Ep 12: Keith Elwin!

Keith Elwin, legendary tournament player and now senior designer at Stern Pinball, discusses his transition from San Diego-based independent operator to Chicago-based full-time employee. He details the homebrew Archer project that became his portfolio piece, Iron Maiden design philosophy balancing tournament depth with casual accessibility, and his design principles emphasizing flow, state-change mechanics, and risk-reward gameplay. The conversation covers rule-set design, player skill development, and his approach to appealing to multiple market segments (tournament, location, home collector, premium collector).