Totally.

DI has all time best flow. Houdini is fun, but not on the same level.

Completely different styles of play. Houdini is WAY deeper, has better stacking, and is more strategic. Houdini is not a flow game, Dialed In is. In a home, unless you're a really bad player, I would only recommend Houdini. Dialed In WILL get old.

DI loses big points for the selfies and emojis. Barf. Theme is so bad.

It's too bad because the layout is good. Someone take a beltsander amd retheme the thing.

Year or ownership and over 2k games played and di is just as good or better than it was when i first got it..... not s fan of houdini at all for some reason.... but ill give it another shot.

Yep, but I'm entitled to my opinion. The game bores me and the theme is terrible so I won't buy it.

IMO the theme is great. Probably what some people don’t like is that it’s not realistic. For example LotR, Tron, IJ or X-men movies are fantasy but the try to pass it off as real.

DI is more of a comic, dark comedy but not realistic somewhat more like South Park or The Simpsons. That’s not a great example but just means it’s more of a light hearted disaster theme. And the selfie and emoji are just more funny bits.

Sure it’s not for everyone, much like Monty Python is not for everyone or not everyone likes Spaceballs or South Park. Just because someone don’t like the theme doesn’t mean the theme is bad.

A lot of pinball is houmor many examples like AFM, CFTBL and not realistic. DI is trying to take a stab at that area and I think it does it well.

As for DI being easy, that’s not the case for me, it’s incredibly challenging, fun and rewarding. I even like that (so far) I can have fun even on a short horrible game. It’s not like some games where you feel dissatisfied if you have a crappy game, DI is fun on longer games and fun on short games as well.

Reminds me of TZ where you have some satisfying shots even if you don’t blow up the game it’s still great to collect a hurry up, the drone targets are super fun with the sound and drone action.

I’ll agree not everyone will love it but realistically most should appreciate that it’s a well done pin with code, shots, callouts and display all well done.

Hmm. Mine routinely kicks my ass. It's rare that I have a long game.

I debated back and forth for a while and decided to get a DILE first and I’m loving it. I will eventually buy a Houdini as well. Both are fantastic games. Both are challenging and have a lot going for them.

I wouldn’t consider DI to be easy or have super long game times. I’m surprised by your comment above. The ramps feel great when you hit them. The modes are cool with some variety. It seems pretty deep. I have yet to even earn 2 SIM cards in a game (let alone 8!). That shot is tough for me. There’s a lot I haven’t seen yet.

When I played Houdini I actually thought it was a bit too easy. Maybe it was beginners luck? Only played one three ball game and it lasted over half an hour! It was pretty entertaining. It's really not fair for me to choose one or the other before playing both more. From a playfield perspective I think DI has a better layout and shots. Houdini has better callouts. I'll leave it at that for now.

I completely agree. I would also add that I hate it when people dismiss a game because it's too "hard" as is a frequent comment from people who've played Houdini for a couple hours or less. Houdini really shines in the home. The difficulty is overblown because people can't hit some of the shots immediately.

The difference is that you can always take an easy game and adjust the settings to make it harder. You can’t readily take a hard game and adjust it to make it easier.

You can apply the same logic the other way... you can't make an easy game harder. The shots are the shots. You can loosen or tighten up the game rules in most games. I can't speak for DI, but Houdini has added a lot of software options to make the game easier.

That's assuming that the game is set up to spec wherever you're playing it which isn't always the case. At your buddy's house sure but at a show or in a bar they set them up how they want.
But plenty of ways with closing lanes, extending ball save timers, carrot flipper etc

Correct, the truth is adjustments to skills over time make a hard game easier.

I’m just a hard headed student!

Amen, Brother Vino!

Just finished playing Houdini. First off I’ve owned a DI for about a week. I found a lot of balls went SDTM on Houdini. Seems like there should be more to the back loop, maybe there is but I didn’t get it. The catapalt didn’t throw the ball anywhere close to the chest ( is it suppose to?) I thought both were fun games, but would give a slight edge to DI (my opinion). I could see why a person would not like one or the other. It’s great there are so many new games that we can have this comparison. I love pinball and found both to be fun. Some games (WOZ, Hobbit), I play a few games and say no, it doesn’t speak to me. DI has more of a Williams/Bally feel which I like. Houdini appears complex and deep, lots of precise shots, which would be a great home game. Seems like DI is being compared to a lot of games, which means people must think it’s a good game.
Looking forward to playing JJPOTC.

Overall, I don't think DI would be considered easy by 99% of players, but it has some easy shots, many moderate shots and a couple difficult shots. To me, Houdini isn't as balanced. TZ has the same balance as DI, but slightly easier. This is why Lawlor is considered a master designer. His pins are approachable, moderately deep and great fun for the skilled player. From what I've seen on location, Houdini demoralizes newbs in less than a minute. DI at least allows newbs a ramp ride or two and usually a mode. I've had mine for almost a year in a collection of 11, and I still play it more than any other pin. Never gets old.

It has already been said many times now, but it's true: Houdini is a tough game to shoot until you get a feel for it. Once you do - it's VERY fun to play! Consequently, whereas I think it's a fantastic pin for a home collection, I can see many non-pinheads getting frustrated playing it (to a limited extent) on route.

Too much indecision in this thread, so I had to sell a few pins, and order both! Can't wait to get them next to each other

Got a chance to play Houdini today and to be honest it felt flat to me. It was well built and seems to have great code and toys, but overall just didn't do it for me. I did think the shots were too tight, I am not a bad player, I played Earth shaker for the first time maybe ever and I was hitting everything in sight. I played Alien and was able to hit most shots. Houdini was almost as if I did make any shot it was more pure luck than anything else.

Overall not a game I would pick for game room. I do love hard pins like TWD but that game (TWD) is just all action and balls to the wall and Houdini seems just a mess, meaning it's hard because the shots don't work.

Houdini does admittedly take about 5-10 games to catch the fell. After that it becomes amazing. I hate to compare, but closest in comparison is Woz.

I played several Sterns last night, Star Wars, Metallica, Guardians, Aerosmith... They all felt the same, fun but felt like a Stern LOTRs. The WOZ I played felt very solid,guessyou pay for that. The Houdini was in between Stern & JPP in solid feel. It took a while but I think it would be a fun game (Houdini) in particular for home where you could get better at it. Too many choices & not enough money! BTW people seemed to play the Sterns more.

To each his own, but I think you're doing yourself a disservice by dismissing Houdini so quickly @rai. I would strongly disagree with Houdini being labeled "a mess" as it has a great ruleset, layout, and features. The shots come with time put in on the game and as such, it is best enjoyed at your own pace in a home gameroom.

It is a very challenging game, but the more I play it, the more I appreciate how unique and fun it is.

Maybe me calling it a mess was hyperbole, but the shoots are too tight (IMO).

Maybe I'm kicking the hornets nest, but I just felt like Houdini is almost great but not quite there (for me).

I liked all the places the ball could go. Maybe something with the outer loop would have been nice.

To me, Houdini is like GOT pro but tighter. I find GOT plays very well with high speed and satisfying, accomplishable shots. At times, GOT can have Iron Man-like insane flow, and it can slay your ass if you're not making your shots. After putting a few hours on Houdini, I never felt the same flow at all. Too many of Houdini's shots feel like a chore and bricks/slight misses kill flow completely. That being said, I can't say that I didn't have any fun playing it; I just wouldn't buy it, especially compared to DI. It's a beautiful looking machine too.

Agree. It’s a fine game IMO, but the shots are not as satisfying as DI.

I feel the same.... it just felt flat and its something i dont think id own unless i got a killer deal on one .

You sir are going to be very happy with that decision! Got both in my basement right now and love them both!

Trying to add one more pin (don't have the luxury to just throw an extra $7k to $9k around to add both.) This very choice is what I'm down to... I like Houdini- I like that it doesn't feel like a Stern (I like Sterns!, but they're starting to feel formulaic to me). But I keep getting cheap drains from missing the tight shots. I get that in a home environ you can improve and eventually make many of those shots, it still feels like there are too many on the playfield such that you're going to be on defense more than you want, which could lead to more frustration than motivation. Some home purchasers have turned around and sold theirs quickly. What's going on there?

Play it and then go with your gut. Don't buy it on speculation. It's a CHALLENGING game that can be very frustrating to those that aren't into the theme. I'm a BIG fan of Stern games, but I knew that once i had experienced some substantial gameplay on Houdini that it was a theme/game that I would love to add to my collection and enjoy at home. No regrets on my part - I'm loving playing it!

Some people want a game that they hit things fast, ramp, ramp, combo, center shot.....Geez Im good.
Some people want a challenge, ramp, scoop, stage, mod, that is Houdini...you have to earn it.
Houdini is no stern either in build or gameplay. This game is rewarding on many levels above a stern. Easy No, Hard No, with practice the game play is amazing something hard to find in todays releases. I still say my best comparison is WOZ, however this has a completely different feel than woz and is an amazing game.

I would say that a poll showing over 75% selecting DI makes it clear whom the winner is for this one.

It also shows why DI continues to hold its value on the secondary market and also why Houdini is often found for much cheaper on the secondary.
DI appears to be a long time keeper and fixture in the top 10 while houdini take and opposite trajectory.

Pish posh. Do you think the facts that there are currently more than 3 times as many Pinsiders who own Dialed In as own Houdini (398 vs. 129) AND that DI has been available on the market for much longer, might have something to do with the poll numbers?

Proportionately by ownership, Houdini is holding its own with DI.

I cant get past the theme on Dialed In to actually enjoy the game. Any time I tried to play it I lose interest quick, and every time I see the emojis on the screen, I think to myself that this would be a pinball that the Kardashians would own. Played Houdini at a buddys house and it was awesome. I would take it any day over, in fact one will be arriving at my house later tonight.

Legendary Magician over Sim-cellphone-City-tofurky-gameplay-Mom-jeans-wearing-goofiness all day every day...

I have to give respect to the Houdini hardcore's on this thread that are still defending this game and saying it's everyone else not the game. I'm not being sarcastic either. You guys are obviously passionate about it. It's getting absolutely murdered by DI.....a beating I didn't even expect and even when new blood comes into the thread to say it's a "mess"the faithful are right there to defend it.

It reminds me when alien came out and people would say it was garbage and I was right there to say get your head out of your ass and really play the game bc it's an absolute classic and now it's a game getting a lot of respect.

I personally don't care for Houdini but I'm going to give it another try. We'll see but good on you guys to defend something you love

I think the inverse is the reality. DI was a very slow sell at the onset and the rankings graph over time mimics that. Reality is that DI has won the hearts and money of so many over time because it is a great game (despite the theme). People are not defending it because they own it, nor voting for it in the poll because they own it. They are voting cause the game is obviously far better than Houdini for the majority of people.

Proportionally to how poorly it is viewed correlates to how many it has sold and many of them appear to constantly be on the secondary for resale. Different strokes for different folks, but 3 out of every 4 pinsiders would apparently take Di over Houdini (I assume even with the extra cost since the secondary is holding on that title)

Really?, you dont own either. Your Love for DI is overblown. There both good games, the comparision is not realistic.
Addams versus Dialed in would be a better debate.
Edit; My opinion was suggestive reading into Hiltons motives, I apologize.
I repeat, both good games. The few that have both games opinion's has been stated.

I started reading this thread leaning toward DI because i had played it more, and I was more familiar how good it is.

I even put an offer to buy DI a couple of weeks ago. I just wasn't' as familiar with Houdini.

However since this thread, I've spent more time with Houdini and figured out for myself who the clear winner is.

I didn't need the poll to figure it out.

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Because you purchased one does not necessarily mean you figured out the clear winner? After you own it for awhile is when you will make that decision.... Just sayin.

Hey $$ talks and bullshit walks, right??

You,put your,money where you mouth is. Truly hope you love the game!

???

And how is this obvious? I'll agree that many consider DI to be a great game and are therefore voting for it accordingly. Assuming objectivity behind poll votes -or- that a vote indicates that one game is "far better" than another is rather a stretch though.

it all depends, some people will like one or the other both or neither. I had the opportunity to play Houdini and Alien at a friends house and ended up buying AFM (think I'll prefer it to either of those pins). No one is wrong or right, not one is clearly superior to another. I voted DI and truly think better than Houdini, but I am really glad that Houdini was successful and hope they sell a lot of them but won't be to me. I am not saying that because it's bad, but just didn't grab me.

“You will change your vote, this I command”

E971D855-7298-4B88-A62C-9E4BF920AA9D (resized).jpeg

Yes, DI way ahead. But like many polls you have to know the results are skewed. For Di, and JJP pins in general, much broader audience and fanbase. Many years and thousands of pins sold to thank for that. AP less than a year and only a few hundred Houdinis sold. If this was APs 4th pin and they had similar exposure and fanbase I bet the poll would look very different.

Also, many people on here have zero capability to be objective when their pin and/or brand is in a match-up. It sucks, but it's true. Some go to great lengths and literally write long essays to defend and praise their purchases. Borderline shill behavior. It's very odd.

A poll showing almost 80:20 indicates far better.
A rating of top 10 vs nearing 40 and falling indicates far better.

I have no motive here, just obvious what the majority of the pinball community has decided in this comparison.

For me personally, if i had the extra funds i would buy a DI. I don't have the funds nor space currently, sadly.

I don't see ever getting a houdini. Poor layout aside, ime it has not proven robust enough to aleviate concerns of ownership for me. I am glad there are plenty being sold, as i like having another manufacturer out there and look forward to what their sophmore game is.

Hey I bet Houdini would get a lot more votes also if Lawlor had designed it instead of Balcer