DEFEND THE HOUSE ✦ COLLECT SUN ✦ PLANT THE LANES ✦ SPELL BRAINZ ✦ BEAT DR. ZOMBOSS ✦DEFEND THE HOUSE ✦ COLLECT SUN ✦ SPELL BRAINZ ✦ BEAT DR. ZOMBOSS ✦
HOW THE TABLE PLAYS

Defend the house. Spell BRAINZ. Beat the doctor.

Zombies march down the playfield toward your Welcome Mat. Stop them with the ball, with plants bought with Sun and with gadgets bought with Money.

The core loop

  1. 1SUNCollect SunShoot the Sun Hole to scatter Sun across the lanes, then grab it.
  2. 2PLANTPlant the lanesSpend Sun at the Flower Pot on Peas, Specials and Defensive Plants.
  3. 3MONEYCash inDefeat zombies for Coins and spend them at Crazy Dave's car on upgrades.
  4. 4BRAINZGo for the big oneBuild toward multiballs and BRAINZ Missions, then take on Dr. Zomboss.
FAILGuard the Welcome Mat. Any zombie that reaches its top fails the Mission or Challenge you are playing.

The fourteen shots

Every rule hangs off one of these numbered shots. The numbers come back all over this page.

HolesOrbitsRampsTargets and kickers
  1. 1Flower PotBuys the seed on offer with Sun and feeds the Brainz Ramp. A timed shot here starts Repeater Multiball.
  2. 2Left OrbitChanges the seed on offer and builds toward Kickback, Ball Save and Extra Ball. Starts Fertilizer Bonus.
  3. 3Mail RampFour hits lock the first ball for Mail Multiball. Super Skill Shot target and a Jackpot shot.
  4. 4Challenge HoleCollects a lit Kickback, Ball Save or Extra Ball. Four hits start a Challenge.
  5. 5Jack-in-the-Box Mini OrbitFeeds the Jack-in-the-Box bumpers and their random awards.
  6. 6Brainz Up-KickerFeeds the bumpers and lights a BRAINZ letter.
  7. 7Brainz RampLights BRAINZ letters and starts Missions. Super Jackpot shot and the final blow of the wizard mode.
  8. 8Melon Pult HoleAn upper-right flipper shot that starts Melon Pult.
  9. 9Repeater RampAn upper-right flipper shot that arms Repeater Multiball.
  10. 10Sun HoleReleases Sun, spells S-U-N, opens Crazy Dave's Shop and cashes in R-I-P.
  11. 11Dr. Zomboss RampTen hits start Gotta Dance Multiball. Crazy Dave parks here. A Jackpot shot.
  12. 12Right OrbitWorks just like the Left Orbit.
  13. 13R-I-P TargetsComplete them, then hit the Sun Hole for Money.
  14. 14Magna Save TargetTwo hits arm Magna Save to stop a drain.

Also on the table: C-R-A-Z-Y rollovers in the lanes, a Kickback in each outlane, the Specials tray at lower left, the Welcome Mat above the flippers, and two upper flippers.

Sun and seed packets

Collect SunShoot the Sun Hole (10) and Sun scatters over the lanes. Each one is worth 25 Sun, or 50 with Twin Sunflowers. Every Sun Hole shot also hands out 4 random Defensive Plants.
Sun FrenzyEach Sun Hole shot lights a letter. With S-U-N lit, one more shot covers every lane in Sun for about ten seconds, refilled as you grab it.

Spend it at the Flower Pot (1). The orbits (2, 12) cycle which seed is on offer. Specials wait in a tray of 5 and fire where the ball is when you press Launch. Defensive Plants go in any lane whose shot is flashing.

  • PEA500 SunSnow PeaAn ice ball that slows zombies in headgear and briefly freezes any it hits.
  • SPECIAL500 SunJalapenoBurns one lane, taking out every zombie in it.
  • PEA1,000 SunTorchwood PeaA fire ball that beats zombies in headgear in one hit, and they drop more Money.
  • SPECIAL1,000 SunCherry BombBlows up the zombies close to the ball.
  • DEFENSIVE1,500 SunWalnutHolds a zombie back from the Welcome Mat for a while.
  • DEFENSIVE1,750 SunPotato MineBlows up the zombie that walks over it.
  • DEFENSIVE2,000 SunSquashSmashes the zombie that walks over it.

Money and Crazy Dave's Shop

EVERY GAME STARTS WITH $5,000

Zombies drop Coins. After enough slingshot hits, a zombie marches at the Welcome Mat. Beat it and hit the Coin it drops: $250 each, or $500 with Gold Magnet.

1hit: Normal2hits: Conehead3hits: Buckethead

More Money comes from Challenges, Fertilizer Bonus, Jack-in-the-Box, and the R-I-P targets (13) cashed at the Sun Hole (10).

  1. OPEN THE SHOP
  2. 1Light all five C-R-A-Z-Y rollovers.
  3. 2Shoot the Sun Hole (10). Dave's car parks at the Dr. Zomboss Ramp (11).
  4. 3Hit the trunk 3 times to open it, then shoot inside.
  5. 4Browse with the flippers and press Launch to buy.
  • Visit BonusFREE5,000 points just for stopping by.
  • Bacon$1,000+Pays 10x its price. Costs more each time.
  • Stinky the Snail$1,000Every 3rd buy: 1M, then 2M, and on up.
  • Twin Sunflowers$5,000Each Sun is worth 50 instead of 25.
  • Gold Magnet$5,000Each Coin is worth $500 instead of $250.
  • Watering Can$8,000+1,000 to the base value of shots.
  • Gatling Pea$10,000Permanent 2x scoring, Jackpots and Mission bonuses included.

Side features

Jack-in-the-Box

The mini orbit (5) or up-kicker (6) drops the ball into the bumpers. They score, and sometimes pop a random award. The multiplier resets when the ball drains.

  • Huge Score2,812,782 points
  • A Point!2,002 points
  • Advance MultiplierNext multiplier step, up to 10x
  • Light Extra BallLit at the Challenge Hole (4)
  • Ball SaveStarts Ball Save
  • KickbacksRelights one Kickback
  • Hit LockerLocks a ball toward Mail Multiball
  • Bonus Sun or MoneyA little extra of either
  • Stray ZombieOne zombie to beat for Money

Fertilizer Bonus

An orbit shot (2, 5, 12) puts a star on a lane. Hit that lane before it fades for a Jackpot Increase (+100,000), a Mission Bonus Up (+500,000), or plenty of Sun or Money.

Challenge

The 4th Challenge Hole (4) shot starts one: hit a set number of zombies before time runs out. It pays Money, and each new Challenge is harder.

Melon Pult

  1. STEP 1Reach the upper-right flipper via the Brainz Ramp (7) or Flower Pot (1).
  2. STEP 2Shoot the Melon Pult Hole (8) as many times as the display asks.
  3. STEP 3Zombies pop up. Aim with the flippers, press Launch to lob melons.
  4. STEP 4Hit them all to win. About 3 misses and it's over.

Three multiballs

Super Jackpot: always the Brainz Ramp (7)
3 BALLS

Mail Multiball

Start it: The 4th Mail Ramp (3) shot locks ball 1. Two more lock balls 2 and 3.

Jackpots: Mail Ramp (3) and Dr. Zomboss Ramp (11) take turns. Three Jackpots light the Super Jackpot.

2, THEN 3 BALLS

Repeater and Threepeater

Start it: A late upper-right flip up the Repeater Ramp (9), then the Flower Pot (1) within about 5 seconds.

Jackpots: Lit shots are Jackpots. Light every flashing shot to add the third ball.

3 BALLS

Gotta Dance

Start it: Ten Dr. Zomboss Ramp (11) shots, each adding a dancer to the line.

Jackpots: One flashing shot that hops around the table at random.

Grow the JackpotEvery unlit ramp or orbit during multiball adds +100,000 (+200,000 with Gatling Pea).A Fertilizer Jackpot Increase adds +100,000.The Super Jackpot pays double. Multiballs run while 2 or more balls are in play.

BRAINZ Missions and Dr. Zomboss

BRAINZ
  1. 1Light B-R-A-I-N-Z: each Brainz Ramp (7) or up-kicker (6) shot lights a letter. Mail Multiball speeds it up.
  2. 2With every letter lit, shoot the Brainz Ramp (7) once more.
  3. 3Pick a Mission with the flippers and confirm with Launch before time runs out.
  • MISSION 1 · NO TIMERWelcome CommitteeDefeat 18 zombies.Fails when a zombie reaches the Welcome Mat.
  • MISSION 2 · TIMEDZombies Love FootballHit 4 lit shots while a football zombie slides across the ramps. Each lit shot adds time.Fails when the timer runs out.
  • MISSION 3 · NO TIMERDigger ZombiesHit 11 flashing shots. Each one takes out a digger.Fails when a digger reaches the Welcome Mat.
  • MISSION 4 · 1 MINUTEGoing NutzSurvive a 3-ball multiball of heavy coconut balls, in fog.Fails when a zombie reaches the Mat, or fewer than 2 balls remain.

Each Mission you finish pays about 5,000,000, raised by Mission Bonus Up and doubled by Gatling Pea. Planting Defensive Plants and starting Mail Multiball both help.

WIZARD MODE: DR. ZOMBOSS

ALL 4 MISSIONS + BRAINZ

Zombies come in an endless stream while Dr. Zomboss rolls fire and ice down his ramp (11). Anything that reaches the top of the Welcome Mat ends the attempt.

1. Destroy 4 projectiles with the opposite ball: fire beats ice, ice beats fire. Shoot the Flower Pot (1) to switch.

2. Finish him with a Brainz Ramp (7) shot from the upper-left flipper. The Right Orbit (12) sets it up.

VictoryA bonus, then a 3-ball Victory Multiball where every ramp and orbit pays 1,000,000. The table resets, harder.
Fall shortYour Missions stay won. Relight BRAINZ and go again.

Scoring

The big points come from Mission bonuses, the Victory Multiball and Stinky the Snail. Gatling Pea doubles everything after you buy it.

Multipliers step up through Jack-in-the-Box to a 10x cap and reset on drain. Reaching 10x lights an Extra Ball. Watering Can adds +1,000 to every shot's base value.

AWARD VALUES
AWARDVALUE
SKILL SHOT500,000
SUPER SKILL SHOT1,000,000
JACK: HUGE SCORE2,812,782
JACK: A POINT!2,002
CRAZY DAVE VISIT5,000
BACON10X ITS PRICE
STINKY THE SNAIL1M, 2M, 3M...
JACKPOT+100,000 A SHOT
SUPER JACKPOT2X JACKPOT
MISSION COMPLETE~5,000,000
VICTORY SHOT1,000,000

MYSTERY AWARDS

8 STILL TO SOLVE

Things the old table guide never pins down. Each gets settled from gameplay footage where possible, or a standard pinball value marked as assumed.

  • How long Ball Save lasts
  • Slingshot hits to set off a zombie attack
  • What a Challenge pays, level by level
  • What starts Melon Pult, and its misses
  • The full Jack-in-the-Box and Fertilizer lists
  • Multiplier steps between 2x and 10x
  • Where the Watering Can bonus applies
  • Exact Mission and wizard mode bonuses

Rules follow the original 2015 Zen Studios table, pieced together from the fan table guide and Zen's own announcement.