Stranger Things
Stern Pinball, 2019 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.
Open Stranger Things in the Pinball Genie app →Brian Eddy's first Stern (after Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness), released December 2019 and based on Netflix Seasons 1–2. It's a two-flipper, six-ball, symmetric fan layout with eight main shots: left orbit, left ramp, left saucer/kicker, center (Demogorgon behind a 4-bank of drops), Burn It Back inner loop, right ramp, right orbit, plus the left standup/mystery lane as the utility/combo-ender. Three editions — Pro / Premium / LE — share the sculpted Demogorgon bash toy, drop-target guard, two hideout scoops, a Demodog spinner, and three ramps. Premium/LE add a first-ever Stern playfield video projector and Eleven's telekinetic magnet ball lock (the Pro locks balls mechanically at the left ramp instead); LE extras are cosmetic.
Skill Shots (chosen on plunge)
One drop roves the 4-bank at ball start. Standard = full plunge into the flashing drop (5M, +1M each). Super = soft-plunge toward the flippers then shoot the saucer (10M, +2.5M each) — safe and sets up a chapter. MXV = do both on one plunge, rebounding off the drop into the saucer (25M, +5M each, +1 Drawing).
The Six Objectives → Final Showdown
All six inserts must be solidly lit to reach the wizard mode: 5-Way Combo, Send It Back (all 6 Season-1 chapters), Demodog! (all 3 Demodog modes), Demogorgon! (all 5 Demogorgon modes), Light the Fire (all 6 Season-2 chapters), and Telekinesis Multiball (collect its Super Jackpot).
5-Way Combo: chain five shots each within a few seconds. The first four are any mix/repeat of left orbit, left ramp, Burn It Back, right ramp; the 5th must be a terminal (saucer, left standup, center, or right orbit). It adds +10M to end-of-ball bonus for the rest of the game — grab it early.
Chapters (12: six Season 1 + six Season 2)
Start any chapter by lighting three inserts on one main shot (left orbit/left ramp = Season 1; right ramp/right orbit = Season 2), then shooting that shot. Pops cycle the selected chapter (left pop = S1, right pop = S2); the left standup can spot progress early. Each chapter awards +1 Drawing (+2 if you meet its restriction). Notable ones: Where's Barb? (saucer reveals the flashing shot), Monster Hunting! (five drop waves), Operation Mirkwood (ramp↔ramp combo, +1M per comboed ramp), Save Will! (fixed five-shot combo for ~50M), Quarter Hunt! (switch frenzy), Lure Dart! (raised by the Dart pop-bumper level).
Multiballs
- Telekinesis Multiball (3-ball, priority): light the two green Light Lock standups flanking the left ramp, lock at the left ramp (safe, returns to left flipper), 3rd lock auto-starts. Collect 5 lit jackpots (~1.1M rising) then the Super at the saucer (~6M). Premium/LE relock a ball via the magnet for a 2x/3x Super.
- Demogorgon multiballs: Trap 'Em! (2-ball), Run Will! (4-ball, raising ramp), Can't Stop This! (5-ball, 60s unlimited ball save, Super up to ~100M). Each is qualified by clearing the drop bank (one more clear per successive mode) and started at the Demogorgon mouth.
Demodog Modes (3)
Spell D-E-M-O-D-O-G on the standups (first can be spotted at the saucer), then play Break Out!, Junk Yard!, and It's a Trap! Completing all three lights the Demodog! objective.
Multipliers
- 2x Playfield Scoring (60s) lights at the saucer by Burn It Back loop counts (7, 18, then every +14). Cash it only over a live multiball + mode stack — the biggest single swing.
- Bonus X (1x–5x) advances on even return-lane completions (odd completions light Mystery). Bonus carries over between balls and can dwarf live scoring, so cycle the inlanes to 5x before draining a loaded ball.
Burn It Back Loop
The most-farmed repeatable shot. Loops accumulate all game for an award ladder: Extra Ball (loops 1–10 and at 50), Spell of Protection outlane ball-save (3, 12, 25, then +14 — "like an extra ball"), and 2x Scoring lit at the saucer (7, 18, then +14).
Drawings
Eleven's drawings are a game-long currency: each adds +10M to every wizard-mode starting jackpot and +2M to bonus; 11 Drawings lights an Extra Ball. Earned from MXV skill shot, any chapter, each Demodog mode, the Telekinesis Super, Dart level 4, and a Mystery roll.
Wizard / Mini-Wizard Modes
All start on the next left-ramp shot and open with 10M per Drawing. Total Isolation 1 & 2 qualify after playing chapters on all four main shots (once, then twice) — combo the lit jackpots to double them; the center scoop is the Super. Send It Back and Light the Fire are the season-completion mini-wizards. Final Showdown is the true wizard mode requiring all six objectives lit; completing it launches the Snow Ball Dance victory lap.
Strategy Summary
The safe geography is the left side: the left ramp returns to the left flipper, so open there to arm Telekinesis Multiball under ball-save, then take any stack (Chapter + Demodog + Telekinesis). Grab the 5-Way Combo early, never neglect Burn It Backs, save 2x Scoring for a stack, and max Bonus X before draining. Avoid the Demogorgon center mouth except when required or under multiball — it's the game's danger shot, and bricks kick straight down the middle.
Goals in Stranger Things
Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.
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Super Skill Shot
Soft-plunge the ball back toward the flippers, then immediately shoot the left saucer for a big, drain-safe skill award.
Reward: 10M + 2.5M per successive skill shot; saucer is a safe cradle that sets up a Chapter start.
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MXV Super Skill Shot
The tournament skill shot: rebound the ball off the flashing drop target and into the saucer on a single plunge.
Reward: 25M + 5M per successive, plus +1 Drawing (a game-long currency).
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5-Way Combo
The one truly named combo and objective #1: chain five shots, each within a few seconds of the last. Grab it early so the +10M rides every bonus.
Reward: Solidly lights the 5-Way Combo objective; adds +10M to end-of-ball bonus for the rest of the game. Required for Final Showdown.
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Burn It Back Money Loop
Repeatedly loop the right inner orbit for the game's best repeatable award ladder — Extra Ball, Spell of Protection ball-save, and 2x Scoring.
Reward: Extra Ball (loops 1-10 and at 50); Spell of Protection at 3/12/25 then +14; 2x Scoring lit at saucer at 7/18 then +14.
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Operation Mirkwood
Season-1 chapter built around comboing the two ramps back and forth; each consecutively comboed ramp adds +1M to the shot value.
Reward: Collect 10 items (10th = 10M, up to ~20M if all comboed); Extra Drawing for a 5-way combo using only ramps.
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Save Will!
Season-2 chapter that is a fixed five-shot combo — complete all five in sequence without breaking the chain for a huge bonus.
Reward: ~50M bonus + an extra Drawing if completed as one unbroken combo.
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Total Isolation (Comboed Jackpots)
In the Isolation mini-wizard multiballs, the correct technique is chaining lit major shots — comboed jackpots are doubled.
Reward: Jackpots start ~1M +100k each and double when comboed; center scoop = Super Jackpot (3rd Super adds a ball).
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Telekinesis Multiball
The priority multiball and objective #6 — reached via the safe left ramp, it is the easiest big-point engine and grants ball-save time.
Reward: 3-ball MB; 5 lit jackpots (~1.1M rising) then Super Jackpot at the saucer (~6M); Super solidly lights the objective +1 Drawing.
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Trap 'Em! (Demogorgon 2-Ball)
The second Demogorgon mode and an alternate multiball — qualified by clearing the drop bank, then started at the Demogorgon.
Reward: 2-ball MB; hurry-up locks a value, all majors light for jackpots, then Demogorgon Super = sum of all jackpots.
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Run Will! (Demogorgon 4-Ball)
A 4-ball Demogorgon multiball with a raising/lowering ramp — qualify via the drops, start at the mouth, then work the drops-to-Demogorgon jackpot cycle.
Reward: 4-ball MB; Super Jackpot = total collected; collecting the Super restarts the jackpot phase.
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Can't Stop This! (Demogorgon 5-Ball)
The 5-ball Demogorgon multiball with a 60-second unlimited ball save — the highest-ceiling, lowest-risk repeat in the game.
Reward: 5-ball MB; red jackpots everywhere, then Super at the Demogorgon = sum (cap 100M), relighting for repeat Supers.
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Where's Barb?
A Season-1 chapter: start it on a left-side shot, then use the saucer to reveal which shot is flashing and hunt Barb down.
Reward: Shots start 1M (+250k per wrong guess), last shot 10M; finding Barb on the very first shot = 40M + extra Drawing. +1 Drawing.
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Monster Hunting!
A Season-1 chapter fought entirely at the drop targets across five escalating waves, finished with a center shot.
Reward: Drops score 1M/1.5M/2M/2.5M/3M per wave; final center shot 7M-28M. +1 Drawing.
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Quarter Hunt!
A Season-2 frenzy chapter: every switch scores, both ramps are lit to boost switch value, and each 25 hits levels up.
Reward: All switches = 50k; every 25 hits levels 1M/2.5M/5M/10M; a ramp adds +25k to switch value. +1 Drawing (+2 for all 4 levels).
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Break Out! (Demodog Mode)
The first Demodog mode: spell D-E-M-O-D-O-G on the standups to qualify, then blast the lit Demodog targets across three waves.
Reward: 1M each, hit 15 to complete; wave 2 = 2M, wave 3 = 4M each. +1 Drawing; completing all 3 Demodog modes lights the Demodog! objective.
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2x Playfield Scoring
A 60-second all-scoring doubler lit at the saucer by Burn It Back loops — the single biggest score swing when timed over a stack.
Reward: 60 seconds of doubled scoring on everything; stacks over multiballs and modes.
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Bonus X (up to 5x)
Build the end-of-ball multiplier by cycling the return lanes — even completions add +1x. Max it before you drain a loaded bonus.
Reward: Bonus X from 1x to 5x; multiplies the whole carry-over bonus (5-Way +10M, Drawings, mode points, etc.).
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Send It Back
A mini-wizard multiball (objective #2) qualified by completing all six Season-1 chapters, started at the left ramp.
Reward: Opens with 10M per Drawing; alternate major shots and center shots, then Super at the center ramp (or mouth for instant kill) = total mode points.
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Final Showdown
The true wizard mode: qualify by solidly lighting all six objective inserts, then start the final Demogorgon battle at the left ramp.
Reward: A multiball battle to seal the gate; completing it starts the Snow Ball Dance victory-lap mode for the rest of the ball.
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The Safe Left-Ramp Opener
The consensus opener: bank all your early progress on the safe left side, which returns to the left flipper with almost no drain risk.
Reward: Arms Telekinesis Multiball and Bonus X under ball-save without ever losing flipper control.
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Beginner: First 30 Seconds
A copy-paste beginner playbook — take the safe skill shot, farm the left ramp, then grab any stack while ball-save is live.
Reward: Two scoring streams running at once under ball-save — never pass up a chance to run two things at once.
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Cash the Stack, Then Max Bonus
The two biggest score levers, in order: layer 2x Scoring over a live stack, then cycle inlanes to max Bonus X before you drain.
Reward: A 60s doubler over a multiball + mode, plus a 5x multiplier on a loaded carry-over bonus — often more points than the ball itself.
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All Three Demodog Modes
Spell the Demodog word three separate times across a game to qualify and clear all three Demodog target modes and light that objective.
Reward: +1 Drawing per mode; clearing all three solidly lights the Demodog! objective needed for the final wizard mode.
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Light the Fire (Season 2 Mini-Wizard)
The Season 2 counterpart to Send It Back: finish all six Season 2 chapters on the right-side lanes, then play the mini-wizard multiball it opens.
Reward: Mini-wizard multiball; its Super Jackpot pays out the mode total and solidly lights one of the six objectives for Final Showdown.
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