Stern

Stranger Things (Pro)

Pinside Rating

This game received 386 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.974 _/10

7.974

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 3rd in the game group "Stranger Things". The group itself ranks #19 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.822

Artwork: 7.837

Sounds/Music: 7.86

Other Aspects: 8.109

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 4 of us have rated this game.

8.208

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This title is part of group: "Stranger Things"

Stranger Things
(Pro)

Stranger Things
(Premium)

Stranger Things
(LE)

Found 173 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 173 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.740/10

2 years ago

PAV

PavBall

Pinside member

Lake Charles, LA

9y 75,300 460 79

I’m rating it with the UV kit. Without the UV kit it would take a notch lower in both lighting and theme integration.

The code for this game is superb. Almost Lyman level.

6.971/10

2 years ago

BW

Not too bad, but I never saw this show that the theme is based on, unfamiliar with the plots, terminology, and logic in progression. That hurts understanding theme integration into the code and rules as the game itself isn't intuitive with that. I would have to study the rules to "get to know" what is going on in the game. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but not knowing the show that the theme is based on makes me lose interest.

The ball gets stuck in some of the same places from machine to machine at locations which is another thing to contribute to losing interest.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

6.964/10

2 years ago

MSB

mburec

Pinside member

4y 16,900 6 3 9

The center of the playfield on this set of games is WAY TO DARK, it is not fun when you can't see where you need to shoot.

not a fan of this one at all

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.795/10

2 years ago

WHP

waldo34

Pinside+ Addict

13y 116K 2,033 10 64

Update - this game continues to be fun to play so many mods. To bad Stern hasn't been able to make more of them.

I don't normally leave much feedback with my reviews. However, I feel the need to in this case. When this game first came out I hated almost every aspect of it. With additional code and the lighting mod I find they play to be simply fun. It has super smooth ramp shots. Hitting the up the middle starts out easy and build in difficulty. At this point my only knock on the pin is the callouts / sounds. Here I feel Stern could have done better. If you have not played this since release do yourself a favor and pick one up.

waldo34 edited previous rating on July 12, 2022.
waldo34 currently owns this game.

8.176/10

2 years ago

???

Bucknut3000

Pinside member

Thornville, OH

2y 27,400 9 4 6

The lighting is great on this game however I don't find the shots very rewarding. It is somewhat a boring game IMO. The game is on the easier side so many of my guests enjoy the game.

Bucknut3000 currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.972/10

2 years ago

GBN

Gutterghoul

Pinside+ Frequent

Phoenix, AZ

3y 45,300 242 3 10

Really is an instant classic. So many modes, one of the truest points to skill, and sinking the demo shot always feels great. Animation for super jackpot in Total isolation is one of the best sound/animations in recent memory.

Gutterghoul edited previous rating on April 06, 2022.
Gutterghoul currently owns this game.

7.137/10

2 years ago

RCA

alexanr1

Pinside member

12y 74,550 1,338 85

The black light show is one of the coolest lighting effects in a game in a while. That’s the high point. It felt like the rest of the game was just different ways to attack the monster.

For a bar game, it’s good, because it’s easy to trigger the main attraction.

5 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.332/10

2 years ago

HAR

shovelhed

Pinside member

Napa, CA

12y 83,550 2,426 1 20

Uv kit is awesome, Cleland sound mod is a must. If your a fan of Afm or MM you will love this pin. More depth code wise than above mentioned pins. Great family fun pin. If you have kids they will love it.

shovelhed has owned this game in the past.

9.280/10

2 years ago

BWK

Krupps4

Pinside member

Minneapolis, MN

5y 95,050 2,103 2 12

Before writing this review, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time on the pin. I never want to review a pin while I’m in the honeymoon stage so to speak. With that being said, Stranger Things is a fantastic pin. Is it original? No. Is it fun - Yes!!

In my opinion, the theming is excellent. While they did focus on the darker side of the show rather than the 80s nostalgia side, it works and works well. The sound package is excellent, not only from a content standpoint but quality of sound standpoint. Stranger Things sits right next to my AIQ Premium and I swear the audio/speakers is of a higher quality. If you want to add some of the 80s vibe to the pin, you can always pick up the Cleland sound package. I have it installed and it does improve the overall experience.

Shots are a fan layout, so nothing new there. However, they are satisfying due to how they are incorporated into the modes. Speaking of modes, there are many. I believe there are around 25 or so different modes. The demogorgan shot, in my opinion, is just as satisfying as the saucer shot in AFM. I know some people have difficulty hitting it, but I never have a problem. Maybe I just lucked out with my set up…

I can’t do a review without mentioning the UV kit. Does it add to the gameplay? No. Is it awesome? Yes!!! I don’t know how to say it any other way, but it is just so cool. I think it’s one of the coolest features to me introduced into a pin in quite some time. It’s definitely a must have.

Lastly, I will say that I think the difficulty level of the pin is on the easier side rather than the harder side. For example, I progressed much more quickly through Stranger Things than I have with AIQ and I’ve owned AIQ much longer.

In sum, I really enjoy Stranger Things. I think anyone’s level of enjoyment will, in part, depend on if you watch and enjoy the show. If you do, pick one up. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Krupps4 has owned this game in the past.

8.960/10

2 years ago

OCP

Good-Times

Pinside member

Sydney

3y 41,300 340 22

I’d initially written this off as too simplistic, but the music and sounds, combined with the UV Kit really immerse you in the game. And that’s #1 on my list. The simple layout is also well backed up by a comprehensive but uncomplicated rule set. I went with the Pro as I didn’t know if I could trust the lock on the Premium from reliability accounts, and the projector to me was great but maybe not worth the expense. Would be nice if you could add it as a mod though!

Good-Times edited previous rating on January 23, 2022.

8.796/10

2 years ago

???

kicksaveking

Pinside member

Silver Grove, KY

2y 24,400 3 6

What an experience. Fighting the demogorgon is a blast. Has the "one more game" effect that so many talk about. Art and animations are top tier. Impressive.

9.220/10

2 years ago

PET

dahlman

Pinside member

Degerfors

7y 49,050 113 26 33

Did not like the Pro version the first times i played it at the Borås arcade. To similar to AFM…etc..
However, we rented this game and got in to it some more. Fun modes and multiballs. Would’nt call it deep or complex…just go for modes and you will have a great time! Bash toy and the UV-kit is great!
Also, the sound and music is excellent on this machine.

6.606/10

2 years ago

???

CptUniverse

Inactive member

Unknown

5y 10,750 1 22

When it comes to how well they implemented the theme I really don't have an opinion since I haven't watched the series. The machine looks good the toys looks kind of cool,the light show is nice. It's major problem though is that it's boring to such a degree that I would say that the only Stern games that are just as awful are Black Knight and possibly Aerosmith ( maybe Monsters too).

6 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.636/10

2 years ago

DAV

ShrinerDave

Pinside+ Frequent

Green Bay, WI

4y 50,450 25 16

I was not a fan when the game first came out. After several code revisions and more time on the machine I really fell in love with it. To the point I purchased a pro. I did upgrade to the UV kit and that is figured into my rating. It brings the playfield alive when you enter the upside down. It has become one of my favorites. For my non-pinball friends it’s a easily identifiable theme and great for a n entry level player. As a medium level regular player I find it has lasting fun. This will be in my collection for the long haul.

9.900/10

2 years ago

EEE

eee_Thailand

Pinside+ Frequent

2y 30,750 20

very good game... we add all the lights +++ in the pro model! .... will long stay in our collection to!

eee_Thailand edited previous rating on March 14, 2024.

6.130/10

2 years ago

WXW

Lawlor_and_Order

Pinball 518

7y 81,400 38 112

Rarely have I wanted to like a machine quite so much based on its theme, been satisfied with the theme integration, but left so completely flat by a machine as with Stranger Things.

Everything is in place to make this a classic: available video clips, opportunities for creepy lighting and "scare" moments in play, ample weirdo toys or 80s nostalgia, funny sayings from the kids. And the rules are decent and deep, covering relatively logical progressions based on the initial set of episodes and the resolution of same in the first couple of seasons.

But...the playfield...is....soooo....dull. It's a really vanilla fan layout without much flow above simple returning shots off the habitrails. The ramp up the middle is nice enough but...it's a bash toy up the middle with a target. The thing from the Upside Down toy, which appears so frequently as to actually get a bit boring halfway into a game, looks more like Seymour the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors than some beastly inter-dimensional menace.

I'm just flabbergasted there isn't more to do in this game. Yes, you can repeat the same shots over and over and over again in a variety of modes and multiballs. Yawn.

I've only played the Pro so am curious as to whether Premium and the project adds a wow factor, but I have my doubts, since it's the tedium of the shots that is the real villain here.

4 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.900/10

2 years ago

DLG

Chief_G

Pinside+ Frequent

Midlothian, VA

4y 53,550 79 3 38

Very fun machine that my whole family loves to play. Only thing I wish is that stern made a projector conversion kit for it. Love this pin!

Chief_G edited previous rating on December 27, 2021.
Chief_G has owned this game in the past.

10.000/10

2 years ago

ATL

Lemank

Pinside member

8y 70,050 471 9 63 1

This game rocks.

Lemank has owned this game in the past.

8.176/10

2 years ago

DML

Shaqatak

Pinside member

Melbourne

2y 22,900 16 2 9

Bashing the demogorgon up the ramp was amazing fun!
So satisfying to nail the shot.
Tough game at first but rewarding after a few plays and getting the shots down.

9.068/10

2 years ago

GKD

FoghornLeghorn

Inactive member

Brentwood, TN

10y 30,650 163 1 7

Love this pin. Wish I could afford an LE model, even though I know it’s supposed to be a little finicky.

9.287/10

2 years ago

???

Utesichiban

Pinside member

Sandy, UT

7y 78,550 2,056 10 24

The negative, ST is a Attack From Mars clone reviews when it was new scared me off. Eighteen months later, I acquired a nicely modded pro with UV kit and realized what a fun, addicting game this is.

The UV kit is a must and completes the theme integration. Coupled with the Cleland mod, Stranger Things has one of the best lighting effects/audio packages of any pinball machine I've played. I don't know why but it just has that one more play factor that keeps me pressing the start button. 4 months in and I'm still playing the most of any game in my collection.

Too bad Stern stopped making them right as word was getting out that with updated code andc UV kit, Stranger Things is a very underrated and addicting game.

Utesichiban edited previous rating on December 01, 2021.
Utesichiban has owned this game in the past.

9.000/10

2 years ago

PO

pat4race

Inactive member

Unknown

3y 19,000 1 73

Nice shots, nice theme, great fun

9.740/10

2 years ago

MJC

Flippinski

Pinside+ Frequent

San Antonio, TX

3y 47,400 82 25 14

So, the UV kit is a very fun addition. The game play is amazing, sounds are amazing (except maybe the Hopper voice stand in isn't very realistic) and the rule set/shots are top notch. THIS game exceeded STTNG as my favorite game after about the twentieth time I played it. One caution for other owners, the playfield right in front of the Demogorgon ramp will get badly pock marked like a golf ball if you do not mylar that section. I did but only after a few hundred games left it all marked up. It didn't damage the clear coat but still left it textured. No other way to avoid it. I LOVE THIS GAME! It's also challenging which makes it a very long lasting game for long time ownership.

Flippinski currently owns this game.

5.606/10

2 years ago

???

KeyPin550

Inactive member

Cleveland, OH

2y 8,750 1 11

The drop down demodog attack ramp is cool, but nearly impossible to get it in it's (for lack of a better way to describe) vagina hole.
The layout is very open, and only 2 ramps.
Very fast ball movement; one of the fastest I've ever played.

6 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.140/10

2 years ago

KDZ

kool1

Pinside member

Oakville, ON

2y 101K 3,435 5 54

I think its fun but I have never had the opportunity to play the LE sadly. Obviously the PRO suffers from the usual lower score vs it's more expensive brother. The more shallow playfield threw me off a bit but the shots are great, the theme is great and I definitely enjoyed more than I thought I would.

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There are 173 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 3 of 7.

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