Steve Kordek

Steve Kordek was a pioneering pinball designer whose innovations shaped the modern game as we know it. His most famous contribution was introducing the now-standard two-flipper layout at the bottom of the playfield, first seen in Triple Action (1948). This simple yet revolutionary idea transformed pinball from a game of chance into one of skill, fundamentally changing how players interacted with the machine. Over his six-decade career, Kordek designed more than 100 pinball machines and introduced key features like drop targets, multi-ball play, and swinging targets, all of which became industry standards. His influence ensured that pinball evolved into a dynamic, skill-based game that continues to engage players today.

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Beyond his mechanical innovations, Kordek was a beloved figure in the pinball community. His colleagues admired his ingenuity, while fans celebrated his lasting contributions to arcade culture. He remained involved in pinball well into his 90s, attending conventions and sharing stories from his remarkable career. Even after his passing at age 100, Kordek’s legacy endures in every pinball machine played today. His intuitive design philosophy—balancing creativity with cost-efficiency—ensured that his ideas would live on, making him one of the most important figures in pinball history.