Games / Arcade Games / Pocket Pinball / Guide
Pocket Pinball
A full pinball table that fits in your hand. Shoot the ramps, light the lanterns, finish missions and start multiball on a moonlit festival table called Lantern Night.
What is Pocket Pinball?
Pocket Pinball is a real pinball table built for a phone screen, with proper flippers, bumpers, ramps, drop targets and a set of rules to work through. You get three balls. Keep each one in play as long as you can, hit the right shots in the right order, and the score climbs fast. It's free, plays online in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer, and there's no download.
If you've only ever flapped the flippers and hoped, this guide will help. Pinball rewards knowing what to shoot for, and the table tells you more than you'd think.
Controls
| Action | Phone or tablet | Computer |
|---|---|---|
| Launch the ball | Pull down, then let go | Hold Space, then release |
| Left flipper | Tap the left half of the screen | Left or Z |
| Right flipper | Tap the right half of the screen | Right or M |
| Pause | Pause button | P |
The table: what every part does
| Feature | Points | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Lantern lanes (3, at the top) | 1,000 to light each | Light all three for 5,000 and +1 bonus multiplier (up to 6x). Also relights the kickback. |
| Star targets (4 drop targets) | 1,000 each | Drop all four for 10,000. Lights the Moon save. |
| Kite Ramp and Moon Ramp | 5,000 each | Ramp shots in quick succession build a combo. Jackpots in multiball. |
| Moon Hole (saucer) | 7,500 | Holds the ball, then kicks it out. Super jackpot in multiball. |
| Bumpers | 300 | Fast, chaotic points |
| Slingshots | 50 | The triangles above the flippers |
There are two outlane saves. The kickback on the left outlane is lit when the game starts and fires a drained ball back up the table. Lighting all three lanterns relights it. The Moon save does the same on the right outlane, and you light it by dropping all four star targets.
Skill shot
When a new ball is waiting in the shooter lane, one of the three lantern lanes blinks. If the ball rolls through that lane within four seconds of the launch, you get a skill shot worth 25,000. While the ball is still sitting in the lane, the flippers move which lane is blinking, so you can pick the one your plunge usually finds.
Missions and multiball
The bar at the top of the screen always shows your current mission. There are eight, and they come in a random order each game:
- Light all 3 lanterns
- Drop all 4 star targets
- Bop the bumpers (20 hits)
- Shoot any ramp (3 times)
- Sink the Moon Hole
- Shoot both ramps
- Kick the slingshots (12 hits)
- Ramp combo (2 ramps fast)
Each mission pays more than the last: 15,000 for the first, 30,000 for the second, 45,000 for the third and so on. Every finished mission also lights one of the three stars in the middle of the table. Light all three and multiball starts: you get three balls on the table and a 12 second ball save.
During multiball, every ramp shot is a jackpot, and the jackpots grow: 50,000 for the first, 100,000 for the second, 150,000 for the third. Sinking the Moon Hole during multiball is a super jackpot worth 100,000. Finish a mission during multiball and it pays an extra 25,000.
Bonus, ball save and extra ball
When a ball drains, you get an end of ball bonus: 2,000 per lantern set, 1,500 per ramp, 3,000 per star target set, 100 per bumper hit, 5,000 per mission and 1,000 on top, all times your bonus multiplier. Those counts are for the whole game so far, not just that ball, which means the bonus gets bigger every ball. The multiplier resets to 1x at the start of each ball.
Every new ball comes with a 10 second ball save, shown by the green SAVE light. The timer doesn't start until the ball leaves the shooter lane. Reach 250,000 points in a regular game and you earn an extra ball.
Daily Table and the Ball Case
The Daily Table is the same for everyone that day and adds one house rule: Bumper Bash (bumpers score 3x), Ramp Rally (ramps score 2x), Long Save (20 second ball save), Lucky Star (start with 1 star lit) or Big Bonus (bonus starts at 2x). There's no extra ball on the Daily Table. Daily games build a streak, and signed in players can post to the leaderboards.
Every point you score also goes into your career points, which unlock new balls in the Ball Case: Pearl (150,000), Ruby (400,000), Jade (800,000), Gold (1.4 million), Frost (2.2 million), Ember (3.3 million) and Galaxy (5 million). Comet unlocks the first time you start multiball, Lantern when you finish 6 missions in one game, and Rainbow after 5 Daily Tables. Balls are cosmetic.
Pinball tips
Don't flip at everything
The most common beginner habit is flipping both flippers every time the ball comes near. That sends it anywhere. Let the ball come to you and flip only the flipper it's heading for. If it's rolling slowly, you can often let it settle and aim.
Hit it late for the far side
Where the ball meets the flipper decides where it goes. Hit the ball near the tip of the flipper (a late flip) and it usually crosses the table. Hit it near the base (an early flip) and it goes up the same side. The left flipper shooting late is how you reach the right ramp, and the other way round.
Ramps are the money shots
A ramp is 5,000 by itself, it counts toward three different missions, and two ramps within four seconds starts a combo that multiplies the next one. Learning to hit both ramps from each flipper is the single biggest jump in score you'll make.
Use the lane change
Flipping while the ball is up top shifts the lit lanterns left or right. If two of three are lit, tap a flipper to slide the unlit gap under where the ball is about to fall. It's the fastest way to finish a lantern set and raise the bonus multiplier.
Keep both saves lit
The kickback is lit at the start, so the left outlane is safe once. After it fires, light all three lanterns to get it back. Dropping all four star targets lights the Moon save on the right. With both lit, you can be a lot braver.
Play missions in order
Missions escalate in value and three of them start multiball, so always glance at the bar to see what's next. If it says bumpers, work the ball up top. If it says Moon Hole, aim for the saucer.
In multiball, go for ramps
Jackpots grow with every ramp, so the fifth one is worth 250,000. Don't try to control all three balls. Keep one trapped on a raised flipper if you can and shoot the others up the ramps.
Your last ball is worth the most
Because the bonus counts everything you've done all game, the drain bonus on ball three is the biggest one. Lighting the lanterns a couple of times on your last ball pushes the multiplier up right before the largest payout.
Questions
Is Pocket Pinball free to play online?
Yes. It's a free pinball game you play online in the browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download.
How many balls do you get?
Three, plus an extra ball if you reach 250,000 points in a regular game. Each ball has a 10 second ball save.
How do you start multiball?
Finish three missions. Each mission lights a star in the middle of the table, and the third star starts multiball.
How do you get a skill shot?
Launch the ball so it rolls through the blinking lantern lane within four seconds. It's worth 25,000.
Can you nudge or tilt the table?
No. There's no nudge or tilt in Pocket Pinball, so the outlane saves are your safety net.
What's a good score in Pocket Pinball?
Getting past 250,000 earns the extra ball, which is a good first goal. From there, the big scores come from multiball, where jackpots grow with every ramp.
