Seems that solid state people like EMs with rules that extend beyond “keep the ball alive and hit as many things as possible.” I think the following games offer a bit of that.

Some fan favorites in my house:

Royal Flush—Multiple ways to approach game. You can shoot for jokers first (each one hit increases the drop target value by 1000 points per hit), or you can go right for the drops and try to increase the poker hand bonus at the end of the ball. Every shot has a function, and it requires strategy to play.

Jacks Open— similar approach to royal flush, but the resetting drop targets and the need to aim for certain hands through the progression ladder allows for a deeper ruleset than Royal flush. It needs it though because it’s a single player game.

Atlantis— I always explain the rules to people like they’re playing White Water: shoot for the lit shot. It’s progressive, and the farther into the chain you get, the more lucrative things get (as far as specials are concerned).