Labyrinth
Game Information:
- Game Design: David Van Es
- Mechanics: Travis Moseman
- Rules Design: Phil Grimaldi and Bowen Kerins
- Software: Eric Priepke
- Artwork: Jonathan Bergeron
- Animation: Trent Armstrong
- Release Date: October 2023
- Wiki Rulesheet based on Code Rev: 2024-09-25
Embark on this pinball adventure into a labyrinth where nothing as it seems. Along the way, encounter a cast of characters, including Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo, who become your loyal companions “Should you need them” and prove invaluable allies as you navigate the labyrinth.
Skill Shots:
The score a skill shot awards is based on the current ball being started, not the number of times that specific skill shot has been hit. For example, if you take the Worm skill shot on balls 1 and 2, then hit the Target skill shot on ball 3, you’ll earn 1.5m for the Target skill shot even though it’s the first time you’ve hit the Target one.
While I didn’t test beyond a standard 3 balls, it’s presumed skill shot values continue growing at the same cadence.
- Worm Skillshot: Short plunge drops into the Ello Worm staging area. Scores 200k/400k/600k
- Wiseman Skillshot: Plunge to end of shooter lane wireform and drop into scoop under right ramp. Also the first of a 2 shot super skillshot combo when combined with the bridge loop.
- Target Skillshot: Medium plunge to the upper flipper, one shot the ‘change mode’ target. Scores 500k/1m/1.5m
- Ramp Skillshot: Medium plunge to the upper flipper, one shot the center ramp from upper flipper. Scores 350k/700k/1.05m
- Bridge Skillshot: Medium plunge to the upper flipper, one shot the bridge loop shot. The initial switches in the right orbit need to be hit by the soft plunge before coming back to the upper flipper, otherwise it will register as Egdirb. Scores 300k/750k/900k
- Egdirb Skillshot: Plunge with enough force to make the back corner, but soft enough to fall through the upper loop in reverse. Can also be triggered if you manage to soft plunge to the upper flipper without hitting the right orbit switches first; then a shot to the bridge loop will award Egdirb instead of Bridge. Scores 250k/500k/750k
- Village Skillshot: Plunge past the upper loop, but not quite to a full orbit, so that the ball falls into the back of the village. Starts at 400k.
Modes:
At the start of Ball 1, the lit mode will cycle through all six available modes until the first switch activation. When a mode is not actively running, hitting the Change Mode target will change the lit mode within the row (top/bottom) that is currently active. Spelling “HELP” at the inlanes and outlanes when a mode is not running will light the helping hands scoop. Shoot the scoop to get a choice to stay on the same row or move to the mode on the opposite row. If the mode on the opposite row has already been played, a different mode on that row will be available instead. Letting the timer run out will not change the lit mode. After the choice, LABYRINTH will finish if it is not already complete. The helping hands scoop will no longer light this way after playing the Poisoned Peach mode.
Spell LABYRINTH by completing shots with white arrows to light Mode Start.
First mode: collect one letter Second mode: collect two letters Third mode: collect three letters Fourth mode: collect four letters Fifth mode: collect five letters Sixth mode: collect six letters
When a mode is ready to start, both Mode Start lights will be flashing at either side of the U-turn. Begin the mode by hitting either side of the U-turn or the wiseman scoop if the target is down.
Which side of the U-turn you hit to start the mode typically affects where the ball will eject from once the mode starts. Starting the mode from the left side of the U-turn will have the mode start with the ball ejecting from above the upper flipper; starting the mode from the right side of the U-turn will have the mode start with the ball ejecting from under the left ramp.
Listed clockwise (starting from the left of the top row), the modes are:
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The Knockers: Hit yellow shots to progress the mode - either the left ramp or right ramp for single value, or the flashing horseshoe shot for 2x value. After 5 shots, you will hear the callout “Knock, and the door will open”. At this point, you must hit the drop target between the horseshoe shots to pinch the knocker’s nose. You then have a short amount of time to hit the ball into that doorway. If you fail to do so after a few seconds, the drop target pops back up, and you must hit it again.
- To light Knockers Orb collect: Complete the mode
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The Four Guards: “One of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies.” Ramp and orbit shots will be lit both blue and red and hitting a shot will change the color. The upper loop and center ramp shots are yellow to start and hitting either will make the guards confess to the correct color (the correct color is the opposite one they mention – so if they say “He’ll tell you the colors should be blue,” then you know the correct color is red – just like in the movie). You can also learn the correct color via Mystery award. The correct color will also be displayed on the lower LCD. Change the color of all shots to the correct color and then complete the mode (and light orb collect) by hitting the right horseshoe lane, which will be blinking when all the colors are matching, correct or not. If you match color of the shots and try the door without “asking the question” to find out the right color, you will be wrong and will have to swap all 4 shots to the other color and try again.
- To light Four Guards Orb collect: Correctly “open” the door on the first try
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The Fireys: The mode starts by auto plunging a second ball into the trap, and then the ball is ejected into the playfield. If the ball doesn’t make it to the trap, the mode will start as a 2 ball multiball instead with the trap lit. Hit the trapped captive ball to “knock the head off” the Firey which will give you an add a ball. Hit a red shot to relight the trap and repeat. Trapped balls are hurry up shots and will be released from the trap if not hit in time. There is a limit of 5 add-a-balls; beyond that point making the ‘head pop’ shot does not continue to add balls. After the 5th head pop, there is a roving shot lit for a super jackpot.
- To light Fireys Orb collect: Pop off 5 Fiery heads in total
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The Bog of Eternal Stench: Shoot orange shots and avoid green shots to cross the bog. If a green shot is hit, the orange shot moves to the next shot in the sequence, your score will remain “stenched” in green for the rest of the game including the high score list if you make it. There is always only one shot lit orange, and the orange shot sequence is always the same: left ramp, right ramp, left orbit, right horseshoe shot, then right orbit to complete.
- To light Bog of Eternal Stench Orb collect: Complete 5 orange shots in total.
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The Oubliette: Shoot any lit shot to activate it, then shoot the same one again to complete it. If you hit a different shot while one is activated, the one you made instead is now the active shot. Each shot can only be completed once.
- To light Oubliette Orb collect: Complete 5 Oubliette doors in total.
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The Cleaners: Shoot the spinner on the left orbit to build up your hurry up value and then shoot the right orbit to collect. The mode can end in 2 ways - complete three ‘collects’ on the right orbit, or it will timeout when the clock (upper right on main display) reaches the 13th hour.
- To light Cleaners Orb collect: Complete the mode with a total of at least 5M.
Multiballs:
Brick Keeper Multiball:
Dance Magic Dance while collecting Jackpots!
Complete the green targets to light lock: the first one is lit at the left orbit, the second at the center ramp, and then multiball can be started at the right orbit. On default settings, Brick Keeper multiball is also lit at all lock shots at the start of ball 3 if it hasn’t been started yet. (There is an Setting to turn that off)
Shots lit with red arrows are jackpots. Collect jackpots to light the super jackpot on the left orbit - knock the captive ball into the spinner to score the super jackpot and increase its value with each spin. The first super jackpot is lit after 1 jackpot, and you can still collect more regular jackpots to increase the value of the super. Each re-light of the super requires an additional regular jackpot to qualify it.
Friend Multiball:
Upon collecting a jackpot for each of the three friends (Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus) you will be presented with the option to start Friend Multiball. The arrow at the left scoop will flash green when the lit friend jackpot will also start Friends multiball. You can cancel out if you’d like to collect further levels on your friends for higher jackpot values by holding either flipper before the multiball begins. If you pass on the multiball start, you will get the option to start again any time you collect a friend jackpot.
During the multiball, random shots are lit blue, yellow, and red corresponding to the three friends. For the first jackpot, (on default settings) there are 2 shots for each color, hitting either one will lock in that friend. Subsequent jackpots will reduce the amount of possible shots. Collect all three colors to light the left scoop for the jackpot. The process then resets until the multiball ends.
- To light Friends Multiball Orb collect: Collect at least one Friends jackpot (left scoop when flashing).
Tea Time Multiball:
Started via a mystery award (Ello/Worm shot when purple arrow is flashing). First shot will be a hurry up underneath the left ramp (this can timeout, losing the ability to start Tea Time if you wait too long). Then there are three main shots:
Left ramp: collect tea time value Orbits: increase tea time value U-turn: multiply tea time value
Collecting the third jackpot starts a ‘victory laps’ style extension until the multiball ends. One shot at a time will be lit, making that shot will carry on a conversation with Ello and the Missus and light the next random shot.
Wise Man Multiball:
Started by completing the fourth wiseman quest. Shots into the wiseman scoop will score jackpots.
Friends:
The yellow, orange, and blue shots on the playfield will activate and progress your friends. Collecting friends not only provides assistance in the game in the form of rewards but also will work towards Friend Multiball.
Friends have to be ‘found’ - the circle inserts of their color will be flashing when they have not yet been found, and their picture on the display will be in black and white. Beyond level one, you have to complete a combo of 2 shots to ‘find’ the friend. Each level after requires an additional combo.
Once a friend is ‘found’ their insert will be lit solid and hitting those shots will collect items - the positions of these shots can be changed by shooting any lit friend shot, including the target above the right slingshot, which also spots progress if lit via the target below the left orbit. Collect 10 friend items to light extra ball at the Helping Hands scoop on the left.
You can also collect large amounts of items for one specific friend during friendzy, which lights all shots to add 1 item for the chosen friend. The selection on which friend starts with whichever friend is the lowest level, followed by which friend has fewer items collected, if there are still multiple options, one is randomly chosen. Friendzy is started after the first and every other completed wiseman quest.
Once you have enough items, the jackpot for that friend will be available at the Helping Hands scoop. The first level jackpot requires 2 items. Item requirements increase as the friend levels up.
Collecting the friend jackpot increases the friend’s level and resets them to a ‘not found’ state.
- Hoggle: You are collecting Fairies, the yellow shots.
- Level 1 Reward: Spell Labyrinth Faster (2 letters for each lit shot made)
- Level 2 Reward: Light Locks Easier (enables ‘nearest neighbor’ on the targets)
- Level 3 Reward: 2x Friend Items
- Level 4 Reward: Orb Lit
- Ludo: You are collecting Rocks, the orange shots.
- Level 1 Reward: 50% More Mode Scoring
- Level 2 Reward: 2x Brick Keeper Jackpots
- Level 3 Reward: 2x Friend Jackpots
- Level 4 Reward: Orb Lit
- Sir Didymus: You are collecting Medals, the blue shots.
- Level 1 Reward: Spelling HELP in your lower inlanes and outlanes will activate the Didymus defense above the left outlane. Normally it can only be activated once per game.
- Level 2 Reward: Helping Hands Add-A-Ball - Once per multiball, add a ball by shooting the helping hands scoop.
- Level 3 Reward: +5 seconds to all ball saves
- Level 4 Reward: Orb Lit
Additional Features
Orbs:
Completion of Modes, Multiballs, Quests, and Friends will light “Collect Orb” under the upper right flipper for 10M. The next rainbow-colored shot you hit after collecting an orb will have a shot multiplier added to it. You can stack up to three of these multipliers on the same shot. For example, if you place your first Orb on the left ramp, collect a second Orb, and place that second orb also on the left ramp, the left ramp will be at 3x. Once a shot has 3 orbs assigned to it, it will no longer be available in the rainbow-colored assign phase.
If you collect an Orb but drain before hitting a shot to add the Orb multiplier, that multiplier is lost, but the orb still counts for progress towards the wizard mode.
- The Knockers: Complete the Mode
- The Four Guards: Choose the correct door on the first try
- The Fireys: Collect a Super Jackpot
- The Bog of Eternal Stench: Get across / complete the mode without touching the Bog
- The Oubliette: Clear all 5 doors
- The Cleaners: “Escape” (collect 3 hurry-ups) with a total score at least 5M
- Hoggle: Collect Level 4 Jackpot
- Ludo: Collect Level 4 Jackpot
- Sir Didymus: Collect Level 4 Jackpot
- Brick Keeper Multiball: Collect 3 Super Jackpots (across multiple attempts, if necessary)
- Wiseman Quests: Complete 6 Quests
- Friends Multiball: Play Friends Multiball
- Goblin City Multiball: Collect 5 Jackpots in Attack Phase
Collect all 13 orbs to battle Jareth in the final showdown!
Wiseman Quests:
Knock down the drop target under the wiseman and then hit the ball into the scoop to start a quest. Each quest will have a different goal, to hit a certain number of a randomly determined shot: this can include ramps, scoops, orbits, etc. Once the required amount of shots has been made, complete the quest at the wiseman scoop to get a reward.
Every wiseman quest completed increases the bonus multiplier. Completing two wiseman quests lights extra ball, and completing six lights an orb for collection. Completing odd-numbered wiseman quests starts friendzy, and completing the fourth wiseman quest starts Wiseman Multiball.
Possible Wiseman Quests:
- 50 spins at the left orbit
- 5 ramps
- 10 targets
- x orbits
- x loops (the u-turn shot also counts as a loop)
Mystery:
Light mystery by hitting the targets on either side of the wiseman scoop. Collect mystery awards by shooting under the upper right flipper when lit.
Possible mystery awards include:
- 1 of any friend item
- Complete currently active wiseman quest
- Light extra ball (always the third award, if the max limit hasn’t been reached)
- A cuppa points (750k)
- Tea Time multiball
- Reveal the correct Four Guards color (only while Four Guards mode is running and you haven’t revealed the correct color via the other two shots)
Extra Balls:
Extra Balls are collected at the left scoop when lit purple, after:
- Collecting 10 friend items
- Completing 2 wiseman quests
- As the 3rd mystery award, if the EB limit has not been reached.
Wizard Modes:
Poisoned Peach (Mini-Wizard Mode):
After playing all three upper modes (Knockers, Four Guards, and Fireys) or all three lower modes (Cleaners, Oubliette, and Bog), Start Mode will automatically be lit. Hit either Start Mode shot or the wiseman scoop to start Poisoned Peach mini-wizard mode. This is a timed mode that takes priority over any other shots or modes, with a ball save that runs for the duration of the mode - so you’re stuck in the hallucination until it times out, or you break free. You have to hit both drop targets 2 times to break the spell.
Shoot either the Wiseman drop target or the left orbit drop target to collect the current mode value. Shooting either ramp will increase the value; shooting ramp combos will raise the value more than individual shots (watch for the blinking arrow versus solid). If you break the spell before the clock reaches 13, there’s a score bonus based on remaining time.
Goblin City Multiball (Wizard Mode):
After playing all six modes, Goblin City multiball can be started at the left orbit, which will hold the ball at the captive ball post.
- Phase 1 (Rock Golem Battle): Goblin City is guarded by a giant, robotic rock golem that must be defeated before the heroes can enter the city proper. For this single-ball phase, a new ball is plunged, and the player must alternate shots between the two ramps and the left orbit within 10 seconds to deal damage to the golem (with the left ramp scoring 2x the right ramp value). Once the golem has been defeated, shoot the left ramp to enter Goblin City! If the Sir Didymus Add-a-ball has been used in phase one and is still in play, it must be hit into the hands scoop (or drained) to move on to phase 2. Points are increased in the next phase if you finish with the 3rd ball still in play.
- Phase 2 (Run & Hide): The goblins quickly take notice of our heroes and they must quickly run away to put their attack plan into action. 3-ball mutiball begins, and to find hiding spots, the player must shoot any flashing blue shot four times (with flashing shots scoring 2x the value). Our heroes must then hide, as the player locks balls in three different areas: first, the side ramp and wiseman scoop, then the helping hands scoop.
- Phase 3 (Attack Phase / Here Come the Rocks!): Goblin City is overthrown by a cavalcade of rocks released by the heroes. As they escape, 6-ball multiball starts and all shots are lit for jackpots, with the wiseman scoop lighting for super jackpot after one jackpot has been scored (subsequent super jackpots require one more jackpot to light). Collect at least five jackpots to light orb collect. Goblin City multiball ends as soon as the player drains down to a single ball, and all mode progress is reset outside of the ones they completed so the player can try and complete them all.
If the player fails either the first or second phase, a second chance will be given to complete the phase. The second chance is only given once per Goblin City multiball attempt.