What would you get if you crossed platforming with pinball? Well, solo developer at Apparition Games, Tom Voros, kindly lent us their time to discuss the arrival of Pinball Spire, which is available now via publishing platform indie.io.
Pinball Spire combines all of the familiar mechanics of pinball with platforming and puzzle solving for a unique approach to the classic arcade game. Voros says that includes Metroidvania influences and RPG elements too. "I like to think about how game design must've been done in the early days of video games, before game genres got completely stratified, and try to approach things from the perspective of what works in the game," they added.
If you're a fan of games such as Kirby's Pinball Land, Sonic Spinball, and Yoku's Island Express, you'll find something to love in Pinball Spire. Kirby's Pinball Land, for the unfamiliar, stacks three pinball tables on top of one another which then leads to a boss fight upon completion. "It feels like such a natural way to create a sense of progression in the context of pinball," Voros says, "That was probably one of the main influences on my design."
Throughout Pinball Spire you'll set off on a quest to conquer the titular spire. You take on the role of Pip, the pinball star, who must venture through the pinball worlds via the plunger, exploring the inner chambers of a mysterious spire that appeared in their world overnight. Inside the spire is a pinball maze full of secrets, enemies, and puzzles to solve. Pip also has a plethora of abilities that will play a vital role in their journey through the spire. At the spire's peak lurks a formidable challenge.
On your way to the peak, you'll need to rely on a series of abilities to help Pip get there. Using abilities consumes mana, which is gathered throughout your playthrough. Classic action games like Sonic have inspired the action of Pinball Spire. In Sonic 3, abilities are multipurpose and can be used in combat and for traversal. Pinball Spire's abilities will have multiple uses in a similar fashion. "Discovering a new use for an ability you already have is always a fun moment in a game," thinks Voros.
Special abilities provide a source of tension against the inherent chaos of a pinball game, too. Limited mana forces you to think about when the right moment is to trigger a specific ability. "I think the game is more enjoyable when you feel like you have some degree of control over the action," says Voros.
"I'm really happy with the Focus ability," says Voros. This allows the player to slow the game down and get a preview of Pip's trajectory when preparing to shoot from a flipper. "This ability was originally conceived as a debug feature," they continue, "I needed a way to test the various shots I was designing and thought the combination of slowdown and shot preview would be helpful. Once I had the feature implemented I thought it was too cool to be limited to a debug tool."
Voros couldn't think of another pinball game with that ability, so it stayed in the game for players to enjoy. They know it isn't for everyone though. "I expect some of the more experienced pinball players will prefer to play without the Focus ability, and I wanted to support that playstyle as well," Voros elaborates. "The whole game can be completed without [needing to use] the Focus ability, and there's even an achievement there for anyone who can pull it off."
That's not the only way to adjust the difficulty in Pinball Spire though, as you can also use the game tuning menu to adjust the settings and play the way you want. Want to consume more or less mana when triggering abilities? No problem, the game tuning menu has you covered.
As you progress through the spire, Pip will encounter a series of unique level designs. Pinball games can be very punishing if you're not experienced, but Voros has taken that into account with the way the game has been designed. "It's really easy to lose the ball, or maybe even multiple balls in a row, and then feel like you haven't achieved anything," they elaborate, "I wanted Pinball Spire to be more approachable, and eliminating the fear of losing the ball seemed like a great way to do that."
With that in mind, none of the levels in Pinball Spire have bottomless pits. This hopefully encourages you to explore in more directions, so even if you fall there's always a way back up. This structure also took inspiration from Kirby's Pinball Land, which has a vertical layout, as well as the interconnected nature of Metroidvania worlds. "The result is a world that is generally vertical," says Voros, "But also includes some side passages and surprising connections."
Working on Pinball Spire as a solo developer meant Voros had to figure out how best to divide their time, and could only rely on their own knowledge to troubleshoot any technical issues that cropped up, but the positive reaction so far has made the journey all worthwhile. "I hope players will enjoy the journey to climb to the top!" they add, "I'd love the opportunity to expand the game even further." If you want to tackle the Spire yourself, you can buy Pinball Spire now on Steam.