Pulp Fiction

Chicago Gaming Company, 2023 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Pulp Fiction in the Pinball Genie app →

Chicago Gaming Company / Play Mechanix, 2023. Playfield by Mark Ritchie, rules by Josh Sharpe, sound by David Thiel (250+ real movie lines). A deliberately retro, single-level 1980s-style layout: no ramps, no upper flippers — two flippers, three pops (Jack, Rabbit, Slim's), two orbit spinners, seven drop targets, a grab magnet, and two physical 3-ball locks (back-panel briefcase trough and under-playfield subway). Ships as Special Edition and "Bad Mother Flipper" LE; rules are identical across editions.

Skill Shot

Five arrows light in sequence above the top Starts Character saucer. A full plunge drops into the saucer: 3k per lit arrow, 100k with all five lit, and any drop-in starts a character. Holding the left flipper while plunging is the Super Skill Shot: all five Payoff shots light, any one within the timer scores 100k. Never plunge soft — weak plunges dribble back down the right orbit.

The Five Objectives (each lights an insert toward the wizard mode)

• Briefcase Boogie — clear the 3 inline drops in the left lane, then shoot the popper to lock (3 locks = 3-ball multiball). Payoffs at the other four major shots climb red 25k → yellow 50k → green 75k; relock the balls for blue Super Payoffs (250k). All four Supers restart the multiball at 2x.
• Pawn Shop Panic — knock down the center 3-bank to open the scoop, lock 3 in the subway (bank resets each lock). In multiball, three drop hits light the scoop payoff; climb red/yellow/green to blue Super Payoffs: all five major shots at 100k, endlessly relighting. Payoff level carries across attempts — the beginner's multiball.
• Roll Scene — hit the right drop target to qualify a scene (also lights outlane ball saves), then the saucer to start a 40-second movie scene: Twist Contest (pops), BMF Wallet (seven red-arrow targets), Gold Watch (Bullseye Magnet target, 100k+/hit), Clean the Car (spinners). Sling/pop hits cycle the lit scene. Collect at the saucer in the final 10 seconds — the collect re-awards all previous scene collects too, the compounding "key to insane scores." All four scenes done unlocks The Shot: untimed 4-ball multiball where every drop-target hit pays 10% of your accumulated scene value.
• Cast Chaos — the top saucer starts characters; the Roll Scene saucer collects all flashing ones at once (award x up to 5x). The upper-left Hold Cast standup carries them across balls. All five characters = 4-ball multiball: five 100k Payoffs, then the top saucer for a 500k Super Payoff, relighting.
• Pulp Fiction Frenzy — each completed red-arrow bank (left 2, center 3, right 2) spots a letter; 11 letters spell PULP FICTION. Shoot the Pawn Shop scoop for a 4-ball frenzy: 5k per switch, ~10 switches per letter, 500k scoop payoff on every re-spell.

Multipliers & Award Systems

• Big Kahuna (playfield X): hit both Big Kahuna standups by the pops, then the Bullseye Magnet target — 2x ALL scoring for the rest of the ball, repeatable to 6x. Single-ball play only: build it first, then spend it on a scene or multiball. The magnet target is the game's signature risk/reward — clean hits are caught safely, misses rebound at the drain.
• Bonus X / Gun Bonus: completing the 1-2-3-4 lanes (lane-change with flippers) advances Bonus X (max 10x; 6x lights Extra Ball) and starts the Royale with Cheese hurry-up at the yellow left standup. Cashing the hurry-up lights Collect Gun Bonus at the magnet target — a mid-ball bank of the end-of-ball bonus (max ~160k) multiplied by Bonus X and Kahuna X. Collecting resets both.
• Drive Fast: a lit inlane briefly lights the opposite orbit; chained loops score 20k up to 100k while spinner spins add escalating MPH (+1 to +5 per spin). Cash 1,000 x MPH at the hidden target behind the Pawn Shop drops; 146+ MPH lights Extra Ball. IFPA's Drive Fast Challenge record: 1,908 MPH collected at 3x for 5.7M in one shot.
• Outlane saves: Roll Scene drop hits light left then right outlane saves (max 2/ball; a single save alternates on sling hits).

Divine Intervention (Wizard)

Light all five objective inserts, then start at the Roll Scene saucer or Briefcase lane. Six stages of 4-ball multiball that renews each stage: Briefcase lane x6, scoop x3, Roll Scene drop x5, top saucer x5, all seven red arrows, then — with no more ball renewal — the Bullseye Magnet target. Completion doubles your entire score; draining all balls fails and resets every objective.

Core Strategy

Kahuna X first, insurance early (backhand the right drop target), then stack the multiplier onto Gold Watch collects, Drive Fast MPH cash-outs, multiplied Gun Bonus banks, or safe multiball Super Payoff laps.

How Pulp Fiction plays

Chase Big Kahuna playfield multipliers, then spend them on Roll Scene movie modes and payoff multiballs across the diner and the pawn shop. Light five objectives and clear Divine Intervention to double your entire score.

The loop

1. Build Big Kahuna by taking both diner standups and the magnet target, doubling everything for the rest of the ball before you spend a cent of it.
2. Backhand the Roll Scene drop for outlane saves, cycle the pop bumpers to the scene you want, and start it at the right saucer.
3. Milk each scene by collecting in its last ten seconds, which repays it plus every scene before it and snowballs the total.
4. Lock at the pawn shop and the briefcase, spell PULP FICTION on the red arrows, and gather the cast -- all of it feeding the five objectives that open Divine Intervention.

Reading the lights

• 1-2-3-4 Lanes and Bonus X (lanes) — lit: The two rollovers up by the saucer are the 1 and 2 of the 1-2-3-4 set, and the return lanes carry the 3 and 4; light all four and your bonus multiplier climbs while the Royale hurry-up begins. · then: Steer the top pair with the flippers and pick up the 3 and 4 off ordinary returns to finish the set, stepping bonus toward its ceiling -- crossing a middle rung there also spots an extra ball. Each full set relights the Royale target for its hurry-up. · control: Either flipper button: tapping a flipper button slides which of the lit 1 and 2 rollovers is active, so while the ball rattles around the pop nest you can shuffle the one you still need under it (while the ball is loose up in the bumpers, before it drops down a lane)
• Big Kahuna Playfield X (multiplier) — lit: The two Big Kahuna standups by the pops light Advance at the magnet target; take both, then the magnet, and every point on the field doubles until you drain. · then: Repeat the pair-then-magnet chain to stack the multiplier higher on a single ball, and do all of it before you open a scene or a multiball so the boost rides over the big stuff. The magnet grabs and parks the ball for you at the finish, handing you a free trap to set up the next climb.
• Payoff Shots (shot arrows) — lit: Five arrow inserts sit on the two orbits, the briefcase lane, the pawn scoop and the Roll Scene saucer; holding the left flipper on the plunge lights the whole set for the Super Skill Shot. · flashing: All five strobe in color during Cast Chaos, each turning white as you collect it. · then: Cash any lit arrow off a held plunge for a clean opener. Inside Cast Chaos, run the five in a lap and finish at the top saucer for the big Super Payoff, which relights the set to lap again -- roughly a million a loop with Kahuna riding on top.
• PULP FICTION Red Arrows (letters) — lit: Seven red-arrow targets in three banks -- a pair low on the left, the center front-door trio and a pair on the right -- spell PULP FICTION, a letter for each bank you complete. · then: Sweep the banks to fill the title; the center trio double-dips as pawn-shop lock progress, and the side pairs tend to fall while you shoot around them. Spell it out to erupt a four-ball frenzy at the scoop where every switch pays and each re-spell drops another fat scoop award.
• Roll Scene Movie Modes (mode) — lit: Knocking the memory drop by the right saucer arms a scene and, as a bonus, lights a save on one outlane; which of the four scenes is up rides on the inserts and swaps on every sling or bumper rap. · then: Rap the pops to line up the scene you want -- Gold Watch pays the most -- start it at the saucer, and build value for forty seconds. Collect in the final ten to bank that scene plus every one before it, and finishing all four opens The Shot, an untimed mini-wizard paid from your stacked scene total.
• Drive Fast MPH Loops (shot arrows) — lit: An already-lit return briefly wakes the opposite orbit for Drive Fast; catch that window and the loop keeps handing the ball back and forth while the orbit spinners crank up your speed reading. · then: Chain the orbits with no miss to climb the per-loop value and pile on the miles, then cash it all at the hidden target tucked behind the pawn drops -- worth far more with the front drop down and Kahuna high. Push the counter past its mark and an extra ball lights; uncollected speed only survives between runs on the same ball, so bank it before you drain.
• Pawn Shop and Briefcase Locks (status) — lit: Two lock ladders run at once: the center front-door trio opens the subway scoop hidden behind it, and the inline drops in the briefcase lane guard a popper that kicks balls up to the case. · then: Stash three in the scoop for the forgiving Pawn Shop Panic, or three behind the briefcase for Boogie, then farm each one's red-yellow-green payoff ladder up to its blue Super. Progress on both sets of drops is remembered ball to ball, and either Super checks off an objective toward Divine Intervention.

Lane change: the flipper buttons move the lit lane. This cabinet has no action button, so the flippers carry the lane change: tap either button to slide the lit 1 or 2 rollover across the top while the ball works the pop nest. Line the one you still need under the ball, and pick up the 3 and 4 off the return lanes -- each full 1-2-3-4 set adds a Bonus X (a middle rung lights an extra ball) and kicks off the Royale hurry-up.

Start scoring

• Ball one — Full-plunge for the arrow skill shot -- soft plunges only trickle back down the right orbit for nothing -- and buy outlane insurance early by backhanding the Roll Scene drop. Then run Big Kahuna up to a healthy playfield multiplier on the calm single ball before you spend it. — All-Arrows Skill Shot, Outlane Insurance (Both Sides), Big Kahuna Playfield X
• Building — Turn the multiplier into points. Start a scene and milk the late collect, stack the forgiving Pawn Shop Panic multiball, assemble the cast for Cast Chaos, and spell the title for the frenzy. — Gold Watch Scene, Pawn Shop Panic Multiball, Cast Chaos, Pulp Fiction Frenzy
• The big one — Light all five objectives -- a briefcase Super, a pawn-shop Super, The Shot, the full cast and PULP FICTION -- to arm Divine Intervention. Survive its six renewing four-ball stages down to a single ball at the magnet, and your whole score doubles. — Divine Intervention (Wizard Mode), The Shot (Mini-Wizard)

Does Pulp Fiction have an action button?

Nothing extra on this cabinet — flippers, the plunger, and your hips are the whole interface. The 1-2-3-4 top lanes change with the flipper buttons, and holding the left flipper while you plunge is what arms the Super Skill Shot, so the flipper buttons carry the small amount of off-playfield control the game asks for.

Goals in Pulp Fiction

Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.

• All-Arrows Skill Shot skillshot · Medium

  Time a full plunge into the Starts Character saucer with all five arrows lit for 100,000 — and any drop-in starts a character toward Cast Chaos.

  Reward: 100,000 + character started

• Super Skill Shot skillshot · Medium

  Hold the left flipper on the plunge to light all five Payoff arrows, then make any one for 100,000 with a controlled ball.

  Reward: 100,000

• Drive Fast MPH Loop Farm combo · Hard

  The game's de facto combo: lit inlane → opposite orbit → chain loops while spinners build MPH, then cash MPH Bonus at the hidden target. IFPA-challenge-proven multi-million collects.

  Reward: 20k–100k per loop + 1,000 x MPH collect (x Kahuna X); 146+ MPH lights Extra Ball

• Royale with Cheese → Gun Bonus Cash-Out combo · Medium

  Complete the 1-2-3-4 lanes, cash the hurry-up at the Royale target, then bank the Gun Bonus mid-ball at the magnet — multiplied by Bonus X AND playfield X.

  Reward: Gun Bonus (max 160k) x Bonus X (max 10x) x Kahuna X — theoretical 9.6M

• Scene Collect Snowball combo · Hard

  Collect a scene at the saucer in its last 10 seconds to re-award it PLUS every previous scene collect — compounding those late collects is where the enormous scores come from.

  Reward: Compounding scene collects, multiplied by Kahuna X; feeds The Shot

• Cast Chaos Super Payoff Lap combo · Hard

  Inside Cast Chaos multiball, sweep all five 100k Payoff shots then hit the top saucer for the 500k Super Payoff — roughly a million per lap, repeatable.

  Reward: ~1M per full lap (5 x 100k + 500k), relights indefinitely

• Briefcase Boogie Multiball multiball · Hard

  Clear the three inline drops, lock three balls behind the rotating briefcase, then climb the red/yellow/green payoff ladder to 250k blue Super Payoffs.

  Reward: 25k/50k/75k payoff ladder; Super Payoffs 250k each; all four restart the MB at 2x base

• Pawn Shop Panic Multiball multiball · Medium

  The forgiving beginner multiball: open the Pawn Shop drop bank, lock three in the subway scoop, then farm drop-and-scoop payoffs to blue Super Payoffs at all five shots.

  Reward: Payoffs ~15k/30k/90k; Super Payoffs 100k at all five shots, endlessly relighting; payoff level carries across attempts

• Cast Chaos multiball · Hard

  Start characters at the top saucer, cash them in multiples at the Roll Scene saucer (up to 5x), Hold Cast to protect them — collect all five to launch the 4-ball Cast Chaos multiball.

  Reward: Character collects x up to 5x; MB: 5 x 100k Payoffs + 500k Super Payoff laps

• Pulp Fiction Frenzy multiball · Medium

  Spell P-U-L-P F-I-C-T-I-O-N by completing the three red-arrow banks, then start a 4-ball switch frenzy at the Pawn Shop scoop — 5k per switch with repeatable 500k scoop payoffs.

  Reward: 5k/switch; 500k scoop Payoff on every re-spell, repeatable all multiball

• Gold Watch Scene mode · Hard

  The richest of the four Roll Scene movie modes: 40 seconds of 100k+ Bullseye Magnet hits, collected at the saucer in the final 10 seconds.

  Reward: 100k+ per magnet hit x Kahuna X; collect adds to the snowball

• Clean the Car Scene mode · Medium

  Roll Scene spinner mode — rip both orbit Super Spinners hard for 40 seconds, then collect at the saucer.

  Reward: Value per spin (rip hard); collect feeds the snowball and The Shot

• BMF Wallet Scene mode · Medium

  Roll Scene target mode — hit the seven red-arrow targets (left 2-bank, center 3-bank, right 2-bank) at ~10k+ each, then collect.

  Reward: ~10k+ per red-arrow target; also advances PULP FICTION letters

• Twist Contest Scene mode · Easy

  The easiest Roll Scene mode — bash the Jack Rabbit Slim's pop bumpers for 40 seconds and collect at the saucer.

  Reward: ~2k+ per bumper hit; safe scene to learn the collect timing

• Big Kahuna Playfield X multiplier · Medium

  The game's core scoring lever: two standups then the magnet target doubles ALL scoring for the rest of the ball — repeat up to 6x, then start your scene or multiball.

  Reward: 2x playfield per completion, up to 6x, lasts until drain

• Bonus X via 1-2-3-4 Lanes multiplier · Medium

  Complete the four Royale with Cheese lanes to advance Bonus X toward 10x on the Gun Bonus — 6x lights Extra Ball.

  Reward: +1 Bonus X per completion (max 10x); 6x lights Extra Ball

• The Shot (Mini-Wizard) wizard · Hard

  Complete all four scenes to unlock the untimed 4-ball mini-wizard where every Roll Scene drop hit pays 10% of your accumulated scene collect value.

  Reward: Each drop hit = 10% of total Roll Scene collect base, escalating red→yellow→green→blue→RGB

• Divine Intervention (Wizard Mode) wizard · Hard

  Light all five objective inserts, then survive six escalating stages of renewing 4-ball multiball. Completing it DOUBLES your entire score; draining out resets all progress.

  Reward: Entire score DOUBLED on completion; all-or-nothing

• Tournament Opener: Multiplier First strategy · Hard

  The consensus competitive line: insurance, then Kahuna X, then a multiplied Gold Watch collect — build the multiplier before you spend it.

  Reward: Multiplied scene collects — the acknowledged path to giant scores

• Beginner: First 30 Seconds strategy · Easy

  The forgiving opening: plunge for the saucer, buy outlane insurance, then grind the drop-bank-to-scoop loop into Pawn Shop Panic.

  Reward: Ball save lit + easiest multiball qualified

• PF Frenzy Rush strategy · Medium

  A proven first-ball line: complete PULP on ball one by hammering the center bank, let the side arrows come by accident, then live in the 4-ball frenzy.

  Reward: Early 4-ball multiball with 500k scoop payoffs and low aiming risk

• Outlane Insurance (Both Sides) strategy · Easy

  Two hits on the Roll Scene drop target buy you a save on each outlane — the cheapest survival play on the machine, and it also qualifies a scene.

  Reward: Left and right outlane ball saves lit, plus a scene qualified