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Pinball Wizard (also known as Plinko Puzzle) is a recurring Survivor challenge. It debuted in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X before reappearing in Survivor 46. It has also appeared internationally in Koh-Lanta: Fidji, Survivor South Africa: Philippines, and Survivor U.K. (2023).

Rules[]

Castaways will have to roll a ball up a ramp and into a plinko board. While the ball is rolling down the plinko board, they must solve a puzzle, while keeping an eye on the ball. When the ball is close to the end of the plinko board, the castaways must grab the ball and roll it back up to the top. If a castaway misses catching the ball, they must wait for the ball to roll down to the end of a chute before they can roll the ball back up the ramp and return to solving their puzzle. The first castaway to complete the puzzle wins.

History[]

United States[]

The challenge debuted in Millennials vs. Gen X as an Immunity Challenge. Instead of focusing on his puzzle, Adam Klein decided that it was more important to deprive Jay Starrett of immunity. With this logic, he employed the strategy of helping his ally Ken McNickle by informing him when his ball was close to falling off the board. This gave Ken the edge he needed to win the challenge.

The challenge reappeared thirteen seasons later in Survivor 46 as the Final Immunity Challenge, with the plinko board being upscaled significantly in this variant. Despite being plagued by game-long stress and severe sleep deprivation, Ben Katzman was ultimately the first one to solve the puzzle, winning his first immunity challenge and securing a spot at the Final Tribal Council.

France[]

Quebec[]

The challenge debuted in Survivor Québec (2023) as the final Redemption Island duel. The remaining members of Pag-Asa, who spectated the challenge from the sidelines, helped the duelists keep track of their balls. Ultimately, Nicolas Brunette won his fourth duel and returned to the main game, while Sylvain Béland and Sandrine Fortier were eliminated for good.

South Africa[]

The challenge was played for immunity at the final six of Philippines. Katinka Oosthuizen received a Challenge Advantage at the auction and was able to cut her time penalty in half. Ultimately, it was Werner Joubert who managed to solve his block puzzle first and win his second individual Immunity Challenge.

United Kingdom[]

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winner
Millennials vs. Gen X
"Slayed the Survivor Dragon"
Individual Immunity S33 ken t
Ken McNickle
Survivor 46
"Friends Going to War"
Individual Immunity
(Final Immunity)
S46 ben t
Ben Katzman

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Fidji
Episode 6
Individual Immunity FRS21 manu t
Manu Delanghe

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Survivor Québec (2023)
Episodes 57-58
Duel QCS1 nicolas t
Nicolas Brunette

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Philippines
Episode 13
Individual Immunity ZAS6 werner t
Werner Joubert

Episode Challenge Type Winner
Survivor U.K. (2023)
Episode 15
Individual Immunity UKS3 christopher t
Christopher Haul

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Basket Brawl · Better Homes and Island Living · Beyond the Wheel · Blind Leading the Blind · Blue Lagoon Bustle · Blue Plate Special · Boats, Brains & Brawn · Bone to Pick · Boulder Smash · Bow Diddley · Box Your Mind · Braille Maze · Broken China · Buggin' Out · Build It Up, Break It Down · Butch Cassidy · By Any Means Necessary · By the Numbers · Cage Against the Machine · Can't Buoy Me Love · Cannonball Run · Caught in the Web · Cell Block Sea · Challenge Pitch · Chief's Choice · Chimney Sweep · Chinese Zodiac Symbols · Choose Your Weapon · Coconut Juice · Crate Escape · Crocodile Rock · Crosswalk · Cube Crisis · Dear Liza · Dive Masters · Dizzy Gillespie · Dizzy Miss Lizzy · Domino Effect · Draggin' the Dragon · Dragging the River · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Game of Bridge · Gatecrasher · Get a Grip · Get Barreled · Get Hooked · Get Your Goat · Gimme Three Steps · Great Escape Run · Hands on a Hard Idol · Hear About It Ladder · Hot Pursuit · House of Cards · House of the Holey · Idol Hands · Jail Break · Jump Shot · Jungle Relay · Kamikaze · Keel Hauling · Keep It Up · Keep on Your Toes · Kenny Log-Ins · Kicking and Screaming · Kitty Litter · Know Your Loved One · Ladder Tree Golf · Last Gasp · Letter Hunt · Lock, Load and Light · Lock Step · Log Jam · Losing Face · Mask Match · Matchmaker · Matt Finish · Mayan Pizza · Memory · Mud Pack · Mud Slide · Muddy Waters · New School · New Tribe Member · Nut Bucket · O-Black Water · Odd Shaped Bottoms · Operation Balance Build · Out on a Limb · Over-Extended · Paddle Battle · Paddle Out · Perch · Pilfering Pirates · Piranha Feast · Pole Dancing · Pot Head · Push Me, Pull You · Puzzle Dig · Q and A · Quest for Fire · Race to Shore · Ram-Ball On · Rescue Mission · Rice Race · Rise and Shrine · Rock Bottom · Rock n' Roll · Rock the Boat · Rod Screw-It · Roll With It · Roller Ball · Rung O Star · Running Down a Dream · Sacrificial Lamb · Schmergen Brawl · Sea Crates · Sea Legs · Sea Salvage · Shipwrecked · Shoot 'n' Shuffle · Shooting Gallery · Shoulder the Load · Simmotion · Slip, Slide & Score · Slither Me Timbers · Smash and Grab · Snag, Drag and Bag · Snake in the Grass · Snake Island Relay · SOS Signal · Spear-it Hunt · Spit It Out · Splash Back · Sprung a Leak · Squared Off · Squatty Probst · Stacked Up · Stairway to Heaven · Stairway to the Stars · Star Man · Station By Station · Step on Up · Stomp-ede · Strung Out · Sumo at Sea · Super Ramp · Survivor Auction · Survivor History · Survivor Pentathlon · Survivor Quiz Show · Swahili Scramble · Swing Break · Tangled Up · Temple Transfer · The Ball Drop · The Cruel Sea · The Game is Afoot · The Gauntlet · The Home Stretch · The Maze · The Obstacle Course · This Much · Thrash, Splash & Bash · TLP O-Course · Tomb Raider · Total Recall · Troubled Water · Uncomfortably Numb · United We Stand · Vampire Bats · Vertically Challenged · Vertigo · Wall to Wall · Well Stacked · What-er Drag · When It Rains, It Pours · Wicker Flicker · Will It Go Round · Witch Hunt · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me
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