GAME: PinOut by Mediocre

GENRE: Arcade, casual

PLATFORMS: Android, iOS

With a bold claim and a brave shot, pro pinball player Roger Sharpe made a demonstration to the Manhattan City Council that changed pinball forever. The game soon became a favourite American pastime, spawning generations of variant games from Microsoft’s universally adored Space Cadet to the ingeniously designed mobile game PinOut.

Made by Mediocre, PinOut takes the core concept of what makes pinball fun and gives it an “endless runner” twist. The gameplay itself is simple; touch the sides of the screen to control the flippers and flick the pinball up. The only goal is to send the pinball to the farthest distance possible before time runs out and you’re forced to start all over again.

Given pinball’s nostalgic factor, PinOut embraces the retro experience, pumping itself with 80s retro-futuristic aesthetics, sleek visuals and synthwave inspired by cult classic movies like TRON (1982). Don’t be too surprised if you find yourself playing the game simply for the vibes!

As you play, you collect points, play minigames and choose upgrades — all of them enable you to save time and cover longer distances. And if you travel far enough, you will transition to newer levels where you will run into more mechanics that will go on to add more flavour to the gameplay.

But what surprised me was the accessibility. The colours used are purely for aesthetic purposes, they don’t play any functional role. This is a godsend for colourblind players struggling to find accessible mobile games.

I initially believed that the game generated its levels automatically. However, I later learnt that the developers had worked hard to create seven levels by hand, which then loop all over again if you complete the first seven. This made sense because apart from feeling the “right amount” of challenge, “getting good” with the game felt incremental in nature rather than erratic.

Given the “endless” and increasingly challenging gameplay, checkpoints offer a chance to start from the level you lost. You can use checkpoints if you opt for a one-time purchase, which was the only mode of monetisation I found. The offer not only sounds fair but also benefits you during gameplay.

Every decision behind the game’s design felt clear — the goal was doing its best to keep players engaged, which I’m glad to see. If I had to nitpick, it would be about the lack of aesthetic variety; you can’t change anything, not even the soundtrack. But that’s a small compromise compared to what the game already offers.

VERDICT: A visually stunning ode to the pinball culture, PinOut is a novel game with the right amount of retro touches and gameplay innovation. I would give a 10 out of 10 rating; it’s a rare gem worth keeping on your phone.