to start a mode. Once a shot has been used to start a chapter, you won't be able to make use of that one again until all four shots, the two ramps and the two orbits, have been used to start a mode.

6:23

Once you start a chapter, the shot or shots you need to hit will be lit orange if it's chapters 1 through 6, the Season 1 modes, and yellow if it's for 7 through 12, the Season 2 ones. There are a couple of modes that will also light the stand-up targets, which are only lit purple, for example in Monster Hunting. There are end-of-ball bonuses for both Season 1 chapters and Season 2 chapters. Completing four chapters, one from each shot, will allow you to start the mini-wizard mode, Total Isolation. This is a fun multi-ball that you can start by hitting the left ramp. Now let's go over the Demogorgon modes in Change Your Thing Spinball. You'll see the word RUN at the bottom of the screen or on the premium and LE model projected onto the stand-ups themselves. Each letter and the exclamation point represent one of the drop targets. Hitting one will collect that letter, and if you collect all four, the middle shot will be lit red. Hitting that shot will start BUST OUT, the first Demogorgon mode. The ball will stop and the ramp will lower, revealing the Demogorgon. You'll need to bash it 5 times in order to kill the Demogorgon, which will get you 5 million points and adds to your end of ball bonus. You can also hit it straight into the Demogorgon's mouth for 10 million points, or for 15 if it goes into the mouth before hitting anything else. Now the drop targets will go up again, except this time there are two words on the screen. This means you have to hit all four drop targets down twice to qualify for the next battle. The second battle, Trap Em, is a two-ball multi-ball. This time, you'll have to kill two Demogorgons using the same rules as above before you drain to one ball. If you do, all the shots will be lit for jackpots, and you can reset the jackpot at the middle shot. Then you'll have to hit the drop-downs three times to battle three Demogorgons in single play. Then you'll have to drop all the targets four times for a four-ball multi-ball, and then lastly five times for a five-ball multi-ball. Once per game you get a Demogorgon Bomb The action button will flash red and pressing it during a Demogorgon battle will instantly kill the Demogorgon you are fighting but you only get half the points for doing it Remember you only get one of these We suggest using it during the second battle so you can keep that multiball going and go for jackpots Let talk about the main multiball of this game Telekinesis Multiball Hitting the two targets that flank the left ramp will light the lock at the left ramp. Hitting the ramp will lock a ball and on the premium model, that ball gets magnetized to the back of the game. Shoot the left ramp twice more to lock three balls and start this multiball. shot is lit for a jackpot, and hitting five of them qualifies for a super jackpot at the ball ejector on the left. This will reset the shots for additional jackpots. Light the telekinesis insert towards the final wizard mode and collect a drawing which awards points at the end of a ball. Starting this multiball will also increase your end of ball bonus. Next let's go over the upside down mode. At some point in the game, after you hit so many switches and that number is actually randomized, you will enter the upside down. All the lights will go out in the game and if you have the UV kit, the UV lights will show and it looks really cool. This mode will light all of the stand-up targets purple and hitting one will collect you a big bonus. But that bonus goes down really quickly. You've only got about maybe 15 to 20 seconds to do this. Hitting all of them will complete the upside down mode. Otherwise, once As time runs out, you're just back to the normal world. This will happen a second time if you completed the first one, but this time the two outer orbits and the two ramps will be lit. And these start at big points, 10 million apiece. Again hitting them all before the time runs out will eject you from the upside down mode. This then rotates between the two after that. It's pretty cool when this happens, but also kind of stressful. Finally, let's go over those end of ball bonuses. These are key to scoring big in this game. There are six objectives that add to your end of ball bonus. Getting a 5-way combo during play, playing telekinesis multiball, playing a season 1 chapter, playing a season 2 chapter, fighting demodogs, and fighting demogorgons. Collecting drawings will also increase your end of ball bonus. Each of these is worth millions of points, with the 5-way combo awarding 10 million points alone. Completing the in-lane out-lane dice inserts will 1x the bonus, and the more you do it, the more it will multiply. And that's it for Stranger Things Pinball, just in time for the final season of the show. Subscribe to our channel for more tutorials, and as always, let us know which games you'd like us to cover next. Until next time. Keep flipping.