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In 2019, Stern announced the return of prolific pinball designer Brian Eddy. Eddy had worked for Williams in the 90s, designing iconic titles such as Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness and contributing to more experimental releases like The Shadow and Black Rose. His output for Stern followed suit, with Venom arguably his most experimental title to date – introducing more of the video game experience to pinball.
Venom's story is a loose adaptation of the late 2010s Marvel comic story arcs, Absolute Carnage (2019) and King in Black (2020). A cult worshipping the Venom symbiote, known as the Infected, has revived one of the symbiote's offspring, Carnage, to take revenge on everyone who has been impacted by the symbiote. Carnage is tasked with freeing the God of Symbiotes, Knull, from his prison on Klyntar. Knull plots to invade Earth with a symbiote-corrupted dragon named Grendel and corrupted versions of the five symbiotes that originally spawned from the Venom symbiote: Riot, Agony, Phage, Lasher, and Scream. The player plays as the Venom symbiote and attaches themselves to different "hosts" that slightly change the machine's rules and layouts, all of whom are against the corruption that Carnage and Knull plan to spread.
Venom is a pinball game manufactured by in 2023. The game features an LCD, four players, seven multiballs, two ramps (3 on the Prem / LE model), and two flippers.
Venom is one of the most demanding machines Stern Pinball has ever released, with incredibly fast shots that feed the flippers with minimal room for mistakes and rules that require the player to devise a game plan for the best possible score in competition. The game's rules are built on a sturdy foundation of choosing hosts at the start of each ball, completing mini-modes by shooting the colored yellow, blue, and white shots, and then starting Mayhem Multiball after completing enough mini-modes.
This guide is written using tournament regulation rules for the game on a Pro model, meaning all Insider Connected features (such as the additional Venomized hosts and progress carryover) will not be discussed in this guide; and the Premium-exclusive diverters, million-plus pops, and Doppelganger quick multiball rule will not be included either. Insider Connected features are disabled in tournaments to prevent unfair advantages between players.
The lower half of the playfield, in the tradition of Attack from Mars, is wide open and gives the player a lot of room to recover from the game’s very fast, flowing layout. The rubbers below the two Infected standup targets on the far left and right of the playfield can be surprisingly dangerous due to their positions directly above the outlanes; keep an eye out and give the game a nudge if the ball ever enters these areas.
In stark contrast to the lower half of the playfield, the upper half is packed with shots to make and dangerous angles to recover from. Alongside a large orbit that either sends the ball all the way around to the flippers or into the hideout near the top lanes, the game features two steep ramp shots and a horseshoe loop with a scoop in between the two entrances, with a few infected standup targets placed between each shot.
Two important targets are also present on the upper playfield. Carnage is located atop the game’s captive ball; with enough shots the player will be able to send him back to Ravencroft and qualify Carnage modes, with the first one being Carnage multiball. At the dead center of the playfield is the bell tower, used to increase playfield multipliers once qualified by looping the center ramp.
The game’s standout feature is the two symbiote containment vessels on the lower half of the playfield, each holding up to 3 balls for Mayhem Multiball (for a maximum of 6-ball multiball). Balls will release out of these tanks even before balls entering the tanks reach them, so be on guard and prepare to make a quick shot decision.
Scoring on Venom is typical for its era, but scores can blow up quickly if the player is in the right circumstances. 100M is a great starting point, but players can expect to reach a billion if they make enough progress through the game - playing out multiballs & Toxin Team-Up well, and then aim for character combos.
Venom's full rulesheet (PDF) includes a brief summary of what to do for the best scores, which can be useful if you're new to the game and have never played it before. The QR code for it can also be scanned on the game's instruction card.
Like many recent pinball machines with code by Dwight Sullivan, Venom is a pinball machine where the way you choose to play it heavily impacts scoring and what tasks you'll want to prioritize. This incentivizes making a "game plan" for yourself to determine which character(s) best fit your play style. I have my approach to the machine listed below, but other players will likely approach this machine differently. Play it for yourself and come to your own conclusions!
The four hosts available by default are:
Lights 2 locks for Mayhem Multiball right away, and scoring during that multiball is increased. This is my preferred host choice at the start of each game, but I abandon him quickly for Flash after completing Eddie's mini-mode ladder. Regardless, Eddie is a great choice if you’re brand new to the game and haven’t played it.
If chosen on ball 1, Sleeper team-up is available right away (press the action button during any applicable mode to add time or add-a-ball). Otherwise, shots to the bell tower for playfield multipliers can also be scored at the left loop. Very good choice for high scoring potential, and my go-to host for the entire game after filling out Eddie's mini-mode ladder.
Switch to Gwenom and you’ll be able to defeat 2x the amount of Infected, and score more during the lucrative doppelganger hurry-ups. Like Flash, playing as Gwen is a great choice before a multiball, and the flamethrower perk she helps qualify can give credit for shots that otherwise wouldn't be hit. I personally tend to save her for late-game as she is more progression-focused than points-focused. She has great background music though!
Miles team-up is available for increased combo multipliers if chosen on ball 1, and Carnage modes (including Carnage multiball) are easier to reach and more valuable. Like Gwen, Peter prioritizes progression through the game's rules over immediate high scoring potential. As a result, he's not a good early-game pick, but very useful in the late game as Carnage becomes tougher to qualify.
At the start of each ball, the left flipper will choose your host, and the right flipper will change which shot is lit for skill shot. If you change hosts during a ball by hitting the left ramp when "change host" is lit, skill shots can still be earned the same way (as "bonus shots").
The ideal skill shot I go for, as every host, is whichever one will spot a mini-mode. Usually, this will be at the left loop, so use the left flipper to select your skill shot, plunge the ball, and try to live catch or do a loop pass to make the left loop an easy shot. Alternately, try soft plunging so the ball heads to the right flipper, and nudge the ball off the wall of the right orbit to make sure it safely arrives to the flippers.
Each host has a set of three blue, yellow, and white circles on the grid located above the flippers. The goal as each host is to complete all three by shooting the blue, yellow, and white shots around the playfield; the first shot of each is untimed, but the second must be made under a short timer. Once all three combos have been completed, the player can change hosts at the left ramp. Reaching level 10 with a full ladder of mini-modes completed will light the character's symbiote battle at the center ramp.
Completing boxes on the grid by switching between hosts and scoring their combos, or from mystery awards, can award certain perks for as long as the boxes are completed. Ones to keep an eye out for include +1x playfield, 2x experience, and 2x web combos. My game plan (involving completing Eddie & Flash's mini-mode ladders) results in having the extra time and +1x playfield perks.
Once the player has reached level 10 and completed the current host's set of mini-modes, the center ramp will light to start a battle dependent on the host that the player currently has active. The battles are played in phases: a first phase to introduce the unique gimmick of the battle, and a second, tougher phase with more shot restrictions. The higher the player’s level, the more damage they do.
When battle is lit, progress towards other non-Toxin objectives is put on hiatus until the battle is won or lost, meaning the player cannot start any multiball mode until the center ramp isn't lit. Doppelganger will allow these objectives to be accessed again for as long as he needs to be defeated, and side modes like Carnage hurry-up or bell tower frenzy will also allow access to multiball / side mode progression. Completing a battle will light the left ramp to change host, even if it is already lit to.
Red and blue shots move across the playfield from left to right. Shoot any shot blinking both red and blue to light the scoop for special attack.
Shoot the flashing red shots to light special attack. Prevent the green shots from taking them over by shooting any green shot when lit.
Shoot the right orbit followed by the bell tower to light the three center shots. Shoot the three center shots to light special attack.
Shoot the left and right orbits and keep track of which orbit Lasher jumps to next. Deal enough damage through the orbits to light special attack.
Symbiote battles are not worth going for if you're playing for score, and I advise ignoring them whenever possible unless you're at level 20 and instead aiming for character combos or Carnage to maximize your score. If you wind up in a symbiote battle anyway, make sure you have multiple characters' mini-mode ladders complete to make them as painless as possible.
Very difficult major boss battles against Grendel and Knull await players who defeat any of the above battles and reach level 20 or 30, respectively.
The main benefit of completing mini-modes is that they will light your locks for Mayhem Multiball at different shots depending on the host (just follow the green arrows). Each ball locked changes the multiball slightly - the first two locks in each tank determine which symbiote battle will be completed by scoring the super jackpot at the end of each jackpot set, and the third locks correspond to +1x playfield and 2x experience.
Once the second ball is locked, the game will assume you want to start Mayhem Multiball. However, the scoring increases the more balls you have in play, and you can lock up to 6 balls (3 per tank). Hold the action button following each lock to prevent Mayhem Multiball from starting. Don't get too cocky though - if you’re going for score and haven’t started Mayhem Multiball by ball 3, it would be wise to ignore the risk and play it with the balls you have locked already. Make sure to prioritize the right lock for +1x playfield if you're worried about not getting all the way to 6 balls.
Mayhem Multiball opens with a sequence where the left ramp and scoop alternate as lit “quick jackpots” for a short time. Quickly alternate the shots to score points and build your base jackpots. A decent amount of XP is also awarded for each “quick jackpot” shot.
Once time runs out or enough shots are missed, the tanks will release the balls, and Mayhem Multiball will properly begin. Complete every major shot to score a jackpot and light the scoop for a super jackpot, instantly defeating one of the villainous symbiotes brought into the multiball with the prior locks. The process then repeats but with twice the shots needed for double jackpots, then 3x the shots needed for triple jackpots, etc.
The captive ball is a very dangerous shot to recover from but is well worth shooting for, especially during Mayhem Multiball, as shooting it enough times will light the center ramp for Carnage Multiball. This multiball mode lights various shots blue for jackpots, but the super jackpot is where the big points are at and can be scored by sending Carnage all the way back to Ravencroft again and then shooting the scoop.
Carnage Multiball is also a great time to use your Spider-Sense by holding the action button until all shots flash white; this will instantly count as sending Carnage all the way back and light your super jackpot!
The other two Carnage modes are seen way less often and vary in scoring potential. Carnage hurry-up involves shooting the left and center ramps to maintain the value scored by sending Carnage all the way back, and blood lust is a flip-count based mode where flips can be added by comboing the center ramp into the captive ball or bell tower. Carnage hurry-up is not worth going for, but blood lust is worth playing out if you manage to make it that far.
The flashing red targets around the playfield all defeat Infected when flashing: shoot a target once to cause it to flash, and then shoot it again to defeat an Infected. At random amounts of Infected (averaging around 5 or so defeated), Doppelganger will be summoned, and the left loop will rapidly flash red & blue.
Quickly shoot the left loop before time runs out to defeat Doppelganger and score the hurry-up value, which can ideally be multiplied by making combos prior to shooting the left loop. If Doppelganger is about to escape, a sound will play to alert you; don’t delay, and quickly make that loop shot!
Defeating 3 Doppelgangers during a game lights the center ramp for Rampage mode. Shoot the blue shots to build the value of the rampage jackpot, which can be collected with repeated shots to the left loop and increase in value with every shot made. A great Rampage mode can be worth upwards of 300M!
Play Mayhem Multiball, Carnage Multiball, and defeat 1 Doppelganger to light the scoop for this wizard mode where the player’s host teams up with Carnage to defeat Toxin.
The player must make six yellow flashing shots to light the scoop to defeat Toxin for the super jackpot, primarily on the right side of the playfield. Their value can be boosted with direct shots to Carnage at the captive ball, indicated by either orange or red inserts (2x and 3x respectively). Once the super jackpot is scored, the mode will continue as a 2-ball multiball and another super jackpot can be collected in the same method. Toxin Team-Up ends if the player drains during the first phase or if the multiball ends.
The first round of Toxin is played at relatively low value, but as the player scores super jackpots, the scoring increases more and more so long as they can keep the multiball alive, to the point where normal jackpots score more than super jackpots! The scoring and safety of this round are comparable to Whirlpool Challenge from White Water which similarly encourages a controlled play style during multiball.
This rarely seen aspect of Venom's rules turns out to be a powerful "secret weapon" that can put players' scores at risk! After playing Toxin Team-Up (described above), one shot will be lit a unique color that doesn't correlate to any of the mini-modes. Hitting this shot will light another to continue the character combo, then another, up to the fourth shot. Once the combo is complete, the scoop will be lit to start host hurry-up.
Host hurry-up seems simple enough - hit the same shots you made in the preceding character combo but with hurry-up scores for each shot - but the hurry-up scores are massive! 20M is the base hurry-up value and each successful shot in the hurry-up sequence adds the scored value to the 20M base value for the next one. 500M to 600M is possible from perfectly made host hurry-ups, but billions are possible if the player brings a playfield multiplier into the hurry-up!
As is usual for Dwight Sullivan-coded games, playfield multipliers play a large part in scoring strategy. The main method of increasing the multiplier is by repeatedly looping the center ramp and then quickly shooting the bell tower target directly right of it. You can get up to 7x multiplier by doing this, and you can also get +1x multiplier through a certain grid box or as one of the many modifiers to Mayhem Multiball (just lock 3 balls in the right tank).
Just like in Brian Eddy’s previous game, The Mandalorian, the action button serves a unique and useful purpose that no other game uses. Holding the action button will light a variety of white shots. Release the button to light one randomly determined shot for a hurry-up and make a ton of progress on the currently active feature.
Some great times to use this are during Mayhem and Carnage Multiball to instantly light the super jackpots and during any battle to instantly complete the phase. Players skillful enough to time their Spider-Sense will score big points every time they use it, though they only get one chance at using it per ball, so view your opportunities wisely!
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