Stern Pinball Arcade

About

Stern Pinball Arcade is a single player and multiplayer casual simulation game. It was developed by FarSight Studios, Inc. and was released on December 23, 2016. It received negative reviews from players.

Real pinball machines created by the world's most experienced producer of arcade-quality pinball machines can now be played on your PC. Over 10 tables including modern classics like Star Trek, AC/DC, and Mustang are available as DLC with two FREE tables to play every month!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+18

Skip User Reviews

38%

Audience ScoreBased on 238 reviews

graphics11 positive mentions

stability26 negative mentions

The game features a variety of tables, including popular ones like AC/DC and Star Trek, which are enjoyable for pinball fans.
The graphics and sound quality of the tables are decent, providing an immersive experience for players.
The game allows for cross-buying of tables with The Pinball Arcade, making it a good option for those who already own tables from that game.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with keyboard controls, slow ball physics, and a clunky user interface that makes navigation difficult.
Many players have reported that the game crashes frequently and does not run well on various systems, leading to a frustrating experience.
The pricing for additional tables is considered high, especially since many players already own similar tables in The Pinball Arcade.

graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
42%
26%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as dated, low-resolution, and at times, visually unappealing, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the classic pinball aesthetic, others find the visuals lacking compared to competitors like Pinball FX3, citing issues such as glitches, slow performance, and a poorly designed user interface. Despite some improvements noted after updates, the general consensus leans towards the graphics being subpar and in need of significant enhancement.
- “The graphics are now similar to the high-end consoles and the game is fully playable.”
- “Great visuals if you enjoy the classic pinball table look.”
- “After a big update a few days ago - better graphics, interface, response, quality...”
- “Visually, this has some fairly mediocre/dated looking graphics that will understandably be a turn off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract gamers despite having no up-front cost.”
- “The graphics are subpar, everything is very slow moving, and there are a ton of glitches in the menu.”
- “Graphics are about 640x480 resolution - looks awful on a HD 1920 x 1080 screen.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of serious glitches, slow performance, and a poorly designed user interface. Many players describe it as a "buggy mess" that feels unfinished, with issues persisting even after initial patches. While the core gameplay may be enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by technical problems that detract significantly from its potential.
- “The gameplay here is pretty much the same, but the game menus are buggy and inferior.”
- “Buggy, extremely lacking in options and UI, very slow and sluggish at least on my computer no matter the settings.”
- “This is a buggy, stuttery mess and the fact that you cannot buy any DLC currently may almost be a blessing in disguise for the developers, as they at least won't be overwhelmed with demands for refunds.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and integration, with standout tracks from iconic bands like AC/DC and immersive soundscapes that enhance gameplay. Players appreciate the depth and variety of the soundtracks, particularly in modern tables like Star Trek and Mustang, which feature engaging audio effects and customizable music options. However, some users have experienced technical issues, such as black screens with only music playing, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Both modern Steve Ritchie designs have amazing depth and are highly playable, with flashing shots clearly indicating what to hit next as well as very crisp and powerful audio - AC/DC with the booming sound effects and thumping hard rock (I'm not even into hard rock but ever since the Guns N' Roses table, it's my favorite theme for pinball!), Star Trek with a dramatic soundtrack and satisfying jingles.”
- “It's very nice that they feature better music in the newer tables, something that I've always wanted.”
- “Mustang is fun as well with good music, funny jackpot callouts, and great sounds and voicing.”
- “All I can really say is that I can't wait to get into this game, since at the moment I want to play the tables and buy them all, but all I can see is a black screen with loud music.”
- “After installing, the game opens in a window half outside my screen and I can only hear music; the screen stays black, and I can only close it with the task manager.”
- “When I choose fullscreen, same thing: black screen with only music. This time I cannot even close it; I have to log off Windows to be able to get back to anything!”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of experiences, with some players praising the arcade-perfect simulation of pinball mechanics and the engaging design of specific tables like Star Trek, while others report significant issues such as clunky menus, inconsistent ball physics, and performance problems on lower-end hardware. Overall, the gameplay is described as visually appealing but marred by technical glitches and varying quality across different tables.
- “Beautiful to look at, gameplay is very good.”
- “After playing a little with Mustang, which I honestly find a bit simple and boring, I decided to go ahead and spend 20 bucks for the pack which contains Star Trek, and omg what a wonderful table. It is worth all the wait and money; it is probably the best table I've ever played. It has such intense gameplay, sounds, music, effects, very easy to understand, easy to start the missions, and the missions don't end when I miss a ball. It reminds me a little bit of Attack from Mars, and it has lots of features; actually, it has 800 pages of instructions.”
- “I know many people are angry about this game because they've already invested a lot of money in the other one and are leaving a lot of negative reviews, but the review should be about gameplay, and this is a straight-up solid pinball simulation.”
- “Low framerate and slow gameplay on a GTX 1050 Ti with a Core i7 running at 1080p.”
- “Gameplay is very odd; I had significant floating left to right and random ball speed changes along the vertical. Sometimes a slow ball would speed up even zipping up ramps, and other times it would roll back. Paddle hits were inconsistent, and bumpers seemed to randomly react to ball hits.”
- “Black screen, crashes, horrible gameplay feeling, awkward menu, bad sound, ugly graphics.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The story aspect of the game is highlighted through the engaging and immersive gameplay of the Star Trek table, which features intense missions and a rich array of effects and sounds. Players appreciate the ease of understanding and accessibility of the missions, making it a standout experience compared to other tables like Mustang. Overall, the narrative experience is enhanced by the table's intricate design and vibrant visuals.
- “After playing a little with Mustang, which I honestly find a bit simple and boring, I decided to go ahead and spend 20 bucks for the pack that contains Star Trek. OMG, what a wonderful table! It is worth all the wait and money; it is probably the best table I've ever played. It has such intense gameplay, sounds, music, and effects. It's very easy to understand and start the missions, and the missions don't end when I miss a ball. It reminds me a little bit of Attack from Mars, and it has lots of features—actually, it has 800 pages of instructions.”
- “The shot flow is incredible, and the use of multi-color LEDs for the missions is brilliant.”
- “Getting to them through buggy software and atrocious menu design choices is an entirely other story.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with users reporting issues such as input lag, stuttering, and a persistent bug that affects resolution settings. While some players have experienced fewer crashes, the overall performance remains poor, making the game unplayable for many, particularly with keyboard controls. Overall, there is a strong call for improvements to the game's optimization before players are willing to invest further.
- “I'm apparently one of the lucky few users who hasn't had that many problems with crashes or performance (i7 [email protected], 980Ti, 16GB), but still, I think Farsight should be able to fix the many-years-old bug causing the game to start in a kind of windowed/fullscreen mode where the user has to press Alt+Enter twice to get it to run in the chosen resolution.”
- “The performance wall is enough to keep me from investing any money into it, but I'll keep it around for a change of pace if the free tables rotate from time to time, as I read in another review.”
- “Another complaint that I've seen has to do with input lag and stuttering.”
- “3rd, even outside of the UI, the whole performance of the actual table is just plain terrible (even on my 980 ti).”
- “Buggy as hell, not playable with a keyboard; not going to bother with this until it's optimized properly.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring additional lives to effectively progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as exploitative, with users labeling it a "cash grab."
- “This is a cash grab.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and unfair.”
- “I can't enjoy the game without being constantly bombarded by ads and paywalls.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Mustang is highlighted by its entertaining jackpot callouts, complemented by engaging music and sound effects, which contribute to an overall fun experience.
- “Mustang is fun with good music, funny jackpot callouts, and great sounds and voice acting.”