Homebrew Showcase: Enigma Pinball by Jeff Palmer

Marco Pinball·video·10m 27s·analyzed·Nov 7, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.021

TL;DR

Jeff Palmer debuts Enigma homebrew at Expo 2025 with bamboo playfield and rotating pop bumper innovation.

Summary

Jeff Palmer showcases Enigma, his first homebrew pinball machine built in 90 days, at Pinball Expo 2025 Pin DevCon. The game features innovative mechanical design including a rotating pop bumper turntable, bamboo playfield with pearl inlay, Nixie tubes for scoring, and original IP about a character named Scarlet surviving a metaphysical conflict. Palmer runs Crazy Quarters Arcade in Bay City, Michigan, and is approximately 70% complete on physical construction with plans to focus on coding and finishing mechanical elements before next Expo.

Key Claims

Enigma is Jeff Palmer's first pinball machine built in 90 days
high confidence · Jeff Palmer stated directly in interview
The playfield uses a bamboo construction with direct print process and pearl-impregnated clear coat
high confidence · Jeff Palmer and Marco Pinball host discussed the playfield construction in detail
Enigma is the first pinball machine with a bamboo playfield
medium confidence · Jeff Palmer's claim; not independently verified but specific enough to check
The rotating pop bumper turntable uses a stepper motor with lead screw and roller coaster-style bogies
high confidence · Jeff Palmer described the mechanical design in technical detail
The game uses FAST Pinball hardware and Mission Pinball Framework software
high confidence · Jeff Palmer confirmed in response to direct question about software platform

Notable Quotes

“It's been a whirlwind. This is 90 days worth of work.”
Jeff Palmer @ early — Establishes the rapid development timeline of Enigma
“I came up with a story many years ago sitting in a hospital with my kid. I came up with a story and then I just kind of pushed it into a pinball design.”
Jeff Palmer @ mid — Reveals the personal origin story and emotional motivation behind Enigma's theme
“The whole game is about breaking codes and it's a metaphysical survival game.”
Jeff Palmer @ mid — Core gameplay concept and thematic focus of Enigma
“I didn't you know I tried not to think about other games as I created this because you know from the bamboo playfield to the rotating pops I kind of approached it from a let's step outside the box.”
Jeff Palmer @ mid — Design philosophy emphasizing innovation over convention
“Fail fast and iterate.”
Jeff Palmer @ late — Design methodology for experimental features like rotating pop bumpers
“You've heard of powder coating your rails. Jeff just looked at that and said, 'Hold my beer. I'm going to powder coat my whole damn game.'”
Marco Pinball host @ late — Humorous summary of Palmer's unconventional approach to playfield finishing

Entities

Jeff PalmerpersonMarco PinballpersonIsaiahpersonEnigmagameCrazy Quarters ArcadeorganizationPinball Expo 2025eventPin DevConeventScarletproductJulianproductMission Pinball Frameworkproduct

Signals

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design_innovation: Rotating pop bumper turntable using stepper motor with lead screw and roller coaster-style bogies represents a novel mechanical approach to traditional bumper placement and function
high · Jeff Palmer explained the turntable concept in detail, noting it was conceived in 2019 and designed to act as a physical ball diverter
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design_innovation: Bamboo playfield with pearl-impregnated clear coat is claimed to be the first of its kind in pinball; features direct print process with multiple clear coat layers and black light effects
high · Jeff Palmer stated this is 'the first pinball machine with a bamboo playfield' and described the multi-layer finishing process in detail
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design_innovation: Integration of Nixie tubes for scoring display; Jeff Palmer had to write custom MPF platform module to leverage this vintage technology
high · Jeff Palmer confirmed Nixie tubes are incorporated and required custom code; Marco noted only one other known machine with Nixie tubes exists
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design_philosophy: Designer explicitly avoided referencing existing games to encourage original thinking; embraced 'fail fast and iterate' methodology for experimental features
high · Jeff Palmer stated: 'I tried not to think about other games as I created this' and discussed iterating if innovations fail
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product_launch: Enigma is approximately 70% physically complete after 90 days; estimated completion timeline includes Pinball at the Zoo event (next goal) and return to Pinball Expo 2025 (following year)

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:13

We're here at Pinball Expo 2025 Pin DevCon. Marco Pinball. Somebody already goes, "Oh, wow." In the chat, Marco Pinball and Past Pinball, Jeff Palmer. Hello, sir. Hello. Hello. We're going to have Isaiah step up, too. We're going to have Isaiah step up, too. And he's going to flip a little. We're going he's going to flip a little. We're going to chat here. Let me get on that side here and then you come. Yeah, you're in the perfect spot. Jeff, how you doing? Not too bad. Uh, first expo with a Not too bad. Uh, first expo with a machine. First machine I've built. Um, it's been a whirlwind. This is uh 90 days worth of work. 90 days worth of work. So, so let me 90 days worth of work. So, so let me talk to you, Jeeoff, about why build a pinball machine? What inspired you to go, I'm going to build a pinball machine? Um, I run a big arcade in in Bay City, Um, I run a big arcade in in Bay City, Michigan. What's it called? What's it called? Uh, Crazy Quarters Arcade. Uh, Crazy Quarters Arcade. And um I've always had a passion for pinball. I've always wanted to design one just to say I did, to say I could. Um I came up with a story uh many years ago sitting in a hospital with my kid. I came up with a story. Um and then I just kind of pushed it into a pinball design. Um the code is super young. I I really don't have much coded. Um, my playfield swap kind of ate the time that I was going to use to do some more coding. Uh, I've got an upper playfield, a ramp, and two wire forms coming. Those will, um, be in for next expo. Um, other things to note, the pot bumpers are on a rotating platter. They rotate 45°. Uh, and those will be a ball diverter. That's a little like Zachariah. Remember That's a little like Zachariah. Remember those guys? Have you seen those? A little bit. Uh there's there's raised A little bit. Uh there's there's raised and lowered. Um this just indexes about 45°. It'll act as a physical diverter to the two wire forms. Um got actual Nixie tubes in the bottom. Oh, so talk about that cuz that had to Oh, so talk about that cuz that had to be a nightmare. Yeah, that that was rough. Um Yeah, that that was rough. Um in a nutshell, uh I had to write a platform module for MPF to to leverage those tubes. um in the the modes in the game as I get it coded um those will be active in Cypers. The whole game is about breaking codes and it's a metaphysical survival game. Uh you play as the character on the playfield, Scarlet. Um it's uh I guess other things of note, it's the first pinball machine with a bamboo playfield. Uh this is Yeah, you guys, you're not doing it Yeah, you guys, you're not doing it justice if you're not seeing it. Yeah, it's direct print process. Um then it's got three coats of um pearl impregnated uh clear and then four coats of clear on top of that. Um tried to make a really beautiful game that that is going to be a good backdrop to tell my story. Yeah. Yeah. So what is the story? This Yeah. Yeah. So what is the story? This is an original original IP. Yeah, this is this is all original. Um, Yeah, this is this is all original. Um, you play as a character Scarlet, uh, who drops out of college to take care of her dying grandfather, the grandfather that everyone insists is crazy. Um, because he goes on and on about stories about the Crimson Hand. Um, come to find out, he was in a a real organization called the Crimson Hand, and you are um, you know, fighting for survival after you get in a car crash um, after his funeral. Um, then you've got Julian, the character with red eyes, who's your uncle, who you find out is in the cacophony, who is a they're a competing um, you know, the the bad guys, if you will. So, he's actively trying to kill you and, you know, metaphysically trying to kill you as well. So, the whole game's a survival game. Tried to make it pretty. Um, we'll see how the story plays out in modes in the the next year. That's amazing. So, what So, what do you That's amazing. So, what So, what do you have like what are you working on currently? like what's when you get home and you you drop jump on this, what are you going to be working on? Uh, I've got a few things I need to do. Uh, I've got a few things I need to do. I've got some plastics that need to be replaced. These plastics are modeled off the old playfield, so they're off a little bit. Those will get fixed. Um, upper right flipper. I want to do some work on that. The return springs in a really weird spot. Um, then I've got the laser cut upper playfield that rides on the pop bumpers. That'll go in. Um, the rest of the physical items. And then we're going going to go into code hard. Okay. So, we're about what percentage Okay. So, we're about what percentage are you at the physical stuff? Uh, physical stuff, I'd say I'm about Uh, physical stuff, I'd say I'm about 70%. Um, I've got all those plastics that need to be done. I've got a few changes I want to make. Want to put a sneak shot in behind that upper right flipper. Um, so we'll we'll get it done though. Yeah, you definitely will. So, for the Yeah, you definitely will. So, for the software end of it, what are you using? Is it fast pinball and stuff like that? Yeah, it's all fast pinball and uh Yeah, it's all fast pinball and uh Mission Pinball framework. Yep.

5:12

So Isaiah's kind of playing with the shots. When you were playing around with the shots, are are your shots kind of locked in right now outside of the stuff that's not on the playfield? Um, for the most part, they're locked Um, for the most part, they're locked in. Once the ramp gets in, it'll clean up some of the clunkiness up there. So that ramp is going to go here. So that ramp is going to go here. Right between the posts. You can see the Right between the posts. You can see the brown circle where it goes. What kind of ramps you going for? like What kind of ramps you going for? like metal or plastic? It's going to be metal. Yep. I I modeled It's going to be metal. Yep. I I modeled it all uh and 3D printed it. It works. Um I had it on the uh whitewood that I switched out on Monday morning. Um but I didn't want to put that ramp on here. I want it to be really clean. So there's that brown hole that'll get drilled out um after I get home to to get the ramp opto wires up and we'll we'll go from there. Cool. So, I love the idea of the the Cool. So, I love the idea of the the turntable. Where did you get the turntable idea for the pop bumpers? Um, I came up with that idea in 2019. Um, I came up with that idea in 2019. Uh, 3D printed it out. Uh, end of 2019, beginning of 2020. Um, now is that on a stepper motor or it's now is that on a stepper motor or it's just some kind of DC motor or whatever? It It's on a stepper motor with a lead It It's on a stepper motor with a lead screw. Um, it's actually I designed some bogeies like you'd see on a roller coaster and there's a lip on the inner playfield that rides in those bogeies. So, it's spring-loaded, so it's self-centering and um should be really robust. So, are you going to have any multiballs So, are you going to have any multiballs and stuff in the game? Or how many balls are going to be in the game? And how many multiballs? It It's a sixball game and I've got three It's a sixball game and I've got three multiball modes planned right now. Um, it could be more, it could be less. We'll see how it all comes together. I like your double set of drop targets. So, you hit them once and you hit them twice and then All right. So, that that's a that's a good way to double up on a a mech and uh make it makes it a little more fun for me. I love drop targets. Yeah, me too. Um placement was was Yeah, me too. Um placement was was something I was a little concerned with. Um, you know, I would have liked to have some standups behind there, but with a subway under there and a few other things that aren't being leveraged yet, um, I didn't really have room. Uh, I also have the two standups over on the right side in that, uh, scoop area that are going to be physical locks. Um, then I have a a drop target back just to the right of where the ramp will go. That's going to act as a lock as well as you kind of thread the needle through those skill lanes. And what was some of your uh inspiration like games that you have played or maybe you have in your arcade that that inspired some of the stuff that you're putting into your game? Um I can't really say there's a game Um I can't really say there's a game that directly inspired any of this. I didn't you know I tried not to think about other games as I created this because you know from the bamboo playfield to the rotating pops I kind of approached it from a let's step outside the box. Just because it has been done a certain way doesn't mean it needs to be done that way in the future. And and I I wanted to push some innovation and you know if it fails it'll fail fast and we'll we'll iterate and continue. Yeah. Fail fast and iterate. Isaiah, are Yeah. Fail fast and iterate. Isaiah, are any particular shots that you're finding like kind of interesting here? I do like the subway uh to the right. I do like the subway uh to the right. One thing that uh really surprised me is that trough up there in the very back like by the pop bumpers. Uh, I was kind of flipping around with the upper flippers and I hit it off that left upper flipper and I I was like I was like, "Whoa, I didn't even know that was there."