The Godfather Rulesheet

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Game Information:

  • Lead Designer: Eric Meunier
  • Code/Rules:
  • Lead Mechanical Engineer:
  • Artwork: Christopher Franchi
  • Computer Graphics Art Director: Joe Katz
  • Sound Designer:
  • Release Date: March 2023
  • Wiki Rulesheet based on Code Rev:

The Godfather engrosses players in the high-risk, high-reward world of the mafia. Meet with Don to start jobs and cash out as many points as you can, defeat bad guys, and acquire as much influence as possible to ascend the ranks of the family.

Rules Overview:

Layout:

Family Select:

At the start of the game, the player can choose which family of crime they want to join using the flipper buttons and action button to select a family. Each family positively and negatively impacts the game in different ways.

Skill Shots:

There are 12 different skill shots, two “standard” ones and ten super skill shots. Press the action button to enable the super skill shot selection.

Super skill shots:

  • “Spot” slingshot - collects all lit ventures.
  • Left 3-bank - adds +25k to all ventures.
  • Don’s Office - instantly starts a job with +25 soldiers.
  • Shot behind upper left flipper - adds +1 bonus X.
  • Caporegime - instantly kills the current bad guy.
  • Fountain lane - instantly lights Sicily Multiball.
  • Compound lock from the flippers - instantly starts Compound Multiball.
  • Upper loop - allows you to keep shooting the upper loop for the super skill shot value.
  • Hideout - adds +2 bonus X.
  • Left inlane - lights all mystery awards.

Jobs:

The main modes of The Godfather are jobs assigned to you by Don Corleone. To start a new job, collect soldiers by making shots or hitting targets around the playfield - targets are worth 3 soldiers, shots are worth 2 soldiers, and slingshots are worth 1 soldier. The soldiers act as your “timer” during modes - up to 100 can be collected at once. Once enough soldiers have been collected, Don’s Office will light to start the next job. Certain levels of influence also light Don’s Office to start jobs.

The jobs, listed clockwise from their appearance above the flippers, are:

  • Dinner Specials: Shoot the loop ramp, then send the ball to the left inlane and shoot the bad guy. Cashing out during this mode makes jackpots easier to score during Compound Multiball.
  • Take the Cannoli: Shoot any two of the lit shots, then shoot the right inlane target followed by the bad guy to take the cannoli and light the scoop. (Cashing out during this mode enables an add-a-ball for Compound Multiball).
  • Pursuit: Shoot 2 lit shots while avoiding the flashing red / blue shots (the police), then shoot the hideout or compound to light the office for the cash out. (Cashing out during this mode makes it easier to qualify the super jackpot during Sicily Multiball).
  • Delivery: Loop the left ramp twice to load the delivery, then shoot under it to make the delivery and light the office for the cash out. (Cashing out during this mode enables an add-a-ball for Sicily Multiball).
  • Shakedown: “Shoot everything” and score 20 switch hits, then shoot the Compound target to light the office for the cash out. 20 more switch hits are required each time you continue. (Cashing out during this mode enables an add-a-ball for Turf War Multiball).
  • Market Day: Shoot two of the roving shots, then shoot the bad guy. Cashing out during this mode makes it easier to relight jackpots during Turf War Multiball.
  • Hung Jury: Shoot either orbit to track down the juror (+1 each time you continue), then shoot either orbit to send the ball behind the drop target and deal damage - and light the office for the cash out. (Cashing out during this mode makes all jackpots lit right away during 5 Families Multiball).
  • Wedding Favor: Roll through any of the VITO lanes twice to earn favors, then shoot Don’s office to request the favor and enable the cash out on the next scoop shot. (Cashing out during this mode enables an add-a-ball for 5 Families Multiball).

Playing all eight jobs is required to qualify Honor.

Award Modes:

Playing through two jobs adjacent to the blue inserts on the stained glass window qualifies award modes at Don’s Office. These modes play similarly to normal jobs, but allow you to score Rings as you make shots. The final wizard mode, Kiss the Ring, can only be lit after you’ve collected enough Rings from award modes.

The award modes, listed clockwise from their appearance above the flippers, are:

  • Tribute: (Qualify by playing Wedding Favor and Dinner Specials). Shoot 5 of the lit ventures to build a value that can be cashed out by shooting behind the upper flipper - flashing ventures add 3x the value. The number of collects available are determined by the number of jobs you cashed out.
  • Turnpike: Qualify by playing Take the Cannoli and Pursuit.
  • Raid: Qualify by playing Delivery and Shakedown.
  • Boxing: Qualify by playing Market Day and Hung Jury.

Playing all four award modes is required to qualify Honor.

Multiball Modes:

The four multiball modes on The Godfather all tie into jobs and can be improved by successfully cashing them out before starting the multiball. The four multiball modes can be stacked with each other for huge points, and progress can be made towards all of them even while other multiballs are running.

Playing all four multiball modes is required to qualify Honor.

Compound Multiball:

Lock a ball in the Compound, then shoot the drop target enough times, to start Compound Multiball.

During Compound Multiball, the lit blue shots score jackpots. Collect enough jackpots (3 + 1 per super) to light the Compound target for super jackpot worth the jackpot total.

Sicily Multiball:

Hit the targets around the bumper, and the bumper itself, to qualify the region target in front of it to collect a region. Once all three regions have been collected, shoot the target under the left ramp to start Sicily Multiball.

During Sicily Multiball, shoot the targets to score jackpots and build the value of the super jackpot that can be collected at the hideout - the shot above the upper loop.

Turf War Multiball:

Shoot the lit “venture” shots around the playfield to light the lock. Once all qualified ventures have been collected, shoot either the left or right orbit to lock balls. Lock 2 balls + 2 per multiball, to a max of 6, to start Turf War Multiball. More ventures can be lit by gaining enough influence.

During Turf War Multiball, shoot the targets to score jackpots and gather more territories (1 territory for the lower standup targets, 2 territories + super jackpot for the upper standup targets). The jackpots can be relit by shooting the left and right orbits.

Gathering all of the territories by collecting enough ventures, thus playing this multiball multiple times, is required to qualify the final wizard mode.

5 Families Multiball:

Shoot the center drop target to start fights against bad guys - they can be seen at the top left of the display, and pressing the flippers will change which bad guy is qualified. To defeat each bad guy, send the ball behind the drop target and into the spinning disc, and use the flippers to spin the disc and deal damage to the bad guy. Defeat one bad guy from each crime family this way, then make the shot behind the drop target again, to start 5 Families Multiball.

During 5 Families Multiball, the jackpot value is a hurry-up counting down from 500k and locked in with a shot to the drop target. The jackpots can then be scored five times each by shooting either ramp or orbit. Once five jackpots have been scored, shoot the bad guy 3 times to score the super jackpot worth the jackpot total. The sequence then repeats at a higher jackpot value.

Defeating all ten bad guys - two from each crime family - will qualify the Baptism mini-wizard mode in place of the multiball.

Other Scoring:

Weapons & Playfield X:

Shoot the spinners to upgrade the currently lit weapon, which can be used by pressing the action button and increased further by quickly pressing it again. Each weapon corresponds to a playfield multiplier, up to 10x playfield. The playfield X timer can be extended by pressing the action button while a weapon is already being used. The max playfield X value can be increased via influence.

Shot X:

The right inlane target enables shot X. Different methods of shooting the shot X target result in different multipliers:

  • By default, shooting the right ramp enables 2x shot X for the next shot.
  • Shooting any drop target qualifies this method to enable 5x shot X for the next shot instead of 2x.
  • Shooting the right inlane target as an alley pass from the left flipper instantly enables 10x shot X for the next shot.

Influence:

Complete the VITO return lanes and collect combos to increase the influence level. Each level of influence gained awards different perks:

  • 1 - Default level, ventures are lit at the start of the game.
  • 2 - Soldiers remain active for longer.
  • 3 - More ventures are lit. The next job is qualified.
  • 4 - Max weapon level increased.
  • 5 - Unknown offer.
  • 6 - More ventures are lit. Soldiers remain active for longer.
  • Senator - The next job is qualified. Extra ball is lit.
  • Presidential - Max weapon level increased. Unknown offer.

Reaching the Presidential level of influence is required to qualify the final wizard mode.

Favor Awards:

Shooting Don’s Office qualifies the right inlane target for a Favor award. Favors are context-sensitive awards that prioritize currently active game features.

Mystery Awards:

There are three different levels of mystery awards, each of which is qualified by spelling VITO, but collected at a different shot on the playfield:

  • Offer: 1 VITO completion needed. Collect at Don’s Office.
  • Interrogation: 2 VITO completions needed. Collect at right orbit.
  • Hot Tip: 3 VITO completions needed. Collect at left orbit.

Extra Balls:

To score the extra ball, shoot the “2” target behind the bumper, without scoring a hit on the bumper. Extra balls can be lit by:

End-of-Ball Bonus:

Bonus is comprised of:

All multiplied by the bonus multiplier, which is increased by shooting either ramp followed by the hideout, or by shooting the side ramp followed by a shot behind the upper flipper. The bonus multiplier maxes at 5x.

Baptism (Mini-Wizard Mode):

After defeating four level 2 bad guys, the next shot behind the center drop target will start the Baptism mode.

Starting Baptism is required to qualify the final wizard mode.

Honor (Mini-Wizard Mode):

Honor is qualified at Don’s Office by completing all of the inserts seen above the flippers in the stained glass window. This means:

Starting Honor is required to qualify the final wizard mode.

Kiss the Ring (Wizard Mode):

To qualify the final wizard mode at Don’s Office, the following tasks must be completed: