The Bounce

This Lego creation is built to capture the fun and excitement of a pinball machine that also has some pachinko machine action. The result is a table top game reminiscent of both. Put a ball in front of the launcher, pull the launcher back, and let it go. The ball bounces and ricochets off a spinner or two going down the board, but where is the ball going to land? There is one spectator in the pond (lower left corner) – the green frog. He likes to watch the action.

The suggested age of builders is 16+.  The red wall on top of the base is built with 2x6 bricks for a sturdy construction. The ball catcher channels are tile-lined and the channel side openings closed off so a ball can only exit at a gate. The playing surface is 4x4 plates connected to columns of 2x2 bricks and topped with orange tiles. The top wall is built with overlapping sections to make a rigid structure to handle the game play. The game layout can be customized with a single criterion for success: the builder must allow enough room for the balls to roll down freely and not get trapped on the game board.  Once the game is built, it is a ready for the whole family (ages 5-99) to play and enjoy.  When playtime is over, the balls go back in their own box that fits on top of the game board. The elevation legs are detachable and also lay on top of the board. 

This new set has the build challenge of many existing Lego sets and produces a fun and easy game at the end of the build. It would make an excellent new addition that would be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Each player has 10 balls to score points in his or her turn. The first player to reach 400 points wins the game.

The area above the red gates is designed to hold the un-played balls during a turn. Best to use two hands for play — one for the launcher and one to steady the board during ball launching.

At least two turns are needed. Unless you land on both 100 point ball catchers and get the other 8 balls to land in the 25 point holes — giving you 400 points. It is possible to win a game in one turn, but highly unlikely.

A pencil and paper are recommended to keep score.

#1  Be sure to close the red gates at the bottom of the game board before starting a turn.

#2  If a ball gets trapped on the game board or jumps off the game board, the player gets to replay it. This includes the case if two balls get trapped on a ball catcher. Ball catchers can only capture one ball per turn. The second ball is just a stuck ball and should be replayed.

#3 If a ball goes down the hole with the red border, it is temporarily trapped and will not count for that turn. After scoring for the turn, any trapped balls are released by pulling the red Lifting Ring out.

All parts are genuine Lego parts, except for the point value stickers. The spring was borrowed from LEGO part 731c06 Technic, Shock Absorber 6.5L - Soft Spring. The piece count is around 1445 pieces plus a few spare taps and tiles for good measure.