Crankball
1 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)
2 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)
3 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)
4 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)
5 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-5-still.webp)1 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)2 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)3 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)4 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)5 · official itch.io GIF (1-bit still: screen-5-still.webp)What it is
Crankball is "flipperless pinball for Playdate". The story is that you're "trapped in a haunted arcade" and your only way out is to beat a pinball machine with no flippers, "using nothing but the crank." You turn the whole table with the crank (or the D-pad left and right) while gravity keeps pulling the ball down. You catch the ball on the rim, turn as it lands to throw it sideways, and line up your next shot. Every bounce wears a section of the rim away, and hitting the same spot makes a hole. Clearing banks of targets patches the rim and builds your bonus multiplier; lock two balls in the lit centre of the table to start multiball.
There are five tables: Big Top, Gearbox, Giggles, Turbo and Bouncer. Bouncer is a final table you unlock by reaching the score goals on the first four. The page also lists comic cutscenes, tracker music, 47 trophies, local high-score tables and an interactive how-to.
It was published on itch.io on 22 Oct 2026 and is tagged 1-bit, Arcade, Halloween and Pinball. The download is Crankball.pdx.zip (7.6 MB), with a separate 1.7 MB PDF manual.
Who made it
HappyDog Games, per the itch.io page. No further information found.
What others are saying
No coverage yet: we found no press or reviews. This overview is built from the game's own itch.io page.
Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Crankball yet. This page is an overview built from the developer's own itch.io page.
Sources
Checked 27 Oct 2026. Times on itch.io are shown in UTC; dates here are as itch.io shows them.
- Official itch.io page (description, credits, size, dates, price, AI disclosure). https://happydoggames.itch.io/crankball
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
Trapped in a haunted arcade, beat a pinball machine with no flippers using nothing but the crank. Five tables, 47 trophies.