You're right, they are really tight. Not impossible to hit though. It's a tough game.

Joe Balcer.

I might have heard this wrong but apparently they didn't use a Whitewood for it. I have yet to play it but I've heard the same. Will reserve judgment on that until I play.

Sounds like a game I would like
Love hard shots, more rewarding when you make one.

You might want to try it again. We had players of all skill levels playing the game in league this past week, game times were over 4 minutes for that group. Also, most everyone was able to find the shots after a few games. It just takes a bit of practice.

Maybe it really is just you. Lmao

Just kidding.

If you play the game a bit more you will see all the pin mfrs get pulled out of that hat! Funny, good natured ribbing aimed at recent releases. Game sound in a loud room needs higher volume, that needs to be addressed. Who set up the game? After we set Houdini up and adjusted the catapult on site, I'll bet it hasn't missed once. Before we adjusted it, yeah it was throwing a little short. It is easy to change the setting, all the coils are individually adjustable.

That right inner orbit shot is probably the toughest one to hit. Just remember that you don't have to hit the shot very hard for the ball to go all the way around into the lock. Also, the Seance stand-up targets are a big part of the game. Wait until you actually want to hit the standups and find yourself missing and locking a ball instead, ha!

Back hand all day from what I’ve seen.

The milk can is a tough shot and very unsatisfying when I do hit it. The lock shot is very tight but makeable. Every other shot is good. I am always best at hitting posts though.

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What Kvan99 said....

Played it a bunch today. Great game. Love the difficulty. Game is tough.
Play more. Get better. You can do it! No excuses.

Sorry but rumors on Pinside is a pet peeve with me and this is exactly how they begin. All it takes is a casual comment and the next thing you know it's preached as gospel. I'm sometimes amazed at how out of control Pinside can be with misinformation.

Can anyone verify this please. Maybe it's true but it seems absurd to me.

All good my friend. I'm just looking for a little clarity in the Pinside jungle.

Joe Balcer on the SDTM Houdini Review confirmed that there was no whitewood made for Houdini...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=6332s&v=stb_TTnNRmQ

I believe its stated in SDTM's show (interview with the designer).....that a whitewood was not made for Houdini.

I think American Pinball hit a homerun with Houdini.

Works for me. Thank you for the clarity. I guess I overreacted and I apologize to all.

It's definitely a tough game with tight shots.

Played it a bit last night, still lots for me to learn.

I liked it a bit. My complaint was only one ramp, but I didn't think the shots were that bad. Kinda like X-Files tight.

Very fun game but it can be tough. Might not be for everyone but what game is?

that doesn't mean the game hasn't had revisions though. It's not Joe's first rodeo...

Just messing with you Russel, a lot of games just don't click with some ppl. I have a friend who hates MM and AFM, but loves the TS.

On the one here you can backhand it pretty easy. I can still hit it easier than the light lock shot though...

I don't mind only one ramp, but I was sad to see that there isn't at least a diverter on it to go to the other flipper.

How do you not make a whitewood? Like, did they never attach parts to a playfield before they'd already applied the art? What? Unless they just drew it up in cad and sent it to the assembly line I don't understand how not making a whitewood is even possible.

...and Joe confirmed this as well on the SDTM interview, multiple revisions that were test played. I played one last summer at SFGE.....

Luck enough to have one in home!
Very tough game .. Lots to do and I have had the catapult miss a couple of times. The game is not for the light hearted, but it is getting positive reviews here. Perhaps a home environment game would change your outlook!

I am lucky enough to play yours. If I was pumping a dollar a play into it I might have a different view. It does have a Bally/Williams feel to it, nothing like a Stern.

I haven't played this game yet, but I'm really looking forward to spending some time on it. It looks beautiful, though after watching a couple of streams it sure looks like a lot of the shots are ridiculously tight.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Yes, it didn't go through a traditional Whitewood process, but that was because they wanted to show want they had very quickly to start soliciting feedback, and they tweaked from there. It probably went through a development cycle very similar to a regular game.

...and a lot of Joe's games have tight shots. It's a choice, and one I usually enjoy. I need more time on Houdini to know about how it plays to me, but I think it looks great!

This is the best non-whitewood game ever.

Hard to believe, but, there was never a wired whitewood, we did test the catapult on a test board, but given the timeframe to get to TPF last year, we went right to the playfield with art. It was built by hand in a workshop, not on an assembly line -- if that makes you feel better

The original prototypes went to TPF and other shows in the spring and summer. Revisions were made (to art as well as mechanics/placements) and those playfields were in the machines at Expo and in the production machines. So there have only been two versions of the playfield, but there were lots of little changes made to tweak shots, etc. Plenty of other changes made along the way in other aspects of the machine, ramps, wire forms, mechs, etc.

Not everyone will like the tight shooting and challenging shots of Houdini, but this video shows when you find your groove, it shoots pretty darn good . . .

Ha BrianBannon glad you commented because I was playing Wednesday as you know and I thought it was damn hard, so glad I’m not alone, I’ll need to practice on it more. Btw is it $1 a game or $2 for 3?

It's a clannging game. When you make a tight shot, it feels good. I wouldn't recommend this title as their solo game, but in a lineup of three or more machines, it stands on its own. I'd love to do a factory tour to get to know the folks there. They're very interactive with us. I wonder what JPOPS Houdini would have looked like.

Russell I heard Zach and Joe talk about a poke at STERN . At some point you can pull a GB puffed marshmallow man out of the hat it is all burned and melted .

I've seen Russell play alot . He can shoot tight shots . He came to my home and with not much experience playing Avengers . Russell in one game on my Avengers LE made it to "Attack the Helicarrier" mini wizard mode . I thought he was going to beat my high score . Point is the man can shoot.

Haven't played it yet but this was always my fear with Balcor.

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Houdini rules - beautiful game and fun (albeit challenging) to play! I hope to own one.

Guys, there's plenty of video showing how well it shoots. As
More come out I'm sure more reviews will bear out whether it's a keeper or whatever

Jpop game would still be getting designed with shots to no where. I think there was something at expo with lights one year that was sort of JPOP's vision, then it was trashed and retooled.

There was (there's even video of it), but it is not remotely even the same game. It did not flip, no coils
were working (or even attached?) and there was no way for the ball to get to certain shots. Hey, like Magic Girl! Literally a "box of lights". I quite liked the art style on it, but in retrospect it owes a lot to Circus Voltaire, and based on how AP redesigned the game
From scratch, the new art style
Fits quite a bit better.

Here it is:

Im so 50/50 on if I am getting this game. I want it but need GOTG to go or need to move something else.

I know the code is great and I like the challenging shots. My negative is I just do not tend to like one ramp games. I've owned a bunch and they never stay.

Rob Zombie is the only current exception.

Anyone else feel one ramp games suffer?

Dude, get rid of Batman! Lol

Believe it or not I was so focused on testing pricing options that have bonus that I never noticed I forgot the one dollar for one game option in the service menu. it's the first game we've done and all of those things had to be created from scratch, and it is my first production machine, and no one noticed it missing. The latest version of code now on test has it, so you will see that show up next week, so take your bonus games while you can!

How they did with Alien, never was a whitewood. Some half assed stuff people may have seen rough videos of, but first truly flippable game already had art on a Mirco cut and printed playfield. I don't recommend it personally.

That said, Balcer and the whole team really pulled off one hell of a stunt getting that prototype game finished as fast as they did, I for one was truly impressed. It's not easy. I know rosh has talked about long hours, and I believe it!

I find that I'm making the right inner lock shot all the time until i need lock #3 for trunk multiball. At that point the lane becomes tighter and I'm convinced that there must be coils beneath the playfield moving the stand up targets in and making the lane tighter. I'm going to pop the playfield up and check that out. I'll let you know what i find!

As designers scramble to cram every last possible element they can into a machine, shots have to get tighter. Smaller ramps, smaller orbits, etc. Look at machines from the early 90s; ramp entrances were wide enough for 2 balls at a time. Modern sterns have barely enough clearance for 1.
This doesn't make a machine bad, just makes the player become better.

When you have nine ball paths and only 2 flippers on a standard body it's going to be tighter shots. No game will be for everyone and if you do not like tight shots this one is not for you.