Pulp Fiction
A retro-inspired machine designed at Quentin Tarantino's request to feel like an '80s/'90s pinball game — but with modern depth underneath. Approachable rules that reward fundamentals.
Know the Playfield
Right side of the playfield — a single drop target with a saucer behind it.
This is your most important shot on the game. It lights your outlane ball saves (making the game dramatically safer), starts Roll Scenes, and collects characters toward Cast Chaos. You'll return here every time you trap on the right flipper.
The alphanumeric display segment in the upper right of the score display.
This shows your current Big Kahuna multiplier (1x through 6x). It lasts your entire ball and multiplies everything you score. Checking this display tells you instantly how much every shot is worth right now — when it's at 4x or higher, every shot you make matters four times as much.
A bank of drop targets in the center of the playfield with the Pawn Shop sinkhole behind the left two.
Knocking down this bank opens the Pawn Shop sinkhole for Pawn Shop Panic multiball locks. It's also in the natural ball path — you'll hit it partially by accident during normal play. Every partial completion still counts toward the bank reset.
Behind the left inline drop targets, upper-left area.
Three locks here start Briefcase Boogie multiball — one of your five objectives. The left inline drops open the path; shoot through them to access the lock. Progress persists between balls, so every lock you bank carries forward.
This single drop target on the right side of the playfield — a backhand from the right flipper on most copies — is the Swiss Army knife of the game. Hit it and you light your left outlane ball save (first hit). Hit it again and you light the right outlane ball save. That's two free saves in two backhands. It also qualifies the saucer behind it for Roll Scene starts and character collects. Every hit makes the game both safer and more profitable. Make this your reflex shot every time you trap on the right flipper.
This game looks simple — it has the aesthetic of a late-'80s Williams machine with alphanumeric displays. Don't let that fool you. The right saucer is one of the busiest single shots in pinball — it starts Roll Scenes, collects characters, and lights your ball saves all through the same gate. The scoring is old-school low, which means every missed shot hurts more than on a modern Stern where bumpers alone rack up millions. And the outlane ball saves aren't automatic — you earn them by hitting that right drop target every ball. If you forget to hit it in the first few shots, you're playing without a safety net.
Your Game Plan
Get Protected, Build Kahuna
BALL 1Hit the Skill Shot Then Right Drop Target Immediately You Got This
Plunge into the top saucer when arrows are lit for a free skill shot bonus (up to 100k if all 5 arrows are lit — check the playfield arrows near the top lanes before plunging). Then immediately trap on the right flipper and backhand the Right Drop Target. First hit lights the left outlane ball save (watch the left outlane insert — it goes from dark to lit). A second hit lights the right outlane. Two shots and you've made the game dramatically safer. Now the saucer behind the drop is also qualified for a Roll Scene.
Build the Big Kahuna Multiplier You Got This
The Big Kahuna Bonus multiplier builds with Right Ramp (upper right ramp, Dragon Ramp) and Left Orbit shots. Watch the alphanumeric display in the upper right — it shows your current multiplier value climbing: 1x → 2x → 3x up to 6x. Each multiplier step means every shot you make scores that much more for the rest of the ball. Prioritize getting to 2x or 3x before committing to Roll Scenes — you want those mode points multiplied.
Start Pawn Shop Panic Locks Earnable
Hit the Center Drop Target Bank (the bank of drops in the middle of the playfield) to knock them down and open the Pawn Shop Sinkhole — it's directly behind the left two drops when they're down. Shoot the sinkhole to lock a ball. The bank resets after each lock, so you keep knocking drops and shooting the hole. Lock 3 balls for Pawn Shop Panic multiball. This is the more accessible of the two multiballs — the drops fall naturally during play and the sinkhole is easy once they're down.
Start a Multiball, Cash a Scene
BALL 2Start Pawn Shop Panic If Locks Are Ready Earnable
Check the display when you plunge — your lock progress carries between balls. If you had one or two Pawn Shop locks from Ball 1, a few more Center Drop Bank completions will finish it. During Pawn Shop Panic multiball, shoot the lit shots — they're scattered across the playfield and easy to hit with multiple balls active. The Pawn Shop Payoff level carries between attempts too: if you reach Phase 2 last time, you start at Phase 2 next time.
Run a Roll Scene With Big Kahuna Active Earnable
First hit the Right Drop Target to qualify the saucer, then shoot the Right Saucer to start a Roll Scene (movie-based timed mode). Before you do, check your Big Kahuna Display — if you're at 2x or higher, all the points you score during the Roll Scene are multiplied. Complete the scene and collect at the saucer for the cash-out. The cash-out value includes all previous scene collect values multiplied by Big Kahuna — this is where the real points are.
Work the Red Arrow Target Banks Earnable
Seven red arrow target banks are distributed around the playfield — left standup cluster, right standup cluster, center drops, and others. Each full bank completion adds a letter to P-U-L-P-F-I-C-T-I-O-N on the display. Spell all 11 and shoot the Pawn Shop for Pulp Fiction Frenzy. Watch the letters accumulate on the display — you're making more progress than you realize just from natural play.
All In on Big Kahuna
BALL 3Get Big Kahuna High Immediately You Got This
Ball 3 starts the same way every ball — check your Big Kahuna Display and shoot the Right Ramp and Left Orbit until your multiplier is at 3x or higher. A 4x or 5x Big Kahuna turns ordinary shots into real points in a game that scores low by default. Get the multiplier first, then score under it.
Complete the Best Available Objective Earnable
Check which of the five blue objective inserts above the flippers are still dark. Whichever is closest to completion is your Ball 3 focus. Pawn Shop Panic and Briefcase Boogie are most reliable — lock progress carries and completing either one gets you a blue dot. If Roll Scenes are close (check the scene counter on the display), one more saucer collect might complete that objective too.
Collect Royale With Cheese If It's Lit You Got This
Royale with Cheese lights at the Bullseye Target (the concentric circle target, right-center) after certain shot completions. When it's lit, one shot collects a bonus and lights the Gun Bonus Collect. This applies your bonus multiplier AND Big Kahuna simultaneously — at high multipliers it can be your highest-scoring single shot of the game. Check for the lit bullseye every ball.
Stay Alive Out There
- → Right Drop Target First — Every Ball: The first thing you do every ball after plunging is trap and backhand the Right Drop Target. The left outlane ball save is not lit until you hit it. On a game that scores in the millions (not hundreds of millions), each drain hurts. Make the game safe before doing anything else.
- → The Right Ramp Has a Catch Diverter: The Right Ramp (Dragon Ramp) has a diverter at the top that normally sends the ball back down to the right flipper — it's a safe, controlled return. Every third right ramp shot the diverter opens, sending the ball into the bumper area instead. That's intentional. When the ball goes to bumpers, relax — it'll feed out and you can recover.
- → Trap and Read the Objective Inserts: After completing something significant — a multiball starting, a Roll Scene ending — trap the ball and look at the five objective inserts above the flippers. Lit = done. Dark = still needed. Five seconds of reading tells you exactly which objective is closest to completion and what you should focus on for the rest of the ball.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ Don't Ignore Big Kahuna in Favor of Modes: It's tempting to chase Roll Scenes and multiballs immediately. The problem is that a Roll Scene scored at 1x Big Kahuna is worth half of the same scene scored at 2x. Build the multiplier first, score modes under it. This is the most common mistake on Pulp Fiction.
- ⚠ Don't Chase Briefcase Boogie Over Pawn Shop: Briefcase Boogie multiball requires locking balls behind the Briefcase Lock (behind the left inline drops — you have to first complete the inline drops to open the path, then shoot the lock). The inline drops are harder to control than the center drop bank. Pawn Shop Panic is generally more accessible. Start there and come back to Briefcase when Pawn Shop is done.
- ⚠ Don't Force Roll Scenes Under Time Pressure: Roll Scenes have strict timers. Starting one when you're uncertain about the required shots — or when the ball is in a bad position — usually ends in a failed scene and nothing to show for it. Failed scenes don't give you the collect value. Wait until you have a trapped ball and a clear first shot before starting one.
Coming from modern Sterns where you score hundreds of millions per ball, Pulp Fiction's numbers look tiny — a great ball might be 4 million. That's not a glitch, that's intentional retro scoring. The relative point values still matter; a Roll Scene cash-out at high Big Kahuna is genuinely the biggest thing you can do on this game, even if the number looks small compared to what you're used to.
The five objective inserts exist to give you direction, not to create urgency. Most league players won't qualify Divine Intervention in a single game — and that's fine. Each completed objective is real progress and real points. Focus on what's closest to completion on the current ball rather than trying to sprint through all five.
Cast Chaos multiball starts after you've collected enough character inserts at the right saucer. Characters are awarded each time you shoot the drop target and then the saucer — you see character portraits accumulating on the display. When enough are collected, Cast Chaos starts automatically. You don't need to track this aggressively; it tends to happen naturally across a full game.
The Research Pile
Every claim is sourced. Here's where we got our homework for this guide.
Primary strategy source. Community discussion on Big Kahuna optimization, Roll Scene timing, and objective completion sequencing.
Manufacturer page with feature list and model information.
Community rulesheet with detailed scoring data, objective requirements, and mode timer information.