diff --git a/lib/game/pinball_game.dart b/lib/game/pinball_game.dart
index 23769756..2b003207 100644
--- a/lib/game/pinball_game.dart
+++ b/lib/game/pinball_game.dart
@@ -155,12 +155,11 @@ class PinballGame extends PinballForge2DGame
 
   @override
   void onTapDown(int pointerId, TapDownInfo info) {
-    if (info.raw.kind == PointerDeviceKind.touch) {
+    if (info.raw.kind == PointerDeviceKind.touch &&
+        _gameBloc.state.status.isPlaying) {
       final rocket = descendants().whereType<RocketSpriteComponent>().first;
       final bounds = rocket.topLeftPosition & rocket.size;
 
-      // NOTE: As long as Flame does not have https://github.com/flame-engine/flame/issues/1586
-      // we need to check it at the highest level manually.
       final tappedRocket = bounds.contains(info.eventPosition.game.toOffset());
       if (tappedRocket) {
         descendants()
diff --git a/test/game/pinball_game_test.dart b/test/game/pinball_game_test.dart
index b44295ed..92608a1d 100644
--- a/test/game/pinball_game_test.dart
+++ b/test/game/pinball_game_test.dart
@@ -246,9 +246,61 @@ void main() {
     });
 
     group('flipper control', () {
+      flameTester.test('tap control only works if game is playing',
+          (game) async {
+        await game.ready();
+
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
+        when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
+        when(() => eventPosition.widget).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
+
+        final raw = _MockTapDownDetails();
+        when(() => raw.kind).thenReturn(PointerDeviceKind.touch);
+
+        final tapDownEvent = _MockTapDownInfo();
+        when(() => tapDownEvent.eventPosition).thenReturn(eventPosition);
+        when(() => tapDownEvent.raw).thenReturn(raw);
+
+        final flipperBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<Flipper>()
+            .where((flipper) => flipper.side == BoardSide.left)
+            .single
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<FlipperCubit, FlipperState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.gameOver));
+
+        game.onTapDown(0, tapDownEvent);
+        await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+        expect(flipperBloc.state, FlipperState.movingDown);
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
+        game.onTapDown(0, tapDownEvent);
+        await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+        expect(flipperBloc.state, FlipperState.movingUp);
+      });
+
       flameTester.test('tap down moves left flipper up', (game) async {
         await game.ready();
 
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
         final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
         when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
         when(() => eventPosition.widget).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
@@ -278,6 +330,14 @@ void main() {
       flameTester.test('tap down moves right flipper up', (game) async {
         await game.ready();
 
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
         final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
         when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
         when(() => eventPosition.widget).thenReturn(game.canvasSize);
@@ -307,6 +367,14 @@ void main() {
       flameTester.test('tap up moves flipper down', (game) async {
         await game.ready();
 
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
         final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
         when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
         when(() => eventPosition.widget).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
@@ -332,6 +400,14 @@ void main() {
       flameTester.test('tap cancel moves flipper down', (game) async {
         await game.ready();
 
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
         final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
         when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
         when(() => eventPosition.widget).thenReturn(Vector2.zero());
@@ -363,6 +439,14 @@ void main() {
         (game) async {
           await game.ready();
 
+          final gameBloc = game
+              .descendants()
+              .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+              .first
+              .bloc;
+
+          gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
           final raw = _MockTapDownDetails();
           when(() => raw.kind).thenReturn(PointerDeviceKind.touch);
 
@@ -416,6 +500,14 @@ void main() {
       flameTester.test('plunger control tap down emits plunging', (game) async {
         await game.ready();
 
+        final gameBloc = game
+            .descendants()
+            .whereType<FlameBlocProvider<GameBloc, GameState>>()
+            .first
+            .bloc;
+
+        gameBloc.emit(gameBloc.state.copyWith(status: GameStatus.playing));
+
         final eventPosition = _MockEventPosition();
         when(() => eventPosition.game).thenReturn(Vector2(40, 60));