John Wick Rulesheet

Quick Links:

[Official Rulesheet]

Game Information & Overview:

  • Lead Designer: Elliot Eismin
  • Code/Rules: Tim Sexton, Joshua Henderson
  • Lead Mechanical Engineer:
  • Artwork: Randy Martinez
  • Display and Animations:
  • Sound Design: Jerry Thompson
  • Release Date: May 2024
  • Wiki Rulesheet based on Code Rev: 0.88
  • Edit the Code revision, if applicable, when you make changes

Following the death of his beloved pet dog Daisy at the hands of a Russian crime family, John Wick comes out of retirement from his old life as a cold-blooded assassin with the sole goal of taking revenge on those who wronged him. Worse comes to worst when former associates and fellow assassins aim to take John down. With the help of Winston, owner of the New York Continental, and other allies, John must defeat the members of the High Table. John Wick is the first pinball machine designed by former mechanical engineer Elliot Eismin and takes influence from all four mainline films in the series.

Rules Overview:

  • Shoot the weapons case / VUK to light jobs, then VUK to start them. Lit shots during jobs are only scored if the enemies (blue circles) at that shot have been cleared out with prior shots.
  • Defeat enemies during single-ball play to light left eject for battle. Battles are single-ball modes with a long ball save but you need to cash out by hitting the blood marker targets, then the left eject again. Battles prevent progress towards other objectives while running.
  • Bash car enough times to light car chase multiball at left orbit (four for the first multiball). On default settings they are played in a random order.
  • Captive ball spells WINSTON to light locks for deconsecrated multiball at the center ramp.
  • Orange targets near the ramps light excommunicado multiball at the Red Circle.
  • Blood marker (left) standup targets light outlane ball save.

Layout:

Premium/LE:

Pro:

Modes of Play:

These modes are accessible by holding both flipper buttons during attract mode until a menu appears. The following options are available:

  • Standard:
    See below for full rulesheet.
  • Competition: Specific Jobs are tied to specific factions (randomized in standard), Car multi-balls are played in order (not based on daily random seed).
  • DJ Mixer
    NOT a gameplay mode. This mode operates like a jukebox, allowing you to play the music featured in the machine, including a number of specific playlists.
  • Competition Install
    Not from the gameplay menu, but the following is changed if a Competition Install is performed from the utilities menu:

Skill Shots:

  • Plunge the ball into the right VUK, without hitting any other switches, for a crate skill shot. This starts a job + scores 1.5M if no switches were hit, advances towards lighting job + scores 750k if one switch was hit, and scores lower if switches were hit.
  • Plunge the ball into the backdoor to the Red Circle club for a VIP skill shot. Starts at 650k.
  • (Prem / LE) Plunge the ball behind the car for a car skill shot. Starts at 850k.

Jobs:

Shoot the weapons crate or the right VUK to advance the blue lights in front of the crate. Once all three are lit solid, the right VUK will light to start the next job. Starting any job will spawn enemies and is a quick way to spawn them if none are currently available. Allies can be used during jobs if qualified by shooting their respective shots.

Each job is timed for 60 seconds, with 3 seconds added for each shot made. The timer can also be extended by 30 seconds, once per job, by completing the weapons crate targets and then shooting the right VUK to boost the timer.

There are seven factions to complete jobs for and each of the seven jobs is assigned to one of the factions. The job that each faction is assigned to will vary each game, but is the same for all players (exp: the faction assigned the Gather Intel job will be the same faction for players 1-4). In competition mode the job that each faction is assigned is always the same. The color of the job shots is determined by the faction not by the job assignment.

You can select which faction you want to start a job for by shooting the associated shot for that faction to light its insert before you start a job.

Mapping of shots to factions:
Left Eject → The Bowery (Purple)
Left Orbit/Spinner → New York Continental (Green)
Left Ramp → Osaka Continental (Red)
Red Circle → The High Table (White)
Center Ramp → Ruska Roma (Yellow)
Right Orbit → The Marquis De Gramont (Blue)
Right Ramp → Tarasov Family (Orange)

The seven job types are:

  • Security Detail - hit random shots to clear the wave. Clear 3 waves to finish.
  • Escort the VIP - hit lit shot and enemies to move VIP (starts at the left orbit or right orbit, moves one shot to the right / left with each shot). Move VIP enough to finish (ie. reach either orbit).
  • Night Watch - hit lit shots before they relight. Hit all shots to finish.
  • Assassination - shoot enemies to reveal target. Defeat 3 targets to finish.
  • Task a Crew - hit shots without enemies to control them. Control all shots to finish.
  • Heist - hit lit shots (Red Circle, center ramp, right loop) before enemies reach them. Complete 3 waves of shots to finish.
  • Gather Intel - shoot the left, center, and right ramps. Hit two of each ramp shot to finish.

The final shot for each job is at the left eject shot, and awards 20% of the total score from the completed job. Enemies at that shot must be cleared out before the final shot can be scored.

Play a job for all seven factions to qualify The Duel.

Competition mode job summary:

Shot Faction Faction color Job (in competition mode) Instructions
Left Eject The Bowery Purple Night Watch Hit lit shots before they relight.
Left Orbit (Spinner) New York Continental Green Heist Hit lit shots before enemies reach them.
Left Ramp Osaka Continental Red Security Detail Hit random shots to clear the wave. Clear 3 waves to finish.
Pops (via Dance Club lane) The High Table White Escort the VIP Hit lit shot and enemies to move VIP.
Center Ramp Ruska Roma Yellow Assassination Shoot enemies to reveal target. Defeat 3 targets to finish.
Right Orbit The Marquis De Gramont Blue Gather Intel Shoot the left, center, and right ramps.
Right Ramp Tarasov Family Orange Task a Crew Hit shots without enemies to control them. Control all shots to finish.

Adversaries / Locations:

As soon as the first enemy shot (blue circle) is hit in a game, a location will be assigned. The player must defeat a certain amount of enemies while in this location to light the left eject (the administration shot) for adversary battle. The required enemies are randomly chosen, based on the daily seed, from the following:

  • John Wick’s House (16 enemies)
  • Abandoned Building - Paris (19 enemies)
  • Catacombs (34 enemies)

Enemies cannot be defeated for location progress while any multiball mode is active, though defeated enemies will still add to mode & jackpot values.

Adversary battles are 200-second timed modes that can be changed (from left to right) with shots to the left standup targets to change which battle will start. These represent the one-on-one battles from the films, and take priority over all other game features.

After enough shots are made during the battle, a 10M “be seeing you” bonus is awarded. The shots required for “be seeing you” are different in each battle, and it doesn’t need to be collected to “complete” the battle; it just scores substantial points.

The blood oath marker serves a different purpose during battles. The standard marker ball save rule is disabled; instead, hitting both blood marker standup targets (once each) will light the left eject to escape the battle and award a cashout bonus, worth 20% of the points scored during the battle.

Once any adversary battle has been played, the blood marker’s obligation will be fulfilled, and ball save will be requalified at the left standup targets if it has been used. If a lit ball save hasn’t been used before a battle starts, +10 seconds will be added to the battle’s initial ball save timer.

When administration light is lit, the selected adversary battle can be toggled via the blood oath standup targets.

The five adversaries are:

  • Viggo: Shoot the car or captive ball to light gold shots for bonuses. “Be seeing you” - awarded by hitting any lit shot (including gold shots) 12 times.
  • Kirill: Shoot the random flashing red shots, which alternate between left and right and decrease in quantity as they are made, to light the Red Circle for their combined total (up to 12M). “Be seeing you” - awarded after collecting 12 shots.
  • Cassian: Switch frenzy mode. One shot is flashing purple for jackpot, which moves across the playfield as orange standup targets or pop bumpers are hit. The jackpot increases as lit blue shots are made or switch hits are registered. “Be seeing you” - awarded after scoring 6 jackpots.
  • Ares: All shots are lit white to score increasing points, but only one shot is lit red and moves sporadically. The red shot finds Ares and scores 2x the built-up value, and can be seen for a brief time with pop bumper hits or slingshot hits. “Be seeing you” - awarded after making 8 red shots.
  • Zero: Combo mode. Shoot any light blue shot to score combos, then either the car, captive ball (1x collect), or right eject (2x collect) to complete them. “Be seeing you” - awarded after five combos have been cashed out.

Defeat all five adversaries to qualify The Staircase.

Multiballs:

During any multiball, balls can be added (once per multiball) by completing the orange standup targets, then shooting the Administration shot (left eject).

Car Chase Multiballs:

Bash the car to light the left orbit for car chase multiball. On Prem / LE models, the car can be hit from multiple angles and will lock the ball once the multiball starts. Increase the car bash value by ripping the spinner at the left orbit.

The first multiball requires only four car hits to light. Subsequent multiballs add +2 more car hits to qualify.

There are four different car chase multiballs, and the order for all four multiballs is randomized by default based on the daily seed. They are listed here based on the order they were played in on launch code.

  • Helipad Showdown: Shoot red shots to collect showdown awards and increase the jackpot awarded by hitting the car. Either a single, 2x, 3x, or 4x jackpot can be awarded based on how many “car” inserts are lit (1 additional shot is needed to light each jackpot, so 9 shots are needed for a 4x jackpot). After four jackpots have been scored, the car can be hit for a super jackpot worth the combined jackpot total, and the left orbit can be shot for a 2x super jackpot.
  • Taxicab Chase: Starts with a 15-second timed hurry-up to hit the car and lock in the hurry-up jackpot value (starting at 750k). Shoot sets of lit chase awards to increase (and light) the jackpot at the car; the jackpot multiplier increases with each subsequent jackpot scored, and each jackpot requires one more award to light. After collecting four jackpots, the left orbit lights for a super jackpot worth their combined total, which can be further increased by bashing the car.
  • Motorcycle Pursuit:
  • Bagarre a Letoile: Shoot any ramp to light the car for jackpots, and the orbits to increase the jackpot multiplier up to 4x & collect awards. The jackpot must be relit each time it has been scored. After collecting four jackpots, the car is lit to collect four super jackpots, worth the combined jackpot total.

Excommunicado Multiball:

Complete the three orange standup targets surrounding the left ramp and right ramp enough times to light the Red Circle for excommunicado multiball. Three target completions are required to light the first excommunicado multiball of a game.

Excommunicado multiball starts with a 15-second timed single-ball phase, with a ball save, where the player can hit shots to increase the jackpot value during the subsequent multiball. During this phase, orange target hits will add 5 seconds of time. Once the timer expires, 2-ball multiball begins. Hit the red flashing shots on the left and right sides of the playfield for jackpots and the Red Circle w/ lit for super jackpot. If both shot paths are on the Red Circle at the same time, a 2x super jackpot will be scored.

The super jackpot is worth 1M + (2.5k x enemies this game) + (25k x enemies this ball) + (150k x enemies this mode).

Deconsecrated Multiball:

Shoot the captive ball under the Continental to spell WINSTON and light the lock at the center ramp (virtual on Pro, physical on Prem / LE). Only two captive ball hits are required to light locks for the first multiball, and each lock has to be collected before the next one can be lit. Lock 3 balls for deconsecrated multiball.

During deconsecrated multiball, shoot the green shots to score awards worth 200k + (25k x enemies this mode) and increase the multiplier for the captive ball jackpot (indicated by how many letters in WINSTON are flashing), which starts at 500k + (75k x enemies this mode) + (5k x enemies this ball). If jackpot isn’t lit at the captive ball, it will spot an award instead.

For the first round of jackpots, each shot lights one letter in WINSTON. Once all the letters in WINSTON have been lit by collecting jackpots, shoot the center ramp for the super jackpot worth the jackpot total. The jackpot sequence then resets.

The super jackpot is worth 2.5M + (2.5k x enemies this game) + (25k x enemies this ball) + (250k x enemies this mode).

Other Scoring:

Enemies:

Enemies spawn in several ways:

  • One spawns every 20 seconds by default.
  • At the start of the ball, a number of enemies will spawn based on the current number of the ball in play (ie. on ball 2, 2 enemies will spawn).
  • Every job or multiball played will spawn +1 enemy. This total is reset as soon as a battle is played.
  • Hit 4 total switches in the Red Circle to spawn an enemy.
  • Fall into the VIP lane above the Red Circle to spawn an enemy.

Enemies take priority over other shots they are lit at. Defeat enemies to increase the shot values during jobs and multiballs. Up to three enemies can be spawned per shot at a time. Solidly lit blue inserts correspond to armored enemies, which require two shots to defeat.

During single-ball play, defeating enemies will also count down towards lighting the left eject for adversary battle. This rule is disabled during multiball play.

Over the course of the game, enemy difficulty will increase based on the shots that the player is currently struggling or needs to make. Enemies might also shift between shots.

Defeat 10 enemies to light extra ball.

Lights Out:

(Not implemented as of 0.88. This is set to be a playfield X rule qualified by completing the YAGA return lanes, and then using the action button.)

Allies:

Shoot the left, center, or right ramp while no modes are running to qualify allies. Allies will help you out during the next job or multiball mode by clearing out enemies in unique ways.

As soon as the job or multiball ends, the ally will be disqualified and must be qualified again by hitting their respective ramp one more time than before.

The three allies are:

  • Akira: Left ramp. Defeats all enemies at the shot that currently has the most enemies active, prioritized from the left to right side of the playfield.
  • Charon: Center ramp. Destroys all “armored” (ie. solidly lit) enemies on the playfield, ie. solidly lit blue circles will start flashing as they normally do and only require one hit.
  • Katia: Right ramp. Defeats 1 unarmored enemy at all shots where there are unarmored enemies.

Gold Coins:

Bounces into the gold coin targets (above the weapons crate) light random shots for gold coins, or increase the coin value if they are already lit. The coin value starts at 200k and only one shot can be lit for a gold coin at a time.

Marker Ball Save:

Hit any of the left standup targets 4 times to light an outlane for marker ball save. The flashing outlane can be changed by pressing the flippers. If a ball save is already lit, the targets will add to the value. Ball save can be requalified by playing an adversary battle, fulfilling the blood marker’s obligation in the process.

If a ball save is lit, but hasn’t been collected yet, and the player starts an adversary battle, the ball save will be converted to +10 seconds of ball save time during the battle. They cannot be used during battles.

Extra Balls:

Extra ball is lit at the left eject after:

  • Defeating enough enemies (approx. 10 for the first extra ball)
  • Playing four jobs

Extra balls score 10M if disabled.

End-of-Ball Bonus:

Wizard Modes:

The Duel:

Lit after playing a job for all seven factions.

The Staircase:

Lit after defeating all five adversaries.

Special Assignment:

Lit after playing both The Duel and The Staircase.

4 Likes

Thanks as always for getting this started so quickly!

1 Like

@CaptainBZarre, looks like I can’t edit this rulesheet like I can the others. Can you open it up to everyone to make edits?

Edit:
Can someone wiki this post so we can all add edits? @joe can you help with this?

Rulesheet has been Wikified. Thanks as always to @CaptainBZarre for the diligence in getting these sheets drafted so quickly.

1 Like

How do the inlane rollovers work? I’ve got an idea.

When viewing them on stream it kind of looks like they have a Barracora vibe where the right flipper works the top “BABA” set (and they move only right) and the left flipper works the bottom “YAGA” set (and they move only left). And similar to the Barracora rollovers if the top row letter is unlit when rolled over it will light (but not the bottom), and if lit it will light the bottom row letter (if unlit).

I think BABA controls the bonus multiplier. The YAGA might light something not coded in yet (“Lights Out”) but I’m not sure.

I’m sure there’s a better way to explain that, but it’s effectively Barracora.

Yes I think you’re right. They behaved that way for me.

This is correct. BABA increases the bonus X and is controlled with the right flipper. YAGA qualifies lights out (playfield X) and is controlled with the left flipper + can only be lit at lanes that already have a BABA letter lit.

1 Like

Made edits to the Jobs section. Even though the jobs appear to be randomly assigned to a diff faction every game, it is the same faction for all players. In a tournament setting, if you pay attention to what job your opponents get and the faction it was assigned to, you can then choose to play that same job or avoid that faction if it is a job that you don’t want to play.

I haven’t played the game enough, but as of code .81, it seems like Gather Intel and Assassination are the two best jobs scoring wise.

2 Likes

Is “The Duel” in the code yet? I played all the modes, then re-lit and went back in the scoop, and it restarted a mode I already played. So I figure either it isn’t coded, or I needed to complete something I hadn’t the first time.

Also, does anyone know if you can stack adversary battles into the various multiballs? (You can definitely start a regular mode then start a MB)

Duel and Staircase are TBD. The game is currently on very early code (0.81) so they might take a bit to add.

Adversary battles are mutually exclusive and nothing else can be brought into them or stacked during them. Job modes can be stacked with multiballs, but can only be started in single-ball play.

Release notes for 0.84 say:

  • Ball Save:
    • Increased the default Ball Save time to 9 seconds.
    • Added checks to prevent the initial ball save from timing down when the
      ball is in the Red Circle Dance Club or the Crate VUK.

But I am seeing that the first ball of a game still has an extremely short ball save timeout - especially if you skillshot into the VUK and let the callout complete, the ball save lamp will be rapidly flashing by the time the VUK fires, giving you maybe 2 seconds of playfield ball save time. Known issue? Anyone else seeing this?

shouldn’t all timers stop when the ball is in the VUK?

But ball save timer should not stop in the pops (some games did do this as part of all timers)

Seems like they messed up the freeze the timers code in some states.

what i noticed when our location Wick updated is that the actual settings on the machine didn’t reset to the new longer default ball save. if you go into settings and bump it up to 9 seconds, though, you’ll see it also states that’s the default setting but doesn’t itself change it to that on the code update.

That was what my hunch was. I was just going to check that today. While I enjoy the game the early code is a bit lumpy

Have you tried it at 9 seconds yet? I should keep my mouth shut, but 9 seconds seems crazy long for either short plunge to the VUK or to the pops. VUK is a perfect feed to the left flipper with a ski jump pass on the three examples I’ve played. Bank shot off crate into VUK, rinse, repeat until mode is primed.

Pausing the timer in the pops will light lots more enemies with the timer paused. I suppose we’ll see, but a bit lumpy so far sounds about right.

Whether it’s 9 seconds or something less, I’m not too fussed about - the problem I’m seeing is that sometimes you get the full timer and others there’s barely time to get a flip in before it expires, and it’s not clear why there’s a difference.

The difference might be the number of plunge attempts before hitting a switch. I was told by an operator that the ball save will start after the 3rd fail short plunge attempt.

I played a pro today that I believe was on older code, so I didn’t pay too much attention, but I did notice a full pull all the way around the left orbit (no skill shot) seemed to give the longest ball save time. Five seconds at least

While playing, I remembered reading something about the game when it was announced.

‘The Stern team has created a primitive video game AI system to control the enemy lights on the playfield, setting the John Wick pinball games apart from prior pinball machines, where all lights were controlled by player actions, timers, and random number generations.’

‘In this new AI combat system, enemy icons are responsive to player behavior and will illuminate dynamically around the playfield to challenge the player. The enemies move tactically with this dynamic software to counter player objectives, creating a unique challenge in each game session.’

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/it-s-you-versus-machine-as-stern-unveils-the-world-s-first-ai-pinball-machine/ar-BB1m1u3P

Clearly AI is controlling ball save time. :wink:

The funny thing is that there WERE games where AI controlled how difficult kickbacks were to relight, ie. if average game time was higher than average than it would increase the difficulty. So might not be too far off.

Yeah, I eyerolled pretty hard at that. There is no meaningful technical sense in which this is actually “AI”. It’s not quite Peak AI Marketing Hype but it’s not far off.