It's hard to believe that Dungeons & Dragons has not had a dedicated pinball machine in its 50+ year lifespan. The popular role-playing game has had an entire franchise spawned from it - including live-action movies and cartoon shows - I suppose it's fitting that a pinball machine would be released in time for its milestone birthday. Stern Pinball officially announced the release the game in January of 2025, but rumors about the game began circulating in late 2024.
While yes, Dungeons & Dragons is still being produced, it is still a unique collector's piece in the RPG world. Not many RPGs become pinball machines, despite the two worlds complementing each other well. In a way, pinball is an RPG, but that might be a stretch!
As with most Stern models, there are three versions you can buy. Pro ($6,999), Premium ($9,699), and Limited Edition ($12,999). Both the Premium and LE are being limited to only 740 games globally, in reference to the year D&D came out, 1974. The Pro model will not be limited. The game is still in production, and Stern has already released at least one update code for the game.
I recently got to play both a Pro and Premium edition, and while I prefer the Premium, both games are fundamentally the same (the Premium and LE have different cosmetic features and in-game toys). Players can play as a Paladin, Cleric, Wizard, or Rogue, which players of D&D should get a kick out of. Players can even unlock the Ranger, Barbarian, and Bard through each campaign. Callouts are provided by some impressive talents, including Kevin Smith, Gerard Way, and Matthew Mercer. The sculpted dragon, Rath the Relentless, is a cool toy, but it does remind me of the T Rex in Jurassic Park. The artwork on the machine is also great, but that should come as no surprise, as D&D artist Vincent Proce was behind it.
While this is a fairly niche game, it is a ton of fun to play. Players can also "save" their game via the Stern Insider app, so you can pick up where you left off, like a real D&D game. As this game is still in production by Stern, judging its long-term value is hard. If you've never played D&D, there is always the chance that you may shy away from this machine, but don't. I've only played D&D twice in my whole life (and I know very little about it), yet this game is a ton of fun and engaging. I also appreciate the use of the gelatinous cube, one of the few items I am always quick to recognize from D&D!
If you have the chance to grab one of these for yourselves, why not? If I had to pick between the Pro and Premium, I'm inclined to go for the Premium. However, for the price, you may as well jump to the LE version. You do not need to have any background knowledge on Dungeons & Dragons to enjoy this fantasy pinball machine!
