Dungeon Crawler Carl Pinball Is Not Next from Barrels of Fun; Beetlejuice Pinball Production Update; Pinball Videos

TL;DR

Barrels denies Dungeon Crawler Carl is next; Beetlejuice production ramping at Spooky.

Summary

Key Claims

• Barrels of Fun's next IP is something 'everyone has a connection to' and 'everyone knows what the next IP is'

  high confidence · David Van Es (Barrels of Fun) quoted directly in Nudge Magazine podcast interview

• Spooky Pinball has built and shipped Beetlejuice games 1-52 plus ~30 show games

  high confidence · Don from Don's A Pinball Podcast, who works at Spooky Pinball, stated in DPP #231

• Dungeon Crawler Carl is Barrels of Fun of Fun's next pinball machine

  high confidence · Inferred from David Van Es statement that next IP is universally known, which doesn't match Dungeon Crawler Carl

• The NeverEnding Story may be a candidate for Barrels of Fun's next game

  low confidence · Knapp Arcade speculation based on previous rumors linking The NeverEnding Story to Barrels

Notable Quotes

• “Barrels of Fun of Fun IP everyone has a connection to it. Everyone knows what the next IP is.”

  David Van Es @ Nudge Magazine podcast (NudgeCAST Episode 16) — Key statement ruling out Dungeon Crawler Carl as next Barrels game while hinting at a universally recognizable IP

• “Pinball is more than a game — it's a world under glass.”

  [name withheld pending review] @ Behind the Glass | A Tour of Stern Pinball's Factory video — Thematic statement about pinball's cultural significance featured in major Stern factory tour documentary

Entities

Signals

• ?

  rumor_hype: Community speculation about Dungeon Crawler Carl as Barrels of Fun's next game has been refuted by David Van Ness's statement that the next IP is universally known

  high · David Van Ness quote: 'The Next Barrels of Fun IP everyone has a connection to it. Everyone knows what the next IP is.' This implicitly rules out Dungeon Crawler Carl

• ?

  machine_intel: Barrels of Fun's next IP is described as universally known/universally connected to, narrowing possibilities but officially unconfirmed

  medium · Direct quote from David Van Ness suggests an iconic, widely-recognized IP; speculation about The NeverEnding Story as a candidate based on prior rumors

• ?

  product_launch: Spooky Pinball Beetlejuice has shipped 52+ units plus 30 show games, indicating significant production capacity and market deployment

  high · Don from Don't Pinball Podcast (Spooky employee) confirmed 52+ units shipped as of March 4, 2026; machines actively appearing at locations like The Pinball Palace

• ?

  venue_signal: Beetlejuice machines are appearing at arcade locations nationwide; The Pinball Palace in Brunswick, Georgia recently received a unit

  high · YouTube stream of Beetlejuice unboxing at The Pinball Palace arcade showing brand new arrival

• ?

  content_signal: CoinReturn produced major behind-the-scenes factory tour video featuring Stern Pinball leadership (Gary Stern, George Gomez, Zach Sharpe)

  high · CoinReturn's 'Behind the Glass | A Tour of Stern Pinball's Factory' video with interviews and factory floor coverage