Fallout pinball rules and strategy
Strategy summary
Very early code. These Simple Rules are based on early livestream gameplay. Rules may change.
The goal
Health determines your quest time. Vaults lead to lunchboxes and multiball. Bottle caps buy items, while weapons and Power Armor increase playfield scoring.
Modes and multiballs
Quests
- How to start:
- Shoot the white Wasteland shots to collect food and water and raise your HP. At least 50% health lights Quests. Shoot the Sundries scoop when Quest is lit to start a quest.
- What to shoot:
- Follow the main display for the active quest’s shots. In Radscorpion Attack on Pro, shoot a lit shot to light a boss scorpion at the Jump Ramp, then shoot the Jump Ramp.
- What you earn:
- In Radscorpion Attack on Pro, shooting additional lit shots before the Jump Ramp increases the boss award. Other quest completion awards are not yet documented in this guide.
- Health acts as the quest timer, so more HP gives you more time. There are six main quests based on scenes from the show. Follow the main display for the active quest’s shots.
Vault multiball — Pro
- How to start:
- Shoot the Jump Ramp into the Vault door to collect VAULT letters. After spelling VAULT, shoot the Sundries scoop. Shoot a blue-lit shot to find the lunchbox. Shoot Sundries again to open the lunchbox and start Vault multiball.
- What to shoot:
- During Vault multiball, shoot the quickly flashing blue shot marked with a VAULT insert to collect jackpots and advance the sequence. Shoot the other blue award shots to increase the jackpot value.
- What you earn:
- The quickly flashing blue VAULT shot collects jackpots and advances the sequence. Other blue award shots increase the jackpot value.
- Lucy starts with V already collected. Later lunchboxes remove previously used blue shots from the available choices; use a remaining blue-lit shot. The Pro’s door stays closed and has no lower playfield.
- Entering a Vault pauses an active Quest. The Quest resumes alongside Vault multiball after you finish the Vault sequence.
Vault Experiments — Premium/LE
- How to start:
- Shoot the Jump Ramp into the Vault door to collect VAULT letters. After spelling VAULT, shoot through the open door to start the lower-playfield experiment.
- What to shoot:
- Use the flipper buttons to control Magna-Flip in the lower playfield. Press and hold to catch the ball at a magnet; release, then time the next press to aim the ball toward a required target.
- What you earn:
- Complete the experiment to earn a lunchbox. The next Premium/LE multiball-start shot is not yet documented in this guide.
- Each experiment has its own objective. A radiation-leak experiment requires the loop; a raider experiment requires defeating the raider targets. Follow the experiment’s display rather than treating every Vault as the same mode.
Wasteland / Vault 4 multiball — Pro
- How to start:
- Shoot the upper loop repeatedly to explore Places of Interest. On Pro, shoot the Sundries scoop when Vault 4 is lit to start its story multiball.
- What to shoot:
- The shots for each Vault 4 multiball phase are not yet documented in this guide.
- What you earn:
- Vault 4 starts with two balls. Completing a phase adds another ball.
- This Wasteland exploration feature is separate from spelling VAULT for lunchbox multiball.
Fallout Radio
- How to start:
- Hit the Radio Tower target to light colored music-note shots. Shoot a lit note to start its song.
- What to shoot:
- Follow the song’s scoring instructions. Hit the Radio Tower when its Radio Jackpot light flashes to collect the jackpot.
- What you earn:
- The song has its own scoring pattern. Some Enchanted Evening rewards loops; a flashing Radio Jackpot is collected at the Radio Tower.
- A Radio Jackpot can also appear as a last chance near the end of a song; collect it before that opportunity expires.
RadAway hurry-ups
- How to start:
- Hit the Radroach targets to start RadAway hurry-ups.
- What to shoot:
- Shoot the flashing RadAway shot before its countdown ends.
- What you earn:
- Collect the hurry-up award before the countdown ends.
- During Deathclaw multiball on Pro, hit all the Radroach targets to add a ball.
Fat Man — Premium/LE
- How to start:
- Hit the Mini Nuke targets to light the Fat Man. Shoot the Pip-Boy ramp to load the launcher.
- What to shoot:
- Press the button as the launcher aims at the required shooting-gallery target to fire the ball.
- What you earn:
- The shooting gallery’s scoring awards are not yet documented in this guide.
- Switch hits fill the AP meter. With V.A.T.S. enabled, the Fat Man automatically aims at a selected target; press the button to fire. Pro has no physical launcher or shooting gallery.
Resources and abilities
Character choice
Before plunging, choose Lucy, the Ghoul, or Maximus.
- Lucy starts with the V in VAULT and Perception, which lets her steal any displayed shop item.
- The Ghoul heals from radiation. Radroach hits give him more quest time instead of reducing his health.
- Maximus can activate Power Armor with any available charge and keeps it running longer. Lucy and the Ghoul need at least half a charge.
- Earning XP enables S.P.E.C.I.A.L. perks. Read the Pip-Boy during perk selection for each perk’s effect.
Skill shot
Time your plunge so the ball reaches the right inlane while its bottle-cap light is lit. The skill shot lowers the Nuka-Cola spinner. Shoot the lowered spinner to collect bottle caps.
- The bottle-cap lights in both inlanes alternate on a timer.
Cap Stash
Roll through the inlanes to complete them and light Cap Stash. Roll through the flashing inlane to lower the Nuka-Cola spinner. Shoot the lowered spinner to collect bottle caps while it spins.
Sundries
Shoot the Sundries scoop to enter the shop. Spend your bottle caps on an item; read the Pip-Boy for the item’s effect.
- A Fusion Core supplies Power Armor. Nuka-Cola completes the inlanes. Buffout extends multiball. The shop’s inventory changes, so check which items are available.
Stealing
Shoot the Sundries scoop to enter the shop. Select Steal for an eligible item. If you get caught, shoot the right ramp before the escape timer ends to keep the item.
- Lucy starts with Perception, allowing theft of any displayed item. Without that perk, theft is restricted to the bottom item. The shop displays the chance of success.
- Escaping raises prices on later shop visits. Failing to escape can cost your remaining caps and Fusion Core.
Weapon upgrades
Hit the Junk target to collect junk toward weapon upgrades. Upgraded weapons increase playfield scoring.
- Watch the weapon and junk counters on the display. Junk can also come from looting. If you have legendary junk, shoot Sundries to see the special trade offered for it.
Power Armor
Buy a Fusion Core at the Sundries scoop, or hit the targets around the left pop bumper to charge your core. Maximus needs any charge; Lucy and the Ghoul need at least half. Hold the Action Button to activate Power Armor and increase playfield scoring.
- Hold the Action Button again to turn Power Armor off; this costs some remaining charge. A short press uses a lit companion ability instead.
Companion ability
With a companion active and its ability lit, tap the Action Button to use the ability.
- Victor lowers the Nuka-Cola spinner. Mr. Handy can help with Deathclaw multiball.
- Leveling up restores a companion ability. A long press activates Power Armor instead.
Need to know
- Model differences
- The pictured playfield is Pro, with a stationary Vault door. Premium and LE add the opening Vault door, lower playfield, Fat Man launcher, and shooting gallery. Their Vault Experiment instructions are labeled separately.
Vaults lead to experiments, lunchboxes and multiball. Bottle caps buy Fusion Cores for Power Armor, which increases playfield scoring while active. Quests use health as their timer; entering a Vault pauses a running Quest, which resumes alongside Vault multiball.
The goal
Strategy in progress. This guide draws on live-stream gameplay and commentary. Fallout’s rules are still evolving, and some strategies remain unverified. We’ll refine the guide as more information becomes available.
Work through Vaults and collect their multiball jackpots.Use Cap Stash money to buy Fusion Cores, then activate Power Armor when you have valuable awards ready to collect.Treat RadAway as another scoring opportunity, not a required detour from the Vault route.
- Choose Lucy for a head start on the VaultBefore plunging, choose Lucy. She starts with the V in VAULT, leaving fewer letters to collect for your first Vault.
Maximus is an alternative if you want more flexibility with Power Armor setup details
- Maximus is an alternative if you want more flexibility with Power Armor: he can activate it with any charge and keeps it running longer. Lucy and the Ghoul need at least half a charge.
- Collect caps for a Fusion CoreComplete the inlanes to light Cap Stash. Roll through the flashing inlane to lower the Nuka-Cola spinner, then shoot the lowered spinner to collect bottle caps. Shoot Sundries and buy a Fusion Core when one is available.
Complete the inlanes to light Cap Stash.
- Repeated spinner shots collect more caps while the spinner is available. This supports the Vault route; you do not need to finish shopping before starting a ready Vault.
- Hitting the targets around the left pop bumper also charges your core. Watch the charge meter before trying to activate Power Armor.
- Spell VAULT at the Jump RampShoot the Jump Ramp into the Vault door to collect the remaining VAULT letters. Follow the Pro or Premium/LE instructions below for your machine.
- On Pro, find and open the lunchboxAfter spelling VAULT, shoot Sundries. Shoot a blue-lit shot to find the lunchbox, then shoot Sundries again to open it and start Vault multiball.
- On Premium/LE, complete the Vault experimentAfter spelling VAULT, shoot through the opened Vault door. Use the flipper buttons to catch and release the ball with Magna-Flip in the lower playfield. Complete the displayed objective to earn the lunchbox and start Vault multiball.
After spelling VAULT, shoot through the opened Vault door.
- Each experiment has its own objective. Follow its display rather than treating every Vault as the same mode.
- Collect the Vault jackpotsDuring Vault multiball, shoot the quickly flashing blue shot marked with a VAULT insert to collect jackpots and advance the sequence. The other blue award shots increase the jackpot value.
During Vault multiball, shoot the quickly flashing blue s…
- On Pro, later lunchbox searches exclude the blue shots you used previously. Use a remaining blue-lit shot when you return to the Vault route.
- Use Power Armor when there is something to collectWith enough charge and a valuable jackpot ready, hold the Action Button to activate Power Armor, then shoot the lit jackpot. Use the charge for a scoring opportunity you can reach rather than waiting indefinitely for a perfect Super Jackpot.
With enough charge and a valuable jackpot ready, hold the…
- Power Armor increases playfield scoring while active. Holding the Action Button again turns it off but costs some charge; a short press uses a lit companion ability instead.
- The strongest activation timing is still being tested. This is not a promise of a particular jackpot value.
Sources and references10 references10 source links and outbound references.
- OPDB — Fallout Pro playfield photograph
- Fallout designer launch presentation — common features, September 2, 2026
- Kineticist launch overview and original apron instructions
- James Zahn’s original hands-on: caps and shopping
- James Fremont’s original hands-on: shop consequences
- Stern design-team Pro gameplay — September 16, 2026
- LoserKid original interview with the Fallout design team
- FunWithBonus Fallout LE gameplay, October 1, 2026: Vault progression
- FunWithBonus: Cap Stash and Power Armor planning
- FunWithBonus: RadAway scoring discussion (provisional)
Contribute to this ruleset!
Rulesheet updated