Flipper Night pinball tips: how to score higher

The basics: launch, flip, repeat

Every ball starts on the plunger. Hold to pull it back and let go to launch: the longer you hold, the harder the ball flies. On a phone you hold and release anywhere on the table, and on a keyboard it is the space bar. A weak launch is fine at the start, because the ball only needs to reach the top of the table and come back down.

After that the whole game is two flippers. Touch the left half of the screen to flip the left one and the right half to flip the right one, or press Z or the left arrow for the left flipper and M or the right arrow for the right one. The ball is simulated for real, so where it meets the flipper and how fast the flipper is swinging both decide where it goes next.

You get three balls per round. That is not many, which is why the first rule of a high score is simply not to drain early.

Timing the flip: late sends it across, early keeps it on your side

Most beginners flip the moment the ball comes near. That sends it straight back up the side it came from, and it works, but it also makes the ball predictable and fast. The better habit is to wait. Flip a moment late and the ball goes across the table instead, toward the other side where the bumpers and targets are.

You do not have to flip at all while the ball is rolling down toward a flipper. Hold the flipper up and the ball settles against it. From there you can take your time, look at the table and choose the next shot, instead of reacting to a ball that is already bouncing away.

One thing to avoid: slapping both flippers at once all the time. It feels safe, but the ball can slip through the gap in the middle. Use one flipper at a time and keep the other ready.

Where the points are

The top of the table has three pop bumpers that kick the ball around, and a ball that gets stuck between them earns points quickly. Slingshots guard the flippers on both sides and also give the ball a kick, which can help or hurt, so watch where a bounce is likely to send it before you commit to a flip.

Two banks of drop targets sit on the table. Each target gives points on its own, but clearing a whole bank pays a bonus of 1500 points, which is more than most single hits. If you have a choice between a bumper and a bank that is almost done, finish the bank.

Do not hit things at random. A ball that is going somewhere you chose is worth more than three bumper hits you did not plan, because a planned shot keeps the ball in play while you set up the next one.

Light the lanes and protect the multiplier

Three lanes run across the top. Roll the ball through all three and the multiplier goes up, to a maximum of ×5, and it multiplies every point you score from then on. This is the biggest lever in the game: a single bumper hit at ×5 is worth five of the same hit at ×1.

The catch is that the multiplier is lost when the ball drains. So the right order is lanes first, big scoring second. Light the lanes, then play the safe, controlled shots described above to keep the ball alive while the multiplier is high. Going for a risky shot with a ×5 multiplier on the line is the usual way to lose a good ball.

If the ball drains right after launch, the game saves it once, so a bad plunge is not the end of the world. Use that first launch to learn how hard you need to pull.

Levels and endless mode

Levels give you a target score for three balls, and the target climbs with every level. Reaching it on your first ball earns three stars, so the best strategy is to play the first ball as a proper attempt: lanes, multiplier, then bank bonuses. Later balls are a backup, not a plan.

Endless mode has no target. You still have three balls and your best score is kept, which makes it the place to practise timing and see how far a single high multiplier can carry you. If you are chasing a personal best, Endless is the mode that rewards patience most.

Frequently asked questions

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• Flipper Night — Pinball — bumpers, targets and a score to beat