Pinball Spire

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 113 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Pinball Spire Game Cover
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"Pinball Spire" is a pinballvania game, combining classic pinball mechanics with platforming, puzzles, and exploration. As a brave pinball named Pip, you'll explore the titular spire, conquering a strange pinball maze filled with secrets, enemies, and interactive contraptions. With mana-powered pinball abilities, overcome challenges and uncover the mystery at the spire's peak. Official game description count: 221 characters.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 113 reviews
gameplay5 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Pinball Spire successfully combines pinball mechanics with metroidvania elements, offering a unique and enjoyable gameplay experience.
  • The art style and music are charming and well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The game features clever puzzles and power-ups that add depth to the pinball gameplay, making it engaging and fun.
  • The game is quite short, with many players completing it in around 3-4 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
  • There are significant issues with level design, particularly in certain rooms that can feel tedious or frustrating, such as the planet room.
  • The lack of traditional pinball mechanics, like nudging, and the linear progression detract from the overall pinball experience, making it feel less like a true pinball game.
  • gameplay37 mentions

    The gameplay is generally enjoyable, featuring solid pinball mechanics and a unique blend of platforming elements, though it lacks some traditional pinball features like table tilting and complex wizard modes. Players appreciate the responsive controls and customization options, but many express disappointment over the game's brevity and the absence of deeper metroidvania mechanics. Overall, while the game offers a fun experience, it may leave players wanting more in terms of content and complexity.

    • “The mechanics are well implemented and the game is fun.”
    • “Gameplay is also responsive (no input lag) and being able to customize your little pinball (with accessories found scattered about the spire) is a nice little touch.”
    • “A delightful little pinball adventure with some fun mechanics to give the game its own personality.”
    • “Speaking of that, the metroidvania mechanics are anemic.”
    • “While it uses the mechanics of pinball fairly well, it's a little bit lacking in actual pinball nerdery - sure, that's not what the game is about, and it uses its mechanics well, but I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of conventional pinball mechanics like table tilting, or more complex wizard mode mechanics.”
    • “Also, the lack of a nudge really hurts the gameplay - you have to hope the bounce physics are in your favor.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. While some noted that repetitive tracks can become tiresome during prolonged gameplay, the soundtrack is often described as amazing, beautiful, and perfectly suited to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the music is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the enjoyment of the game.

    • “The music is amazing, the puzzles are clever, and the pixel art and customization elements are quite nice.”
    • “This game is amazing and has godly music as well.”
    • “I found myself jamming along to the soundtrack (please tell me I can listen to it on YouTube or some other music platform!) as well as sometimes my breath catching in my throat with how gorgeous every new level was.”
    • “The music is fine, but when you hear the same track over and over while you're stuck in a room for ten minutes, it gets a little old.”
    • “Music is just slightly too involved, but it's good, so it's not a really bad thing.”
    • “Please release the soundtrack @apparitiongames, I need the soundtrack please!”
  • graphics10 mentions

    The graphics are characterized by a charming and simple art style, featuring clear and gorgeous pixel art that enhances the overall experience. While the visuals and animations are praised for their professional quality, some users noted that smaller rooms may not scale well on larger monitors. Overall, the presentation, including both graphics and sound, is considered pleasing and well-suited to the game's vibe.

    • “The art style is simple but charming, and it fits the overall vibe really well.”
    • “Graphics are really, really nice, gorgeous, simple, clear pixel art!”
    • “Both the graphic design and animations are at a professional level.”
    • “A couple of the smaller rooms have also been annoying to play through because the graphics don't scale well, but I'm sure it's great on something like the Steam Deck instead of a big normal monitor.”
    • “Pinball Spire has crisper graphics, being made in the modern era.”
    • “Tl;dr: pleasing presentation (both sound and visuals), however gameplay can get frustrating a little quickly and don't go in expecting a true metroidvania either.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to backtracking and opaque objectives that detract from the experience. While some areas, like the pinball spire, manage to capture the fun of pinball without excessive grind, others, such as the final boss and certain rooms, feel overly drawn out and luck-based, leading to a lack of desire to replay the game.

    • “After grinding out the pinball wizard achievement, I have no desire to touch this game again.”
    • “They've done the work to implement a passable, cartoonish representation of pinball, but then made the objectives both opaque and tedious.”
    • “The final boss itself also feels tedious; the concept is amazing and I'd love to see more pinball boss fights, but the sheer number of barriers - both literal and figurative - to dealing damage turned the battle into a marathon, taking me well over 20 minutes.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly on the Steam Deck and in later levels, despite its enjoyable gameplay. While it runs smoothly on older platforms like the Sega Genesis, players have noted that it is a resource-intensive title that could benefit from patches to address these mechanical and performance shortcomings. Overall, the optimization concerns detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed recommendations.

    • “Other than this small performance issue, the game is loads of fun and I have been having a blast exploring through the spire.”
    • “Hopefully the developer is able to put out a patch that will clean up this performance issue.”
    • “Despite being for the Sega Genesis (an ancient platform by today's standards), Sonic Spinball played smoother and had more consistent performance.”
    • “Finally, while it plays very well on Steam Deck, it is a complete resource hog and has some performance issues in the later tables.”
    • “But as it is right now - about 3 hours of play for $15, with some serious mechanical and performance issues - I can't recommend it.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game lacks replayability for some players, who feel that it does not offer meaningful content or progression to warrant multiple playthroughs. However, this perspective suggests that not all players prioritize replayability in their gaming experience.

    • “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the story, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possible outcome.”
    • “The dynamic gameplay mechanics and random events ensure that no two sessions are ever the same, keeping the experience exciting.”
    • “There is no replayability, at least for me.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its affordability, which players find amusing compared to the costs of traditional arcade games and digital pinball titles. However, some users express disappointment that the game lacks the quirky, humorous elements they were hoping for in a pinball platformer.

    • “You'll find the price hilariously affordable, especially after spending countless quarters in arcades and purchasing numerous digital pinball games in search of the evolution of the format.”
    • “One of the main reasons I bought the game was the desire for more pinball platformers that allow you to do tricky, funny stuff.”
  • story1 mentions

    The reviews indicate a complete absence of a narrative, with users expressing that there is no story present in the game.

    • “There is absolutely no story here.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express that the emotional engagement in the game is tied to the physicality of interactions, suggesting that deeper connections are formed through active participation rather than passive actions. This highlights a need for players to invest effort to evoke emotional responses.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by a perfectly matched soundtrack that creates a relaxing and enjoyable experience, inviting players to immerse themselves in its chill vibe.

    • “The music feels like the perfect match for a game you can just sit down with and enjoy, and reinforces the chill atmosphere of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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