As players make their way through Hollis’ Hot Streak in Psychonauts 2, they will come across a “Pillinko” machine that does not play fair. Indeed, Raz will discover that the game is rigged against him, as the spot that he must land in to win is blocked by a heart. However, it is possible to move that heart and beat Psychonauts 2’s Pillinko machine, and this guide will detail exactly how that is done.
How to Beat the Pillinko Machine in Psychonauts 2
After learning that the Pillinko machine is rigged, players should make their way to the casino’s second floor and speak with the three NPCs that they find there. Each time a fan talks to one of these characters, a set of two thought bubbles will appear, and there will be a total of six of them when everything is said and done. These thought bubbles are the foundation of the Hollis’ Hot Streak puzzle in Psychonauts 2, and indeed players must solve it in order to proceed.
With respect to how this puzzle is solved, the goal is to create three sets of thought bubbles using the Mental Connections Psi-Power in Psychonauts 2. More specifically, players need to connect “Decisions” to “Wisdom,” “Judgement” to “Quitting,” and “Victory” to “Moderation” by traveling across the empty nodes that are between them. This is a concept that fans should already be familiar with, as it is also used to complete the Hollis’ Classroom puzzle, and they will gain access to the inside of the Pillinko machine when the three connections have been made.
Once a player has gotten into the machine, they should do a bit of platforming until they reach the “Share” thought bubble. They should then travel across the empty nodes to connect that idea to the “Feelings” thought bubble, and a short cutscene will play when that has occurred. In this cutscene, Psychonauts 2 fans will see the Pillinko machine’s heart put back into its correct position, and it will now be possible to beat the game.
To do that, fans should speak with Nurse Cherry once again to get another try at the machine. They should then make their way down its right side, landing in the hole that is in the game’s stomach. For full clarity, that hole is marked with a “G,” and the Psychonauts 2 protagonist will receive the Gazillion coin that he was after when it has been reached.
Psychonauts 2 is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.