The Walking Dead

"We need to find help before it gets dark."

-Lee Everett

The Walking Dead is a standalone licensed pinball adaptation of the first set of "episodes" of Telltale Games' The Walking Dead video game series, set in the universe of Image Comics' The Walking Dead comic books. Released in the late summer of 2014, this table recaptures the events of all five "episodes" of The Walking Dead: Season One, in which Lee Everett, a hardy survivor of a zombie apocalypse, discovers a young girl named Clementine and must stop at nothing to protect her from both the dangerous Walkers at the core of the conflict as well as hostile individuals, while being forced to make difficult decisions to survive.

This is the second pinball table to be based on The Walking Dead franchise; the first one is a physical table developed by Stern that adapted portions of AMC's television adaptation of the comic series.

Table overview[]

The upper half of the table and motel mini-playfield[]

The table is surrounded by 3-D scale models of various locales from all 5 episodes of The Walking Dead: Season One. The Travelier Motel, a hideout used by Lee and fellow survivors early in the season, is represented by the back left corner of the table. The building itself is a mini-playfield, with the roof taken off to make the ball visible. The motel's parking lot is placed right behind it. The back inner wall of the motel mini-playfield is a target bank containing 10 targets representing Walkers that besiege the motel later into the season. The three rightmost ones can collapse to reveal a hole that the ball can be shot into for a super jackpot. At the front end of this mini-playfield is a pair of flippers that unconventionally face away from each other, with 2 outholes at the front corners of the mini-playfield. A single bumper spelling EVERETT, Lee's last name, is placed between the bumpers. Each outhole, which can be blocked by a gate that can go rigid, drops the ball into a return habitrail, with the left one taking it to a habitrail going to the left inlane while the right one takes it to the bumper area. A scale model of St. John's Dairy Barn is also placed to the left of the motel.

The table's left orbit, which spells SWARM, runs under the hotel mini-playfield while passing through a bumper area, and eventually takes the ball down the opposite right orbit. There is a magnet at the center of this area activated by the right ramp that can draw the ball there for more bumper hits. A miniloop spelling SNIPER wraps around the left two bumpers. The frontmost bumper also has a twin target bank in front of it.

The right end of that miniloop is a crosslane that intersects with the left orbit, passing behind the rearmost two bumpers to connect with the other end of the miniloop. In front of the rightmost bumper is a left ramp that curves over the bumper area, leading the ball to the left inlane habitrail. The right outer wall of this ramp also has 2 targets. Next to that crosslane is a steel grate marked with the words "KEEP OUT!" that opens like a trapdoor to expose a pop-up figure of a Walker. It blocks access to a nearby sinkhole that is shot to start an episode, and there is also a scale model of a train that Clementine hopes would lead to Savannah behind it. To the left of that sinkhole and behind the grate, is a hole where arms of Walkers protrude from to seize the ball. Another sinkhole marked "jackpot" is situated to the left of these hands. To the right of the mission sinkhole is another miniloop spelling SMILE that wraps around the entrance of a right ramp that takes a sharp U-turn before taking the ball down a habitrail to the right inlane. The front corners of its entrance have 2 targets. The back wall of the left end of this miniloop is a gate that can open to divert the ball to a sinkhole where the ball can be locked to start a sniper mini-game or claim extra balls. The right end of this miniloop ends at the right orbit, which spells FORTIFY and is gated by a spinner disguised as a sign with the words "STAY OUT" written on it.

The right side of this orbit is lined with an upper flipper, which can be used to hit targets on the right wall of the left ramp or the right entry of the sniper mini-loop. To the right of the right orbit is a longer ramp leading up and through a scale model of a bell tower that can be rung with the ball, before bringing the ball to a habitrail junction that diverts the ball to either the motel mini-playfield described above, or down a habitrail that links with that of the left ramp.

The lower half of the table[]

There is a ball drop area on the left side of the table that drops the ball down into the leftmost inlane. There are 5 return lanes, 3 on the left and 2 on the right, that spell the phrase SCOUT AHEAD, with 2 letters (one from each word) assigned to each return lane. There are also 2 rebounds and 2 flippers, with the left rebound containing a wrecked car and the right rebound containing a boat. There are also neon lamps for the bonus multipliers near the flippers as well. Each outlane contains a low-power spring-loaded kickback. Figures of Lee Everett and Clementine stand on the table's aprons.

The sniper mini-game[]

The right side of the table is lined with a miniature replica of River Street in Savannah, Georgia, where the fourth episode, "Around Every Corner" is set. It becomes the backdrop of a sniper minigame where the flippers move a sniper rifle on the left side of the table sideways, with the launch button serving as the trigger. There are drop targets of Walkers that pop up throughout River Street that must be shot down with the rifle.

The plunger[]

The plunger is a straight shaft that bends to the left to send the ball diagonally across the playfield and towards the crosslane. A red heavy-duty axe used by Lee to fight the zombies provides the plunger force to launch the ball up the shaft and into play. The shaft exit is gated by a grate sinkhole whose spring-loaded lid opens towards the plunger, allowing the ball to exit the plunger, but otherwise preventing it from returning back to it. If the ball falls into the open grate sinkhole at the plunger exit, it re-enters play from the dropdown behind the left inlane.

To execute a skill shot, the player must immediately use the left flipper to ring the bell with a strong shot up the right bell ramp within several seconds after the ball is shot into play.

Objective and missions[]

The goal of this table is to relive the events of all five "episodes" of the first season of Clementine's journey in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series, in which Lee must protect her and help her find whatever is left of her family at all costs. Each episode is represented by a mission, and a mission will begin once the player knocks down the walker protruding from the Keep Out grate with 3 hits to unblock the mission hole behind it, then shoots that said hole. There, the player uses the flippers and launch button to pick a episode mission to play, and must complete the mission successfully without losing the ball to progress towards the wizard mode. Once an episode is complete, it cannot be repeated until the wizard mode starts. At the start and end of each mission, the player must make a choice (see "Choices" sub-section below), to finish it successfully.

The following episodes must be completed successfully to start the wizard mode:

Episode One - A New Day: Shortly after being forced to kill Walker-ized police officers who arrested him for a revenge killing, Lee stumbles into a nearby neighborhood and finds a defenseless girl named Clementine. Rescuing her, Lee then meets up with a handful of other survivors and must eventually help them fend off Walkers, though not all of the survivors could be saved. To complete this mission, the player must score 1 million points within 28 seconds, using the bumpers and the right orbit spinner.
Episode Two - Starved For Help: Lee's group of survivors take refuge in a motel, but are dangerously low on food. They are then offered food from the St. Johns family, but Lee and the survivors later realize that the St. Johns have been forced to eat human flesh to survive. Horrified at this revelation, the survivors must escape, but not everyone can be saved from being killed or Walker-ized. To complete this mission, the player must draw out and defeat 3 Walkers within time limits for each step. One of 2 randomly lit lanes must be shot to draw out a Walker, which will then raise the Walker figure at the Keep Out grate that must be struck depending on its ordinal number (the first one is defeated with 1 hit, the second one is defeated with 2 hits, etc.)
Episode Three - Long Road Ahead: The motel is no longer safe for the survivors, as bandits and Walkers assault it soon. Lee and the survivors must flee without supplies, deal with the unfortunate tension of losing them and eventually find a train to get them to Savannah in hopes of finding Clementine's parents. The player must help the group fend off walkers en route to Savannah by completing the following procedure 3 times: shoot one of 2 randomly lit lanes that change every 6 seconds, then shoot the ball at the walker hands to the left of the mission hole so that they capture the ball.
Episode Four - Around Every Corner: The survivors make it to Savannah and need to get to a boat to continue further, but must deal with Walkers and a corrupt community. This mission consists of one attempt at the sniper mini-game where the player must shoot 10 Walkers in the streets of Savannah threatening the survivors with only limited time that slightly increases with each hit, and limited ammunition, meaning if the player takes too long to shoot all walkers or misses too many times, the mission will fail.
Episode Five - No Time Left: In the ensuing chaos of Around Every Corner, Clementine is kidnapped and Lee is bitten by a Walker and will soon be Walker-ized, either before or after his death. Now, before that happens, he must stop at nothing to rescue her with the remaining survivors, but before that happens, he must find a way to escape a morgue under siege by Walkers. The player helps Lee and any survivors with him escape by knocking out 5 Walkers that walk down the main playfield towards the flippers, and after that wave is dealt with, a 2-ball multiball will begin (which will not draw out bonus balls from the ball locker) where the player must help Lee ring the bell tower to lure the Walkers away and get a chance to fend them off for a good escape. To accomplish this, the player must send either ball up the bell ramp 3 times while making sure that none of the endless waves of Walkers reach the flippers and keeping both balls in play.

After all 5 episodes are completed, the wizard mode, Clementine, will begin, as a victory multiball in which Clementine is rescued and begins her journey to survive in earnest shortly after Lee's death. (At least 3 balls will be provided, but more can be added depending on how many balls are locked in the ball locker.) Any lane awards a jackpot, which increases by 10,000 every time it is collected and carries over between attempts. A Super Jackpot can be collected at the back right sinkhole of the motel mini-playfield, which grows in value every time the jackpot sinkhole left of the Walker hands, behind the Keep Out grate, is hit. (It may be necessary to knock out the walker at the Keep Out grate to unblock this hole.) The wizard mode will continue until all but one ball is left, and the table will then reset.

Choices[]

Throughout the course of Season One, Lee must make crucial and sometimes difficult decisions, mostly ones in which there is no clearly "moral" option. These decisions can affect the fates of certain survivors, and/or Lee's relationships with them as well as with Clementine. Reflecting the decisions that must be made in the game, the player must make two decisions per episode, one at the start and another at the end, to complete its mission successfully. Each decision has two possible choices and is randomly selected from a pool of possible decisions in the current episode, but they ultimately do not impact the course of play.

The decision at the start of the episode is made by using the flippers to choose a choice, which is confirmed when a timer runs out or the launch button is pressed, whichever comes first. The decision at the end of the episode, however, requires the player to shoot one of four lit lanes (the left end of the Sniper miniloop, the left Swarm orbit, the left end of the Smile miniloop or the right Fortify orbit) while the ball is in play within a time limit, with one choice mapped to the left 2 lanes (the left end of the Sniper miniloop or the left Swarm orbit) and the other choice mapped to the right 2 lanes (the left end of the Smile miniloop or the right Fortify orbit). Failure to make a decision within a time limit results in failure of the current mission, even if its objectives were met, meaning it must be started over from the beginning.

Side modes[]

The following side modes can be activated:

Food is Scarce: In this dangerous apocalypse, food is always at a premium. If the player makes 3 consecutive shots up either ramp, a supply run will start and the player must shoot any of the four lanes used to make the mission-ending choice (see Choices above) to collect a food ration, which adds 4 seconds back to a time limit. The mode ends successfully after 5 rations are collected in time.
Scout Ahead: Before going somewhere else, survivors must scout the area ahead for Walkers. If the player spells the phrase SCOUT AHEAD on the return lane rollovers (whose lit positions can be cycled with flipper buttons), a side mode will begin where the player must help the survivors find a safe way forward by shooting either of 2 lit lanes 5 times within a time limit, while avoiding a larger Walker ball that rolls across the table to block off lanes, and hitting it will teleport the ball to the plunger where it is shot back into play. Each successful target lane hit adds 5 seconds back to the timer.
Swarm: Walkers become very dangerous when they arrive in swarms. If the player spells SWARM on the left orbit, a wave of Walkers will appear in front of table lanes and the player must hit them with the ball to wipe them out and keep everyone safe. The player must defeat 15 Walkers within 42 seconds before any of them make it to the flippers.
Life-Saving Arms: Weapons of any kind are needed to fend off Walkers as well as anyone hostile who threatens survival. If the player hits the 2 targets at the frontmost bumper and the right ramp entrance (for a total of 4 targets), a search for weapons will begin. The player must shoot both ends of the sniper mini-loop and the left Swarm orbit within 22 seconds to get the weapons. A successful completion of this mode awards 3 extra bullets for the Sniper side mode.
Make Them Smile: If the player spells SMILE with shots up the left end of the smile miniloop, Lee and Clementine can have some fun passing a soccer ball around to pass the time. The player must shoot one of a few lit lanes 3 times to make the correct passes, with each one awarding 5 seconds to a 13-second time limit.
Supply Run: Supplies for survival must be found to keep on living in this world of death. If the player accesses the motel mini-playfield via a shot up the bell tower ramp, then hits all 10 Walker targets at its back walls, a supply run will begin. Within 37 seconds, the player must gather 25 supply items for the group to keep on living. Each Walker target on the mini-playfield and bumper hit grants 1 item and shots up any lane except the left end of the Smile miniloop or the crosslane entry into the Sniper miniloop awards 3 items.
Everett's: Lee must develop combat skills on the fly to fend off Walkers. If the player spells EVERETT'S on the single bumper at the motel mini-playfield with 8 hits, the exit gates at the mini-playfield's outholes will go rigid, preventing the ball from leaving the mini-playfield and the player must hit the Walker targets at the back wall to raise the jackpot and then claim it by shooting any opening behind the targets. This mode continues for 22 seconds, and then the mini-playfield flippers will be disabled and the gates will open to drop the ball out of the mini-playfield.
Sniper: One of the most valuable weapons capable of taking out Walkers is a sniper rifle that can eliminate them from afar. If the player spells SNIPER with 6 shots through the Sniper mini-loop, the left end of the mini-loop will divert the ball to a sinkhole that captures the ball to start one round of the sniper minigame, in which a sniper rifle is aimed at River Street in Savannah and the player must use it to shoot cardboard targets of Walkers. The rifle is pivoted sideways with the flippers, and the launch button operates the trigger. The sniper rifle only has limited ammunition and the mode has limited time before the mode ends.

Multiball[]

There are two multiball modes on this table, and they can be instantly activated if a certain procedure is followed, with no need to lock any balls. However, more balls can be added if the player locks balls behind the left end of the smile miniloop. To open the ball locker, the player must use cross-shots to hit both targets on the right outer wall of the left ramp's entrance, which will then make the left end of the smile miniloop divert the ball to the ball locker. When a multiball (or the wizard mode) begins, any and all balls in the locker will be brought into play as bonus balls for the current multiball mode, emptying it out and requiring the player to lock more balls in order to add bonus balls to the next multiball mode.

Lure Them Away Multiball: The survivors must do anything to lure Walkers away and keep good distance to avoid danger. If the player takes a ball into the super jackpot hole in the motel mini-playfield, opened with hits to the rightmost 3 targets on its back wall, a multiball will begin where a jackpot becomes available to claim at the left end of the sniper miniloop, which diverts the ball to a sinkhole within 9 seconds after a lit lane is shot. After 9 seconds, one lane will relight and any lit lane must be shot for another chance at the jackpot. Shooting more lit lanes within the timeframe before hitting the abovementioned jackpot sinkhole will multiply the jackpot.
Fortify the Shelter Multiball: Fortifications must be built to fend off Walkers. If the player spells FORTIFY with 7 shots up the right orbit, a 2-ball multiball will begin. At least one lit lane must be shot for a chance to shoot the left end of the sniper miniloop for a jackpot, which diverts the ball to a sinkhole. The value of the jackpot increases if more lit lanes are shot. Alternately, if the player hits all the Walker targets in the motel mini-playfield, the right 3 targets will lower to reveal a hole that can be shot for a super jackpot.

Perks[]

The following perks can be obtained throughout play:

Ball Saver: A 30-second ball saver is granted at the start of each ball and multiball mode. Once it expires, it cannot be reactivated normally.
Kickbacks: Lee must find as much protection as possible to avoid loss of life. If the player hits the spinner at the right orbit 15 times, a kickback will be awarded, first for the left outlane and again for the right outlane. If both kickbacks are turned on, every 15 spins will grant a Savannah bonus, starting from 500,000 points and increasing by that amount every time it is awarded, up to a max of 5 million. Kickbacks are only good for the current ball.
Bonus Multiplier: Shooting the right ramp will briefly turn on a magnet at the bumper area. Hitting the bumpers 15 times while the magnet is on will advance the bonus multiplier, which is only good for the current ball. Once it is maxed out at 10x, the next 15 bumper hits while the magnet is on will award an extra ball, and any further 15 hits will grant a Walker bonus that starts at 500,000 points and increases by that amount.
Extra Balls: Extra balls can be lit by maxing out the bonus multiplier, executing a 6-way combo, winning side modes a total of 10 times, or adding a total of 7 balls to the ball locker. Extra balls must then be claimed by shooting the left end of the Sniper miniloop, which diverts the ball to a sinkhole.

Tips[]

Ball survivability is difficult to maintain on this table particularly due to the fact that it's impossible to reactivate the ball saver by normal means once it expires. To compensate for this, go for activating the kickbacks at the start of each ball by shooting the right orbit until both kickbacks are on.
Time is of the essence when it comes to completing the missions. It is therefore essential to practice and master the flipper timing, as well as the flipper-switching nudge (in case the ball is on a less favorable flipper), to make sure you can quickly shoot the correct lanes in time to progress through and finish each mission. When it comes to the final mission-ending choice, just go for any of the four lanes - the choices are insignificant.
Make efforts to earn extra balls so that you'll have enough to get through all 5 missions, as well as provide insurance in case you fail a mission by draining the ball, which can be a devastating setback for anyone who seeks to get to the wizard mode. It may take a lot of work to get them (although the 6-way combo is the fastest way to get an extra ball), but they can be very helpful to compensate for the difficulty of ball survivability.