About
A definitive reference,
built with care.
StrictlyPinball is a craft project. The goal is simple: the best pinball machine database on the web, with the design quality and data depth pinball collectors actually deserve.
What makes this different
Most pinball databases either bury you in raw metadata or skim the surface with a stock photo and a release year. This project sits between — opinionated about what matters, generous with detail where it does.
Production numbers come from IPDB. Community ratings come from IPDB. Daily refreshes come from OPDB. Rankings, valuations, and demand signals are computed from those primary sources rather than guessed at, and the methodologies are documented openly so you can decide whether to trust them.
The valuation algorithm is the marquee example. Most online “value tools” treat rarity as the value driver — producing absurd numbers for unloved 400-unit flops while undervaluing the famous classics. This site weights demand first, rarity second, era third — producing numbers that align with what machines actually sell for.
Data sources
- OPDB
- Open Pinball Database. Source of the daily machine catalog — 2,300+ machines refreshed every morning.
- IPDB
- Internet Pinball Database. Source of production counts, community fun ratings, and historical detail for ~1,400 machines (about 60% of the catalog).
- Algorithms
- Valuation and ranking formulas are documented on each ranking page's methodology box. Open to scrutiny, designed for iteration.
Project status
StrictlyPinball is an active project. The current foundation — the catalog, ranking pages, machine details, and valuation tool — is in place. Coming next: deeper machine-page enrichment, interactive data visualizations, and Pinball Map integration so you can see where any given machine is on location near you.
If something looks wrong, off, or worth adding, get in touch.
About the project
StrictlyPinball is built and maintained by Ryan, a longtime collector who got frustrated that no pinball reference on the web combined the depth and design the hobby deserves. No team, no funding, no monetization pressure — just a long-running effort to make the site every pinball enthusiast wishes already existed.