Pinball Showdown

About this board game

Pinball Showdown is a fast-paced card game for 2–4 players that takes about 45 minutes, putting everyone in control of a pinball racing through a chaotic machine.

Each player begins with ten cards, with every card representing a pinball playfield device. At the start of each round, players choose one card from their hand, while another card enters from the draw deck. The face-up cards in the center become the devices available to score during that round.

Starting with the first player, everyone can bid on a device, spend one or more control tokens to increase their pinball’s speed, purchase a playfield card from the discard pile, or simply pass. Players may take any combination of these actions before the devices are resolved.

• Bid against other pinballs to steer toward valuable devices.
• Meet each device’s speed requirement to score it.
• Use control tokens to increase speed at the right moment.
• Complete combinations for additional bonus points.

The highest bidder on each device takes it and scores it if their pinball is traveling at the required speed or faster. Players who did not bid choose from the remaining devices, beginning with the first player. A device that cannot be scored still affects the pinball’s speed, while scored devices can make it accelerate or slow down.

Speed is crucial: reaching zero means your pinball drains. Across ten rounds, players must balance bidding, speed management, device effects, and bonus combinations. When the action ends, the player with the most points wins. With its competitive multi-ball theme and tense race for playfield devices, Pinball Showdown captures the scramble of a pinball machine in card-game form.