Portal is a pinball game released in 2025 by Multimorphic for the P3 pinball platform. It is based on the puzzle-solving video game series by Valve Corporation and includes a mix of assets from those video games and content created specifically for the pinball game.
Portal is available in two forms: as just the main playfield module (the Standard Edition), or with a lower playfield extension (the Extended Edition). It’s possible to play the complete game on either edition, although there are some differences in shots required based on whether the lower playfield extension is installed. This rulesheet focuses exclusively on gameplay for the Extended Edition. Much of the content also applies to the Standard Edition, but it doesn’t attempt to describe where they differ.
Quick Tips
- Hit the Elevator Call Button standup target (just left of the Center Loop) to raise the leftmost scoop, then shoot into that Elevator Scoop to start a test chamber.
- While in the Hub, hit the Turret Lock Standup Target to light the Turret Control Center Scoop red, and shoot into that scoop to lock a ball for Turret Multiball. Do this three times to start the multiball.
- While in the Hub, hit the ESC Captive Ball twice to lock two balls for Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball, then while the virtual ball is traveling across the screen, hit the Ramp Control Target (just to the left of the Spinner Lane) to start Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball.
- While in the Hub, shoot the Left Ramp to raise it up, then shoot under the Left Ramp to portal the ball into the L.O.F.T. Use the Right White Flipper Button to bash the cube with the ball and push it back. That will activate the Faith Plate in the Center Loop to lock balls for Aerial Faith Plate Multiball. Three hits to the Faith Plate will start the multiball.
- While in the Hub, complete objectives to raise the playfield multiplier for the next test chamber you start.
Playfield Layout
Base P3 Chassis
The Red Flipper Buttons are used to control the main flippers at the bottom of the playfield.
The Left White Flipper Button is used to control the Hard Light Bridge Wall Panel. This panel is only active at certain points in the game.
The Right White Flipper Button is used to control the flipper in the L.O.F.T.
The Yellow Flipper Buttons are used to choose which test chamber to play. You can change the selected test chamber at any time during the course of the ball, and the one that is selected when entering the Elevator Scoop,
The Walls and Scoops are located between the playfield module in and the playfield display. The leftmost scoop is used as an Elevator that can be used to enter and exit test chambers. The walls and scoops are also used in other ways within test chambers.
The Side Targets are located in the middle of the right wall of the machine just above the right slingshot. In the Hub, they can be used to accumulate Repulsion Gel that will activate the kickback. In test chambers, they may be used for other purposes.
Main Playfield Module
The Left Orbit is a relatively traditional shot on this module, Unlike other P3 modules, it’s exclusively meant to send the ball around to the Right Orbit, without capturing or diverting the ball to another location. Occasionally, a slow-rolling shot may fall out of the Center Loop, which has a substantial risk of draining down the center.
The Turret Control Center (TCC) Scoop is between the Left Orbit and the Left Ramp. When it’s lit red, it can be used to lock balls for Turret Multiball. When it’s lit white, it can be used to collect mystery awards. Turret Multiball locks take precedence over mystery awards, so if both a mystery award and a Turret Multiball lock are qualified, then shooting into the TCC Scoop will award the lock, and you’ll have to hit it again to collect the mystery award.
The Left Ramp is located to the right of the TCC Scoop, and it can either be lowered to act as a ramp, or it can be raised to act as a portal. When the ramp is lowered, it feeds the ball to the left inlane. When it’s raised, shooting under the ramp will send the ball into a portal, which may send the ball somewhere else. When in the Hub, shooting under the ramp will typically send the ball into the L.O.F.T. if the Upper Right Ramp is down, and it will send the ball out from under the Upper Right Ramp (as a portal mini-loop) when it is raised.
The Elevator Call Button is a standup target just between the Left Ramp and the Center Loop. When in the Hub, this can typically be used to call the Elevator (that is, raise the leftmost scoop) to allow you to enter a test chamber. It also counts as a target toward the “eight targets” objective. Note that if an objective hurry-up is ready to be collected, this target cannot be used to call the Elevator.
The Center Loop is a shot that is intended to send the ball around to exit out of the Right Orbit. Note that if the Faith Plate is active (e.g., when one or more Faith Plate locks are qualified, or when an objective hurry-up is ready to be collected), shooting into the Center Loop will cause the ball to be launched from the Faith Plate instead of going all the way around to the Right Orbit. If the ball rattles as it tries to go around the Center Loop, or if a shot to either orbit doesn’t go all the way around, the ball may exit out of the Center Loop, where it is at substantial risk of draining down the middle.
The Faith Plate normally sits flush with the playfield in the entrance to the Center Loop, and the ball can roll over it to continue on its way out the Right Orbit. However, at certain points in the game (e.g., when Faith Plate locks are ready to be collected, or when an objective hurry-up is ready to be collected), then rolling over the Faith Plate will fling it toward the back of the module, where it will hopefully come to rest on the Faith Plate Lock Grating. The Faith Plate can also lift up, and shooting under it can capture the ball and send it through a portal.
The Upper Right Ramp is just to the right of the Center Loop, and when it’s lowered, it can either send the ball to the right inlane or to the Repulsion Gel Kickback. When the ramp is raised, shooting under it will send the ball into a portal, and it can send it to other locations on the playfield. While in the Hub, shooting under the Upper Right Ramp will typically either send the ball to the Hard Light Bridge shot (when the Left Ramp is down) or out from under the Left Ramp (when it is also raised). Note that correct official name for the Upper Right Ramp is “Center Ramp”, but it’s called the Upper Right Ramp in this document for improved clarity.
The ESC Captive Ball and Standup Targets are between the Upper Right Ramp and the Right Orbit. Hitting the ESC Captive Ball can be used to send another ball through a portal (e.g., while in the Hub, it can be used to lock balls for Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball). The standup targets on either side of the ESC Captive Ball may also be used at various points in the game (e.g., the target to the right of the ESC Captive Ball is needed for the “eight targets” objective).
The Right Orbit typically sends the ball all the way around to the Left Orbit, although a slow-moving shot may fall out of the Center Loop. Also note that when the leftmost scoop is raised to allow entering a test chamber, shooting around the Right Orbit will dismiss that scoop, and the Elevator Call Button must be hit again to re-raise it.
The Library of Failed Tests (L.O.F.T.) is a small elevated playfield in the upper right corner of the module. It can only be reached through a portal and cannot be shot directly. This area contains a flipper (which you can control with the Right White Flipper Button) that can be used to shoot around a companion cube, to push the companion cube back to reveal a scoop, or to hit a pair of standup targets on the left side. The only ways out of the L.O.F.T. are by hitting the scoop with the companion cube pushed back, or by the ball falling down the lane to the left of the flipper, which acts as a portal to send it back to the main playfield.
The Moat is a pit that is in the back center of the playfield module. There is a portal just to the left of the Moat that can either fire the ball into the Moat or jump over it, depending on how much momentum has been built up before entering the portal that exits above the Moat. Note that failing to build up momentum and falling into the pit won’t really hurt you in any way, but you will only get credit for a successful Moat jump if you build up enough momentum to fly over the pit.
The Faith Plate Lock Grating is a rail at the back of the playfield just above the Moat. It is the intended landing area for balls that are flung into the air by the Faith Plate. There is a Companion Cube at the end of the grating, and when it is raised, it will act as a holding area for balls locked for Aerial Faith Plate Multiball. When the Companion Cube is lowered, a ball landing on the Faith Plate Lock Grating will simply roll over the top of the cube and return to the main playfield.
Lower Playfield Extension
The Ramp Control Target is a standup target just to the left of the Spinner Lane. It may be used at various points throughout the game, but in the Hub, it can be used as a way of controlling the behavior of the ramps. By default, when one ramp is raised, another may be lowered, but hitting this target will change the behavior so that all three ramps can remain up at the same time.
The Spinner can be hit by shooting into (or coming out of) the Left Orbit. There’s a counter displayed on the playfield just below the Spinner, and that counter will increment with each spin, and then will start to count down once the Spinner stops. If the counter reaches a multiple of 100, then it will activate Super Spinner, which temporarily elevates Spinner scoring, with it starting at 9,900 points per spin. The Super Spinner value starts counting down almost immediately, but the decay will be paused while the Spinner is spinning. There’s also a Rattmann handprint on the Spinner and on the playfield just beneath it, which may have something to do with a similar Rattmann handprint on the icon for test chamber 7 on the status panel displayed while you’re in the Hub.
The Turret Lock Standup Target is at the base of the wall that forms the right edge of the Spinner Lane. In the Hub, this target can be used to light turret locks that may be collected at the Turret Control Center Scoop. This target is also required to complete the “eight targets” objective, and it is used for various purposes in test chambers.
The Lower Right Ramp and Standup Targets are located toward the right side of the playfield, hovering over the playfield display. The ramp and standup targets can raise and lower based on things that happen in the game. When the Lower Right Ramp is raised, it provides easier access to hit the Upper Right Ramp, the Edgeless Safety Cube Captive Ball and its associated standup targets, and the Right Orbit. When the Lower Right Ramp is down, then you can use it to feed either the right flipper or the Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop.
The Hard Light Bridge Wall Panel is on the left side of the upper level of the lower playfield extension, with three red arrows pointing at it. When shooting the Left Ramp, the ball will roll by it on the way to the left inlane, but at certain points in the game, the panel will activate and may be flipped out with the Left White Flipper Button. There is a landing area on the opposite side of the playfield with a gate that can fold down to let the ball pass by, feeding the right inlane.
The Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop is on the right side of the upper level of the lower playfield extension, at the mouth of what looks like a pipe with an arrow labeled “Gel Flow” painted on the side. A diverter often prevents the ball from entering the scoop, but when it is active, it will send the ball into the Right Orbit and out the Left Orbit. The kickback scoop can be fed by either the Upper or Lower Right Ramp, and it will also be fed at the beginning of each ball.
Skill Shot
At the start of each ball, the game will feed the Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop, which will send the ball around and out the Left Orbit. Shooting the ball up either the Upper or Lower Right Ramp will feed the ball back into the Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop, and award a Skill Shot. The Repulsion Gel Kickback will again fire the ball around the orbit just as it did for the initial launch.
The Upper Right Ramp is intended to award a one-time Skill Shot. However, if you shoot the Lower Right Ramp, you can quickly hit it a second time for a Super Skill Shot, and a third time for a Super Duper Skill Shot.
The Hub
The Hub is the base mode of the game, which is active when you’re not in a test chamber. Each ball starts in the Hub, and you return to the Hub after completing a test chamber. While in the Hub, you can do things like:
- Work toward objectives
- Lock balls and play multiballs
- Activate Super Spinner
- Light and collect mystery awards
- Hit the Elevator Call Button to allow starting a test chamber
Note that you can also activate Super Spinner while in test chambers, and you can light and collect mystery awards in some test chambers.
Test Chambers
While in the Hub, you can hit the Elevator Call Button standup target to raise the leftmost scoop, and shooting into that scoop will start a test chamber. By default, the game will automatically select the next chamber to be played, but you can use the yellow flipper buttons to choose whichever chamber you want to play, with two caveats:
- You can only play any given test chamber once per game. Once you’ve started a chamber, you can’t re-start that chamber for the rest of the game.
- Test chambers 1–6 are available to be selected at the start of the game, but test chamber 7 has to be unlocked before you can play it.
If you accidentally raise the Elevator when you don’t actually want to start a test chamber, you can dismiss it in one of the following ways:
- Shoot the ball into the Right Orbit so that it comes all the way around and out the Left Orbit.
- Complete an objective and light an objective hurry-up. You can’t start a test chamber while a hurry-up is running, so if the Elevator is raised, it will be lowered.
- Start a multiball. You also can’t start a test chamber while in a multiball.
Note that while the game offers a high score table for the fastest completions for each of the first six test chambers, there is no time limit imposed for those chambers. You can take as long as you need to figure out how to complete the chamber (or until you drain out of it). However, test chamber 7 does use a timer.
Each test chamber has a primary objective that you need to complete the chamber, but you can also collect radios, cameras, and items of questionable value. These items can award more points while in the test chamber, upon completing the chamber, and in your end-of-ball bonus. They can also help give you progress in the game’s final wizard mode.
Test Chamber 1: The Big Fling
You’re trying to make it to the top of the test chamber, and then fling yourself into a portal. This chamber is completed in several phases:
- Start your climb by hitting each of the three ramps (Left Ramp, Upper Right Ramp, and Lower Right Ramp), in any order.
- Shoot the Faith Plate to fling yourself even higher.
- Shoot beneath either the Left Ramp or the Upper Right Ramp to portal the ball to the Hard Light Bridge shot. Alternatively, if the Left Ramp is lowered, then shooting it will directly feed the Hard Light Bridge shot without the need for a portal. Use the Left White Flipper Button to activate the Hard Light Bridge Wall Panel and send the ball into the landing area on the right side of the playfield. If you fail to successfully make it across the Hard Light Bridge, you can shoot back under a ramp to make another attempt. If you fail the Hard Light Bridge shot enough times, then shooting under the Upper Right Ramp will eventually allow you to skip this shot and progress to the next phase of the test chamber.
- Shoot the ball up either the Upper or Lower Right Ramp to portal the ball into the L.O.F.T. Use the Right White Flipper Button to use the mini-flipper to hit the side targets to send the cube back, and then shoot into the scoop in front of the cube to make a Momentum Jump over the Moat. If you drain out of the L.O.F.T. before making the Momentum Jump, you can shoot back up either of the Upper or Lower Right Ramp to make another attempt.
- The Elevator Scoop will be raised, and shooting it will allow you to take the Elevator out of the test chamber.
Test Chamber 2: Encouragement via Discouragement
A discouragement beam is positioned in the center of the playfield display. Shooting the Spinner will cause the beam to rotate, which may damage things in the chamber:
- If the beam hits a slingshot, it will be temporarily deactivated and won’t fire if the ball hits it.
- If the beam hits a flipper, it will temporarily become a no-hold flipper, in which pressing the Red Flipper Button will cause it to flip, but then immediately drop back down rather than allow you to hold it up.
- Hitting standup targets with the ball will cause either turrets or items of questionable worth to fall down in front of the target. These will be destroyed if the beam hits them, and that’s a good thing for the turrets, but it’s better to collect the items of questionable worth by hitting the corresponding target a second time rather than letting the beam get them.
Rotating the discourage beam enough times to hit the Turret Control Center Scoop three times will deactivate it. The Elevator Scoop will be raised, and shooting it will allow you to take the Elevator out of the test chamber.
Test Chamber 3: Proactive Energy Redirection
An energy pellet is floating around the test chamber, bouncing between panels. Hitting various shots can reposition the panels, and you ultimately want to arrange them so that the energy pellet makes its way to a detector. There are five shots that you can use to move the panels:
- A shot under the Left Ramp, which will portal the ball into the L.O.F.T. and (hopefully) loop around the cube.
- A shot up the Center Loop and out the Right Orbit.
- A shot up the Upper Right Ramp to the Right Inlane.
- A shot up the Lower Right Ramp to the Right Inlane.
- A shot around the Right Orbit and out the Left Orbit.
Each of these shots is associated with a different panel, and hitting that shot will alternate the position of that panel. At the start of the chamber, all of the panels are in the wrong position, so you ideally want to hit each of the shots once to orient them all correctly. If you hit one of the shots again, then you’ll need to hit a third time to move it back into the desired alignment.
A couple of things to be aware of when playing this test chamber:
- When shooting under the Left Ramp and into the L.O.F.T., the ball should be allowed to loop around the cube and then drain out of the loft. If you flip the ball so that it loops around the cube again, then that will move the corresponding panel back out of alignment and you’ll need to loop it again. On the other hand, when the ball is launched into the L.O.F.T., if it doesn’t have enough momentum to make it around the cube, then you’ll need to shoot it again so that it does make it around the cube.
- Shooting the Lower Right Ramp will move the orange portal from beneath the Upper Right Ramp into the L.O.F.T. So you’ll typically want to shoot the Upper Right Ramp before shooting the Lower Right Ramp to make it easier to hit the orange portal.
After hitting all of the necessary shots and aligning the panels, you need to wait for the energy pellet to make it to the detector, and during this time, you want to ensure that you don’t hit any shots that will move any of the panels out of alignment. If possible, cradle the ball on a flipper until the pellet makes it to the detector. When the pellet does reach the collector, the Elevator Scoop will raise, and shooting into it will allow you to complete the test chamber.
Test Chamber 4: It Takes 2
In this chamber, you need to collect a companion “cube” (a second ball) and carry it with you while Reggie becomes increasingly attracted to it, only to eventually destroy it by throwing it into an incinerator.
Shoot the Faith Plate to launch a second ball (the companion cube) into play, then shoot both balls into one of the following locations:
- Beneath the Left Ramp.
- Beneath the Faith Plate.
- Beneath the Upper Right Ramp.
Shooting a ball into one of these locations will cause the other two to close, and you need to shoot the second ball so that it goes into the same location as the first. Repeat this until you get both balls into all three locations, and the final of these shots will portal the ball into the L.O.F.T. where you need to use the Left White Flipper Button to shoot the ball so that it pushes the companion cube back into the incinerator, which will complete the chamber. If the ball drains out of the L.O.F.T. without pushing back the cube, you can shoot the ball back into the L.O.F.T. to keep trying.
Note that if you lose one of the balls while trying to shoot the ball beneath one of the ramps or the Faith Plate, you can get a second chance by shooting the Faith Plate again to get another companion cube and continue the attempt. However, if you lose a second ball, then you will fail the test chamber, but the Elevator Scoop will be raised and you can shoot into it to leave the chamber and return to the Hub. This is the only chamber that you can fail but still end up with a ball in play.
Test Chamber 5: Short Cuts
You need to traverse a long distance by making shots. There are eleven shots that you need to hit, where options for each shot you can make at each point are signified by yellow inserts. However, you can use portals to skip over some of the shots and complete the chamber more quickly. Available portals include:
- Hitting the Ramp Control Target (to the left of the Spinner Lane) will raise the Faith Plate, and shooting into it will jump ahead four steps.
- Hitting the Turret Lock Standup Target (to the right of the Spinner late) will raise the Left Ramp, and shooting under it will jump ahead two steps.
- Hitting the standup target on either side of the Lower Right Ramp will raise the Upper Right Ramp, and shooting under it will jump ahead six steps.
Note that some or all of these portals may not be available at various points in the test chamber, so you’ll need to hit at least one non-portal shot to complete the chamber. Also note that if you can’t use a portal to complete all of the remaining steps, the final step will need to be made by hitting a roving shot, so you’ll need to time it so that you hit it when the yellow insert is on that shot. As such, you might want to plan your route through the test chamber so that you can complete it by shooting into a portal to avoid the need to hit the roving shot.
In addition, if you find yourself on the fifth step of the sequence, none of the shots will be lit to allow you to advance. You’ll have to use a portal to progress beyond that step.
After completing all of the necessary steps, the Elevator Scoop will raise, and you can shoot into it to complete the test chamber.
Test Chamber 6: Escape Viscosity
At the start of this test chamber, all of the scoops will be raised, along with all of the walls except the leftmost one, which you can shoot into via the Spinner Lane. Each of the remaining walls and scoops will alternately be lit white, and shooting into the leftmost scoop will spray white gel onto one of the other walls. You can shoot the leftmost scoop up to five times to get the white gel on each of the remaining walls.
A rotating Portal Gun will target each of the raised walls in sequence, attempting to fire a portal at the wall. If the wall has been sprayed with white gel, the beam will lower the wall and light the scoop blue. Shooting the ball into the open scoop will portal it to the L.O.F.T., where you want to shoot around the cube to build up momentum, and then shoot into the scoop to make a Moat jump. If you drain out of the L.O.F.T. without shooting into the scoop, then the ball will be returned to the lower playfield and you can shoot into an open blue scoop to take another shot at it. If you manage to hit both of the standup targets in the L.O.F.T., then orange gel will be sprayed into the L.O.F.T. which will allow the ball to have enough momentum to make the Moat jump even without looping around the companion cube. If an attempted Moat jump fails because you didn’t have enough momentum, then the scoop you used to enter the L.O.F.T. for that attempt will be sprayed with orange gel, and shooting back into that scoop will ensure you have enough momentum to make the jump without looping around the cube.
After successfully making the Moat jump, the ball will be returned to the lower playfield with all of the walls and scoops raised. At this point, you need to make four hits to the right side targets to load the kickback chamber with Repulsion Gel. Once all four targets have been hit, the Lower Right Ramp will be lowered onto the playfield, and shooting up that ramp will load the kickback tube and shoot it around the orbit, where it will be stopped by a raised scoop, completing the test chamber.
Test Chamber 7: Turret Manufacturing
This test chamber serves as the game’s mini-wizard mode. Unlike the first six test chambers, chamber 7 is not automatically available to play at the start of the game. Instead, you have to unlock it.
SPOILER: You can unlock this chamber by shooting the Spinner enough times to reach Super Spinner level 4. The game hints at this by featuring a Rattmann handprint on the Spinner, on the icon for test chamber 7 on the status panel, and also in the “ADDITIONAL SCIENCES” section of the control panel above a number that increments whenever you achieve a Super Spinner level.
Once you have unlocked test chamber 7, it will automatically be the next one selected to play (although you can still use the yellow flipper buttons to choose a different chamber). When you start the chamber, you’ll be taken to a room with a conveyor belt in the turret manufacturing facility. Turrets will begin to appear on the conveyor belt, and hitting a shot that has a turret in front of it (also indicated by a red flashing insert) will knock the turret off the conveyor belt. Some of the turrets will be malfunctioning (as indicated by lit red arrows), and others will be functioning correctly. You want to focus on hitting the malfunctioning turrets off the conveyor belt, without hitting the functioning turrets.
You can also hit the Edgeless Safety Cube Captive Ball to knock it onto the conveyor belt. If you do that, and then hit a shot when that ball is in front of it (also indicated by a flashing green insert), that will knock the ball off the conveyor belt and add another ball into play. The number of balls in play acts as a playfield multiplier, so managing to knock off turrets while in multiball can be especially valuable.
Unlike the other test chambers, this one is timed. A countdown timer is displayed on the playfield, initially set at 1 minute, and it starts counting down once the ball is launched into play. Each malfunctioning turret that you knock off the conveyor belt adds five seconds to the timer. You do not gain any time for knocking off a functional turret. Whenever a turret reaches the left edge of the conveyor belt without having been knocked off, it will be scanned, and five seconds will be added to your timer if it is a correctly functioning turret, and five seconds will be deducted if it’s a malfunctioning turret that you let through. Once the timer reaches zero, the flippers will die, the chamber will end, and you will be returned to the Hub.
It’s not possible to fail this test chamber, regardless of whether you knock any turrets off the conveyor belt. Similarly, the ball saver is active for the entire duration of the chamber, so it’s not possible to lose your ball while playing it unless you tilt.
Objectives
Objectives are tasks that you can complete while in the Hub. You cannot complete objectives while in a test chamber, but completing one or more objectives before starting a test chamber will make that chamber more valuable. Each objective completed before starting a test chamber adds 0.5 to the multiplier for that chamber (so you get 1.5X scoring in the next test chamber after completing one objective, 2X scoring after completing two objectives, 2.5X scoring after completing three objectives, and so on). There are eight possible objectives, which means that the maximum playfield multiplier you can get if you complete all eight of them before starting a test chamber, then you’ll get 5X scoring during that chamber. After completing or failing a test chamber, your multiplier will be reset back to 1X for the next chamber, and you can start working toward more objectives to raise that multiplier back up. Objectives you had completed before the previous test chamber will be reset and may become difficult to complete again, but progress toward any uncompleted objectives will be preserved.
In addition to increasing the value of the next test chamber, completing an objective also lights a hurry-up shot at the Faith Plate. The value of this hurry-up starts at 500,000 points and then gradually counts down. Hitting the Faith Plate shot while a hurry-up is active will award the currently displayed value. If you complete another objective while a hurry-up is already running, then the hurry-up value will be increased and the timer will be reset. Although it’s very difficult to accomplish and requires some strategizing, it’s technically possible to get an eight-way hurry up by completing all eight objectives before collecting the hurry-up value or before the timer expires.
Note that while an objective hurry-up is active, you cannot use the Elevator Call Button to raise the Elevator and start a test chamber.
You can make progress toward and complete most objectives during any of the three main multiballs, but certain shots needed to complete some objectives (including the Repulsion Gel Kickback, the Hard Light Bridge, and portal mini-loops) won’t be available in multiball.
As previously noted, there are eight possible objectives. There are icons for each of them on the status panel that is shown on the playfield while you’re in the Hub. These icons show which of the objectives you’ve completed, and how much progress you’ve made toward those you haven’t completed. The remainder of this section will describe each of those objectives in order, from left to right on the top row, and then from left to right on the bottom row.
Two Repulsion Gel Kickbacks
The Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop is lit at the start of each ball while the skill shot is active. Hitting a skill shot up either the Upper or Lower Right Ramp will give you one kickback, and hitting a Super Skill Shot (a second shot up the Lower Right Ramp quickly after the first) will give you a second kickback and complete this objective.
If you don’t complete this objective via the Skill Shot route, then you can light the Repulsion Gel Kickback by hitting the Side Targets on the right side of the playfield until all valves have been opened. Whenever a kickback is lit, both the Upper and Lower Right Ramp will be down, and the insert in front of them will be flashing blue. Hitting either of those ramps will send the ball into the kickback mechanism for progress toward this objective.
One Moat Jump
The Moat jump, also called a Momentum Jump, occurs when launching a ball over the Moat in the middle of the back part of the playfield. To achieve a Moat jump:
- Shoot under the Left Ramp while it’s raised, and while the Upper Right Ramp is not also raised (if both upper ramps are raised, then the portal mini-loop will be active). This will send the ball into the L.O.F.T.
- If the companion cube is in its forward position covering the scoop, bash it with the ball to push it back.
- Loop around the cube until the scoop is lit yellow or green.
- Shoot into the scoop. If it’s lit yellow, then it will make a medium-strength Moat jump, which is enough to satisfy this objective. If the scoop is lit green, then it will make a full-strength jump all the way to the upper landing area in the back right of the playfield.
Three Loops
This objective can be completed by shooting any combination of three loop shots (that is, you can hit the same loop shot three times, three different loop shots, or two of one and one of another). This includes:
- Shooting the ball into the Left Orbit so that it comes out the Right Orbit.
- Shooting the ball up the Center Loop past the Faith Plate so that it comes out the Right Orbit.
- Shooting the ball into the Right Orbit so that it comes out the Left Orbit.
Note that a shot to any of these locations that doesn’t make it all the way around will not count as progress toward this objective.
Eight Portals
This objective requires you to shoot the ball through eight different portals. This includes:
- Shooting under the Left Ramp when the Upper Right Ramp is down so that the ball enters the L.O.F.T.
- Shooting the ball into the scoop in front of the cube in the L.O.F.T. for an attempted Moat jump.
- Draining out of the L.O.F.T. back to the lower playfield without hitting the scoop.
- Shooting under the Left Ramp when the Upper Right Ramp is raised so that the ball comes out of the right side of the portal mini-loop.
- Shooting under the Upper Right Ramp when the Left Ramp is down so that the ball is sent to the Hard Light Bridge.
- Shooting under the Upper Right Ramp when the Left Ramp is raised so that the ball comes out of the left side of the portal mini-loop.
- Hitting the ESC Captive Ball to lock a ball in the backbox for the Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball. Hitting this shot actually counts as two of the eight portals, because you also get one when the ball drops back down into the ESC Captive Ball area.
One Hard Light Bridge
The Hard Light Bridge shot is made by using a wall panel on the upper level of the left side of the playfield to flip the ball across the playfield to a gated area on the right side. To activate the Hard Light Bridge shot while in the Hub, you need to shoot under the Upper Right Ramp when it is raised, and while the Left Ramp is down. This will feed the ball to the upper level where it will roll by the wall panel, and you can use the Left White Flipper Button to shoot the ball across the playfield. A single Hard Light Bridge shot will complete this objective.
Three Ramps
This objective can be completed by hitting three ramp shots. You can use any combination of shots to the Left Ramp, Upper Right Ramp, and Lower Right Ramp, and shots to either the Upper or Lower Right Ramp count even when they’re also lit blue to send the ball into the Repulsion Gel Kickback Scoop.
Three Portal Mini-Loops
When both the Left Ramp and the Upper Right Ramp are raised, those shots form a portal between each other. This objective can be completed by three shots underneath one of those ramps and coming out the other. You can hit the same entry shot for all three if you want, but because each of the under-ramp shots count as different portals for the “eight portals” objective, it’s better to shoot beneath both of the ramps.
Normally, raising one ramp will lower the others, but you can change that behavior by hitting the Ramp Control Target just to the left of the Spinner Lane to make the ramps stay up when you hit them. Note, however, that when the Repulsion Gel Kickback is lit, the Upper and Lower Right Ramps will always be lowered, even when the Ramp Control Target has been hit to active “ramps stay up” mode.
Eight Targets
This objective requires you to hit eight different standup targets around the playfield. These targets include:
- The Ramp Control Target to the left of the Spinner Lane
- The Turret Lock Standup Target to the right of the Spinner Lane
- The Elevator Call Button
- Both of the standup targets on either side of the Lower Right Ramp
- The standup target to the right of the Edgeless Safety Cube Captive Ball
- Both standup targets in the left wall of the L.O.F.T.
Note that even though there are standup targets on both the left and right sides of the ESC Captive Ball, only the one on the right is actually used for this objective.
Multiballs
Portal offers three main multiballs. Each of these can only be played in the Hub, and you cannot start or make progress toward them while in test chambers (although some test chambers have their own multiballs), nor can you start a test chamber while in multiball.
During each of the multiballs, hitting the ESC Captive Ball will portal it into the L.O.F.T. Completing a successful Momentum Jump (by looping the cube before shooting into the scoop) with that captive ball will send it onto the playfield as an add-a-ball.
Each multiball allows you to collect jackpots, but you can also work toward most of your objectives. You can also stack multiballs to play them concurrently, as will be discussed later in this section.
Aerial Faith Plate Multiball
To lock balls for Ariel Faith Plate Multiball, you want to lock balls by flinging them off the Faith Plate to the grate landing area above the Moat in the back of the playfield module. If you hit the Faith Plate while it’s lit for a lock, the game will credit you with the lock even if it doesn’t catch it on the grate, which may actually be an advantage in a multi-player game because physically locked balls can be stolen by other players, allowing them to start the multiball with fewer shots.
On default settings, Faith Plate locks are automatically lit at the start of ball 3 if you haven’t already qualified them. Before that, you can light them manually by entering the L.O.F.T. and pushing the cube back through the portal. The other half of the cube will rise up at the end of the grating so that it can hold balls trapped on the grate. After the first Faith Plate Multiball, you also have to hit the side targets in the L.O.F.T. to light each lock.
Once you have hit three lit Faith Plate shots, the multiball will automatically start. Any balls that have been physically locked on the grating will be released, and additional balls will be launched into play if necessary to make it a three-ball multiball. Once in the multiball, you want to hit the Faith Plate shot when it’s lit to collect jackpots, and hitting them in quick succession may award 2X or 3X jackpots. When the Faith Plate isn’t lit for a jackpot, then hitting ramp shots will light it, and ramp shots also increase the base jackpot value.
Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball
To lock the first ball for the Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball, hit the ESC Captive Ball to portal it into a virtual lock within the backbox. Then, hit the ESC Captive Ball a second time to send a virtual representation of the previously locked ball across the playfield (much like Mist Multiball in Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and you need to hit the Ramp Control Target to release the ball before it gets to the center of the playfield display. At this point, Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball will start with two balls in play.
Once in Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball, you will want to hit the ESC Captive Ball for jackpots. This will portal the ESC Captive Ball into the L.O.F.T., and you can get a super jackpot by shooting the ball into the scoop. You can also increase the value of jackpots by shooting orbits, which will be lit yellow.
Turret Multiball
Locks for the Turret Multiball are lit by hitting the Turret Lock Standup Target on the right wall of the Spinner Lane. Once a lock is lit, the Turret Control Center Scoop will be lit red, and shooting the ball into it will lock a ball for Turret Multiball. The locked ball will appear on the playfield display, beneath a grate just below the control panel. After locking three balls, Turret Multiball will start as a three-ball multiball. Once the multiball has started, all of the standup targets will be lit red for hurry-up jackpots, and when the Turret Control Center Scoop is lit, it can be hit to collect a super jackpot.
Stacking Multiballs
It’s possible to play two or even all three of the main multiballs concurrently. Starting an additional multiball while one is already in progress will give you more balls in play, a fresh ball save timer, and elevated scoring.
If you want to play all three multiballs concurrently, you have to start Turret Multiball first, and then you can start Aerial Faith Plate Multiball and Edgeless Safety Cube Multiball in any order. You can’t start Turret Multiball while in another multiball, but if you start one of the other two multiballs, then you can start the other one.
Note that when starting Edgeless Safety Cube multiball on its own, you must hit the ESC Captive Ball twice, and then the Ramp Control Target to actually begin the multiball. However, when another multiball is already running, you don’t need to hit the Ramp Control Target to bring in the ESC Multiball; you only need to hit the ESC Captive Ball twice (or once if it had already been hit before beginning the other multiball) to start it.
Mystery Awards
You can qualify mystery awards by completing all of the CAKE targets in the inlanes and outlanes. The Red Flipper Buttons can be used to cycle the lit lanes, so you can light all of the inserts without having to drain out the outlanes.
Once a mystery award is qualified, the Turret Control Center Scoop will be lit white, and shooting into it will display a panel with several possible awards, and one of them will be chosen. There are some awards listed that you won’t ever actually be given, but awards that you can get include:
- Ball Saver +20s: Add 20 seconds to any currently running ball saver, or start a new ball saver that lasts for 20 seconds.
- Big Points: Award some number of points (and not a particularly big number of points, to be honest).
- Bonus Multiplier 2X: Double the value of the bonus that will be awarded at the end of the ball (assuming that you don’t tilt).
- Next Objective 2X: Double the playfield multiplier that you get for completing the next objective (that is, it’ll increase by 1 instead of 0.5).
- Performance Review: Collect any bonus earned so far on the current ball.
- Super Spinner: Raise the Spinner value to the next multiple of 100, and start the Super Spinner hurry-up.
- Tilt Forgiveness: Removes any tilt warnings collected thus far on the current ball.
Note that each time you qualify a mystery award, the number of times you have to complete the CAKE inserts to be able to qualify another increases by one. So you need to have two completions for the second mystery award, three for the third, and so on.
By default, mystery awards will be chosen at random. However, a setting is available to allow these awards to be granted in a deterministic order, which can be useful in competition play. That deterministic order is:
- Bonus Multiplier 2X
- Next Objective 2X
- Performance Review
- Super Spinner
- Ball Saver +20s
- Big Points
Final Wizard Mode
After playing all seven of the test chambers (you only have to start them; you don’t need to complete them), the Final Wizard Mode will automatically begin. You don’t need to have completed any objectives or played any of the main multiballs to qualify the Final Wizard Mode.
This mode is played in several phases:
- You first need to collect parts to assemble a special device. You might have already collected some of the necessary items while playing in test chambers (perhaps the worth of those items wasn’t so questionable after all?). Certain shots will be lit blue for the items you still need, and hitting them will collect them.
- You then need to call the supervisor. Certain shots will be lit green, corresponding to numbers on a telephone keypad. Hitting enough of these shots will proceed to the next phase.
- At this point, Reggie’s evil twin, Eginald (aka Eggie), will reveal himself, and he will introduce GLaDOS as the supervisor. Then, Reggie will come sweeping through, and you’ll need to use the Core Switcher to re-install Reggie as your preferred Personality Core. You’ll need to hit a combination of green (representing Reggie) and orange (representing Eggie) shots to activate the Core Switcher, most of which are at the Turret Control Center Scoop. After hitting a green shot, a second ball will be kicked out and you need to send both balls into the Core Switcher. Losing one of the balls in two-ball play will take a step backward in your progress. Eventually, a red shot will light, and you can use it to condemn Eggie to the Moat.
- Finally, you’re up against GLaDOS. You need to hit yellow shots marked by a ball icon to load a ball in front of the Faith Plate, and then shooting the Faith Plate will lob a ball at GLaDOS. You can also hit the ESC Captive Ball to get another ball in play for a margin of safety. You need to have at least two balls in play to be able to lob balls at GLaDOS. After enough hits, GLaDOS will be defeated, and you’ll win the game, although she may be able to recover if too much time passes between hits.
After winning the game, you’ll be awarded a completion bonus, and the game will end. If you win the game while you’re not yet on your last ball, the completion bonus will be re-awarded for each ball you have remaining. On the other hand, if you drain out of the Final Wizard Mode while you still have at least one more ball, then you’ll get to resume the attempt on your next ball.
Credits
Portal was created by Multimorphic, Inc. in collaboration with Valve Corporation. Assets from the Portal video games, including GLaDOS callouts voiced by Ellen McLain, were licensed from Valve Corporation.
The game and rules design were by Ian Harrower, Michael Ocean, Steven Silver, and Gerry Stellenberg.
Trey Jones and TJ Weaver were responsible for engineering and mechanical design.
Software was developed by Ian Harrower and Michael Ocean.
Artwork was created by Brad Albright.
Animations were created by Rory Cernuda and Steven Silver.
Music was composed and produced by Scott Danesi.
Reggie, Eggie, and announcer callouts were voiced by Mark Silk.
Production was overseen by Gerry Stellenberg.