Links
Rules:
Tiltforums Rulesheet (in-depth, open source guide)
Info:
Pinside: Pro Prem LE – Owners Group
Kineticist: Info – Deep Dive (via TWIP archive)
IPDB: Pro – Prem. – LE
Other:
Stern’s official: Stranger Things (just for code, manual, and supplemental videos)
Pintips
v2 Card Notes:
(Info that couldn’t fit and other clarifications.)
Intro Sides:
What is “Mode Stacking“?
Mode Stacking, often just called “Stacking”, is when you have more than one mode running simultaneously. This is common with new games, where stacking modes are one of the most effective ways to get big points and make progress in the game. The most basic of these, and the most common, is to stack a single ball mode into a multiball. For instance, if you start a chapter in Stranger Things, you can then work towards the Telekinesis Multiball; this does 2 things: 1: at the start of multiball you get a ball-save grace period, which means making progress in the mode is safer. 2: You will also be getting points and progress in both modes at the same time; often 1 shot will be lit for both a chapter shot and a multiball jackpot. You will get credit for both.
If you are asking yourself, “Why such a long explanation? Why not just start whatever is ready ASAP?” This isn’t as straightforward in games. In many older games, such as many 1990s games, if you start a mode and then start a multiball, it ends your (possibly more lucrative) mode; this doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t want to move on to the multiball, but it’s good to know what is happening in the game state. In STRT (Stranger Things), you can stack multiple modes and features, A LOT, and it’s a great game to watch for the game state; imo, it’s one of the more important games to know what stacks into what and what modes lock you out of other ones. Learning how and what to stack WILL increase your scores and progress.
Right Intro (Mode Stacking) Side :
Cubes and arrows on the Intro Right Card (Mode Stacking): The right card may be confusing initially. It was a challenge to make a visualization for this game because the stacking is so open. Essentially, follow the arrows to see what modes stack. Once you start a mode, it will lock you out of starting a mode lower on the chain until the above modes finish (for instance, you drain a multiball down to 1 ball). Also, you cannot stack more than one mode of the same kind. Eg.: Once a Chapter is started, you cannot start (or progress towards) another Chapter until that mode has completed (either successfully or timed out).
The card is separated into 3 sections. 1. The main 3D blocks. Each block represents a mode section. If you start a mode in that block, you cannot start another mode in that same block (e.g., if you start a Chapter, you cannot start another one until all modes have ended because of time, draining down to 1 ball, or starting a new ball). 2. The right side of the card is divided into 2 more straightforward stacking diagrams. Each represents a recommended stack for getting the most points and progress.
Right Card (Mode Stacking) Intermediate Tip:
Ultimate stack: Many players will avoid starting a Demogorgon mode since the ramp can get in the way of 2 shots, the mystery and the burn-it-back; especially the mystery as when lit, the mystery is an add-a-ball to Telekinesis.
Some Chapter 1 modes aren’t stackable with everything (still testing):
I’ve had some chapters lock me out of Demogorgon progress, I believe it was the Monster Hunting (I think this might be due it being a drop target mode), but Get Me Out! could also lock you out of some things. I doubt I will add this to the cards, as since the stackable card side is considered “Intro”, I try to keep it as simplified as possible; I’m worried that too many notes will make them convoluted.
For more info on stacking see the Intermediate Strategy section (still under construction).
Left Card:
“Left Orbit” (&/or “LO” on the advanced sides): This is referring to the shot right of the “E” stand-up target and left of the “left ramp.” This is actually a ramp itself, as at the back it will go up a hidden ramp and return to the right flipper. Most players and guides seem to refer to this shot as “left orbit,” and it is easier than renaming what is often called the “left ramp,” so I have left it this way. … (I suppose this could also be called the “Bicycle Shot” (referring to the inserts), but again, this would be going against what is an already established term).
Advanced Sides:
Legend:
JP=Jackpot
JPs=Jackpots
S.JP=Super Jackpots
DG=Demogorgon
DD=Demodog
UD=Upside Down (Black-out mode)
BiB=Burn it Back
Upside Down: Whenever the cards say “Return”, this means you leave the Upside down mode and the feature lights turn back on.
Burn it back values: These are the default values. I’ve added the “~” symbol to denote “around this value”; this is because it can be changed in the settings and can be different, especially in a tournament setup (I’ve even seen an Extra Ball set up as 1 burn it back loop!!. So it’s good to watch what values they are set at in a high-stakes game).
DEMODOG: Junk Yard: 3rd phase: “lanes”: this is an over-simplification due to space. It’s actually only the left standup lane and the Burn it Back lane. See Tiltiforms section for full info.
Numerical Milestones: Numbers on the cards such as ones used after Ball Save or 2X Scoring are a general guideline. These are the most standard and common values you will get these awards from, but these might be changed based on settings. Take these numbers with a grain of salt, especially on a Stranger Things in a big tournament.
Swipe-A-Ball: I didn’t add the info for Swipe-A-Ball due to space, restraints, and that on half of the Premiums I get to play the ramp/magnet is either broken or disabled. See Swipe-A-Ball section for info on how to use this feature (only on Prem./LE models).
When you see this symbol (the Drawing with the “+” symbol) it will be beside info you need to do to be awarded an extra drawing. Chapters, for instance, will award you one drawing for a successful completion, but you can get a second drawing for completing the mode in a specific order (See Right Card).
System-J ‘Then Hit’ arrow.
On the System-J cards, this arrow, when between wording is used to denote “then” or “, then hit”.
Eg. Hit lit shot (, then hit) right ramp.
Newbie Strategy
Stranger Things is a tough and often unforgiving game. Missed shots are dangerous shots. But there are some dangerous shots you need to do to progress to multiballs. For this reason, I’ll often focus on the “light lock” targets at the bottom of the left ramp while ball save is still going. On standard settings, hitting both targets will light all three ball locks up the left ramp. The left ramp is a safer shot since making it will return the ball to the left flipper, so there’s no need to rush locking balls while ball save is on. On Pro models (easily identified, as they don’t have a projection onto the playfield), you can often safely backhand the left ramp (from a cradle on the left flipper). On the Premium it can be trickier, and you may want to stick to forehanding (from the right flipper).
The center drop targets are quite dangerous too. These too are a good candidate to use during a ball save, as they can progress you towards both Demogorgan modes and Demodog modes (two of the letters are behind the targets).
There are two ways to get to a Multiball. One is the Telekinisis on the left ramp, and the other is getting to the 2nd Demogorgon mode. Both are worth working towards, although the Telekinesis seems easier to get higher points from. Both also can be stacked with other modes. That means if you have chapter or demodog mode running, you can add one of these two multiballs to it. As a beginner player, even in terms of strategy, I recommend taking a stack whenever possible. Advanced players will strategize which modes pair best with stacking, but even having this knowledge can work against you, as you can put yourself into a dangerous position just trying to change a mode or stack more modes into the stack. The most powerful thing about the multiballs is the ball save time. Of course, the longer you play, the higher your score will be, but just getting a multiball means you can hit more shots safely during the ball save time. There are some players that will immediately try to gain control of at least one ball (cradle it on a flipper), but as a beginner, I’d recommend playing the game more aggressively while the ball save is on, then trying to watch when the ball save ends and then trying to play a bit safer (this might just mean hitting shots you currently feel comfortable with, or even trying to hold a ball if there’s an easy opportunity to do that).
Bonus can be HUGE in this game, and sometimes more points than you got before it starts counting it. If you are having a good ball, it’s likely you have built up a good bonus and should be more careful not to tilt out (when you tilt, you don’t only lose your ball, you also lose your accumulated bonus). The bonus multiplier can really make your score explode. You can raise this from the inlanes. If you are not in a habit yet, pay attention to if the inlanes are lit or not. In new Stern games, like Stranger Things, you usually want to light the inlanes—which means you want to cycle the inserts (using the flippers) to unlit when a ball enters the lane. Get into the habit of watching the inserts when the ball is returning to them and cycle the inserts to an unlit one. This exercise will help you increase your score in many games, including many from the 90s, so it’s worth developing the habit until it becomes almost muscle memory.
Bonus and Bonus X continued: Every other inlane completion adds an X to your bonus multiplier (alternates with lighting Mystery). If you have had a good ball and are not sure how to progress and if you are focused on score, consider focusing on hitting the left orbit (bicycle shot (look at the icon insert)) and/or left ramp. These 2 shots return to the right and left inlanes, which can help you complete the inlane inserts. Just keep spamming those to crank up your multiplier and watch your bonus explode when you finally drain.
General Pinball Skills
If you want to reach a new level of pinball play: Watch Abe’s videos on pinball techniques and practice them:
Abe Flips Mastering Pinball Series (YouTube)
v2 Updated Rule Cards
Videos: Tutorials
Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a go-to tutorial video yet. But all of these ones below, although they are not perfect, are good and will help you understand the basics.
Intermediate Strategy
u/c
The Big Stack:
Stacking is huge in STRT, on the second (right) STRT v2 card, “intro” side, there’s an illustration showing the different paths to what is stackable. It’s good to pay attention to which modes you are close to and then think about if you can start multiple modes, and which ones you need to start first. Chapter modes are fairly short though, so if you need say, a demodog letter still, you might want to wait to light the demodog (insert at the mystery will be lit) before starting the mode. Remember too, that if you have 2 chapter inserts lit, the mystery lane can spot the last one (but only for your first 2 chapters). I believe (but I have to double check as of the time writing this) that you can start both a mode and demodog with one hit to the mystery lane if you have 2 chapter shots already qualified.
For a big stack you should also keep watch for how close you are to a multiball and preferably have it ready to start with one hit just before you are starting your other modes.
(add right “intro” card image)
The Ultimate Stack
I call this the ultimate stack because it is the max amount of modes you can stack, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best use of your modes. But it’s fun to do, and when done properly can rack up more points than anything else in the game. The ultimate stack can be started in 2 ways:
1. demogorgan single ball mode > chapter > demodog > Telekenisis Multiball
or
2. Chapter > Demogorgan single ball mode > demodog > Telekenisis Multiball.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION (some info above might be 100% inaccurate)
The “burn-it-back” loop, that starts just right of the center drops and loops to the left orbit, can be key to a successful game. It can be a safe shot on some games as the return often seems more controllable than the mystery eject. For this reason, you may want to see this as a ‘side mission’ to help your score and survival. The awards are: Light Extra Ball, Spell of Protection (outlane ball-save), and light 2x scoring. So these can help you if your goal is game progression or just score. Tiltforum Section on Burn-it-Back.
Depending on the feed of the game, you can use the burn-it-back to practice lots of flipper skills including: Backhand (you can backhand the shot from the right flipper), Live Catch (needs link), bounce pass, or possibly even a Loop Pass (needs link) (although I haven’t had much luck with this one on STRT’s myself. But since you can on a lot of AFM’s, it makes sense that it’s doable).
Videos: Strategy
Advanced Strategy
…to come
The Mystery Eject
When you hit the mystery lane or the center shot, the ball *should* lock under the left ramp. If there is a mode ready for the shot you made, the game will pause and play information of what is starting or claimed on the LCD. The game then ejects the ball to the left orbit, which will then come down that orbit, and often dangerously bouncing around towards the flippers.
The eject is often different on each game by nature and can be an import aspect of the game to note when playing on a STRT you aren’t accustom to. This can be a bit of a wildcard on STRTs, and sometimes, the default can be that it wants to bounce of the rail and strait down the middle, or bounce off the top left sling and bounce towards the right outlane. On some games, all of these things can be a possibly, and therefor you might need more than one instance to find what the best action to do is.
Possible actions to control the ball:
1. When the ball is ejected and close to the rail, nudge the ball from the left or right. Experiment with this to find what is best. Surprisingly, often a nudge to the left (from a hit to the right side of the game) can be the best option.
2. If this isn’t working you’ll have to experiment with nudging (different strengths and locations on the cabinet you hit, and in all directions), flipper clicks (this sometimes can be enough to deaden a ball a bit), or even a bit of a shimmy.
The Mystery eject often is the biggest wildcard on STRT. Good luck!
Tournament Strategy
u/c
-EB settings and burn-it-back
Swipe-A-Ball
Essentially, if you have a ball locked at the back of the left ramp-ramp (the telekinesis magnet on the back wall–Only on Prem/LE models.), when in a multiball (not Telekinesis, obviously), you can ‘steal’ a ball from your Telekinesis locks by hitting the action button.
See the Telekinesis Multiball section in Tilt Forums for full description on how to use this feature.
v2 Updated Rule Cards
Videos: Gameplay
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