A–B
- Add-a-ball
- An award that puts one more ball into play during multiball, or, on older machines, adds a ball to the game instead of awarding a free credit.
- Apron
- The flat panel at the bottom of the playfield, below the flippers, that usually shows the rules and prices. The ball drains beneath it.
- Backbox and backglass
- The upright head of the machine and the painted glass on its front. It holds the score display and gives the machine its look.
- Bagatelle
- The 18th-century table game with pins and scoring holes that pinball grew out of. See our history of pinball.
- Ball save
- A short period during which a drained ball is returned. In Bubble Pinball every ball starts with one, and the SHIELD lane adds 6 seconds more.
- Bonus and bonus multiplier
- Points collected during a ball and paid when it drains, multiplied by the bonus multiplier. In Bubble Pinball the multiplier goes up to 5x, raised by completing the three top lanes.
- Bumper (pop bumper, jet bumper)
- A round post that fires the ball away when touched. Usually grouped in threes near the top of the playfield.
C–D
- Captive ball
- A ball trapped in its own short lane that you hit with the ball in play to push it into a target. Foam Sea tables in Bubble Pinball have one.
- Combo
- Two or more shots made in a row, each feeding the next. In Bubble Pinball, bubbles popped in a chain climb a ladder from x2 to x8.
- Cradle (trap)
- Holding a flipper up so the ball comes to rest in the crook between flipper and inlane guide, ready to aim. The most important skill in pinball.
- Dead bounce
- Letting the ball fall on a lowered, still flipper so it bounces across to the other flipper.
- DMD (dot-matrix display)
- The orange dot display used on most machines from the early 1990s to show scores and animations.
- Drain
- Losing the ball, down the gap between the flippers or down an outlane. Also the name of the gap itself.
- Drop catch
- Letting go of a raised flipper just as the ball arrives, so the flipper absorbs its speed and the ball can be trapped.
- Drop target
- A target that sinks into the playfield when hit. Clearing a whole bank usually gives an award; in Bubble Pinball, clearing it twice earns extra time.
E–J
- EM (electromechanical)
- A machine whose rules run on relays and stepper units, with mechanical score reels. The standard until the late 1970s.
- Extra ball
- An award that lets you shoot again after the current ball drains. In Bubble Pinball, where balls are endless, it is paid in time.
- Flipper
- The player-controlled bats at the bottom of the playfield, introduced in 1947. Also the word for the whole machine in German, French and Italian.
- Inlane
- A lane at the bottom of each side that feeds the ball gently onto a flipper. In Bubble Pinball all four side lanes feed the flippers.
- Jackpot and super jackpot
- Large awards for specific shots, usually during multiball. In Bubble Pinball every bubble popped in multiball is a JACKPOT and every ramp a SUPER JACKPOT.
K–M
- Kickback
- A plunger in an outlane that fires a draining ball back into play when it is lit.
- Knocker
- A solenoid that strikes the inside of the cabinet with a loud bang to announce a free game or replay.
- Live catch
- Raising a flipper at the exact moment a fast ball meets it, so the flipper cushions the ball instead of firing it.
- Lock
- Holding a ball in a saucer or mechanism until enough are locked to start multiball.
- Loop (orbit)
- A lane that runs around the top of the playfield so a ball shot into one side comes out of the other.
- Match
- A random free game at game over when rolling digits equal the last digits of your score. In Bubble Pinball, one time in ten it lets you continue with 15 more seconds.
- Mode
- A timed or goal-based challenge that changes which shots score. In Bubble Pinball each table's own rules, such as fragile bubbles, currents or frost, play a similar role.
- Multiball
- Two or more balls in play at once. In Bubble Pinball the Mother Bubble, filled by ramp shots, bursts into a three-ball multiball.
N–P
- Nudge
- Pushing the machine to change the ball's path. Allowed in moderation; too much causes a tilt. In Bubble Pinball, press the up arrow or Shift.
- Orbit
- Another name for a loop: a lane around the edge of the playfield.
- Outlane
- The outer lane at the bottom of each side on most machines. A ball that goes down it drains. Bubble Pinball has no side drains.
- Plumb bob
- The weight hanging inside a metal ring that detects excessive nudging and triggers a tilt.
- Plunger
- The spring-loaded rod in the shooter lane used to launch the ball. Some machines use a button-fired auto-launch instead.
- Post pass
- Releasing a trapped ball and flipping it against the rubber post at the bottom of the slingshot so it rebounds to the other flipper.
R–S
- Ramp
- An inclined track that lifts the ball off the playfield and returns it to a flipper. In Bubble Pinball the LIFT and CASCADE ramps fill the Mother Bubble.
- Replay
- A free game or ball for passing a score threshold. In Bubble Pinball, reaching a table's target score sounds the knocker and adds 10 seconds to the clock.
- Rollover
- A switch set into a lane that registers the ball rolling over it. Top lanes are usually rollovers.
- Saucer (kicker hole)
- A shallow cup that catches the ball, holds it briefly and kicks it back out.
- Scoop
- A hole that swallows the ball, often feeding a subway under the playfield.
- Skill shot
- An award for a precise launch into a lit lane or target. In Bubble Pinball it pays from 10,000 to 40,000, and double for a SUPER SKILL SHOT.
- Slam tilt
- A tilt triggered by hitting or lifting the cabinet. It ends the whole game, not just the ball.
- Slingshot
- The triangular rubber above each flipper that kicks the ball sideways when touched.
- Solid state
- A machine with a microprocessor running its rules. The standard from the late 1970s.
- Spinner
- A flat metal flag on a wire across a lane that spins when the ball passes, scoring on every turn.
- Standup target
- A fixed target that registers a hit and does not move.
- Subway
- A hidden tunnel under the playfield that carries the ball from a scoop to another spot. Storm Foundry tables in Bubble Pinball have one.
T–Z
- Tap pass
- A quick tap of a flipper holding a trapped ball, so the ball rolls gently across to the other flipper.
- Tilt
- The penalty for nudging too hard: after warnings the flippers go dead, the ball drains and its bonus is lost.
- Toy
- A moving or themed mechanism on the playfield, such as a model that swallows the ball or shakes.
- Wireform
- A ramp made of bent metal rods rather than plastic, often used to return the ball to a flipper.
- Wizard mode
- The final mode of a machine, opened after completing its main goals. In Bubble Pinball it is THE GRAND FINALE, opened by beating all ten bosses of a machine.
Terms you will only meet in Bubble Pinball
Bubble Pinball adds a few words of its own. A cluster is a group of small bubbles hanging from an anchor bubble with a gold ring: pop the anchor and the whole cluster falls. A ball only pops bubbles of its own colour; colour lanes, ramps and ports (colour rings) paint it, and both flippers at once swap it. The clock is each table's time limit, and the three stars are challenges: QUICK, NO BALL LOST and WHOLE CLUSTER. Read the full game guide for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What does drain mean in pinball?
To lose the ball, either down the gap between the flippers or down an outlane. The gap itself is also called the drain.
What is a wizard mode?
The final mode of a machine, unlocked after completing its main goals. It usually gives big scoring chances for a limited time.
What is the difference between a slingshot and a bumper?
A slingshot is the triangular rubber above each flipper that kicks sideways. A bumper is a round post, usually higher up, that fires the ball away in any direction.
What does cradling mean?
Holding a flipper up so the ball stops in the corner of the flipper. It lets you aim instead of flipping blindly.