Haunted House

Pinside rating

This game received 243 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.599 /10

7.599

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #170 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.589

Artwork: 8.298

Sounds/Music: 6.678

Other Aspects: 7.631


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

7.428

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Found 126 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 126 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 6.

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8.128/10
76 days ago
My favorite Gottlieb pin - well, by default, because I'm not a fan of their other pins. Haha. Haunted House is the exception, though - it's a fun, well-designed machine with a wonderfully spooky theme. It is part of the notoriously temperamental System 80 line, so beware - it can be a challenge to keep working 100%!
6.167/10
86 days ago
If you like flippers is has plenty. Little hard to get use to and have not played this game to much. So I may chage my rating later
8.227/10
7 months ago
Really great theme. Fun to play! A definitely need to play when you see one!
7.834/10
8 months ago
There’s not much to say other than this game is a classic! Obviously it’s not as in depth as a newer pin, but the concept and artwork make this one truly remarkable. The playfield is absolutely stunning, and better yet there is 3! It’s an easy game to follow with simple rules so anyone can jump in and play it. Definitely never leaving my collection
9.192/10
9 months ago
A childhood dream. Huge pinball machine with the spooky tunes. The 3 playfields and drop down targets are really nice to play. Need a little too much repair to enjoy. Drop down targets
7.699/10
9 months ago
Its an awesome theme and the playfield under the main playfield is a concept that I'm surprised more games haven't tried, it is very unique. For a 1982 machine its really good and I'm sure in its day it really stood out but nowadays compared to more modern games - even to mid 90's games, it plays slow. Its a game that I think could be done into a spectacular remake, but not an exact clone - a remake using the theme and under playfield element but with modern lighting, sound, and art packages. This is a game that if I had a very extensive collection I would want due to its uniqueness and it is fun to play from time to time but if it was one of only a few games I would have then I'd pass and play it on location from time to time when I happen to see it.
7.532/10
10 months ago
Super unique machine although it seems like it would get old pretty quickly. Quirky theme.
8.408/10
1 year ago
I bought it without ever playing it just based on 8 flippers and 3 playfields. Not disappointed, holding up well in home use.
8.400/10
1 year ago
Got a chance to play this at Golden State Festival. Wow so fun! I love the extra levels to the house. Totally adds another element to the game. Would love to have this one in my collection one day. I think if you get the chance to play this do it!
8.497/10
1 year ago
lots of different things going on. tons of features. way ahead of its era
7.038/10
2 years ago
I had this game for a few years and liked it much better than Gorgar or black hole. It has three levels and eight flippers and the artwork and back glass were phenomenal. When I put LEDs on the game it brought out the details and made the game easier to play.
6.577/10
2 years ago
Haunted house is a nice looking pin with a cool gimmick. The theme is integrated well with the different floors of the house and secret passages to the different floors. The rules are not very intuitive, and they are only alright. For the time there is nothing special or missing. The music gets old pretty quick and the sound effects get a little old. The backglass for this table it super awesome though, definitely the highlight here. Okay game for the time and good theme integration.
7.700/10
2 years ago
Cool game and really challenging. If the game was multiball it would have been a home run. Love the back glass and theme.
8.168/10
2 years ago
UPDATE: After a year of ownership, I will love the game, but am revising my rating a little bit. I do want to comment that it is judged somewhat based on release date (ex: for sound quality, Pinside says to factor this in ... the sounds are very basic and my Wizard of Oz is light-years ahead in the sound department, but I am still giving HH high marks for sound quality).

Original review:

Fantastic game, absolutely a classic, best art package ever, there ARE plenty of shots in this game, and is my favorite of any game pre 1990. Took some work to get it reliable, but now it is rock solid. No multiball or speech ... yes, but now that I own one I have grown to appreciate the game and cannot imagine it any other way. Reminds me of owning a classic car in all ways!
8.171/10
3 years ago
Haunted House is a very underrated game. The game always gives you reasons to swap to different levels. Playing in the cellar will activate double scoring in the attic and vice versa. This game also has one of the best art packages in all of pinball - the playfield lighting is fantastic and the backglass is an absolute classic. Big weaknesses of this game is the lack of multiball and the typical Gottlieb hardware issues that plague Sys 80 games.

Haunted House will be a permanent member of my collection.
8.232/10
3 years ago
Triple playfield for triple fun!
8.737/10
3 years ago
My parents have this pin and I remember thinking it was the coolest when I was a kid. 3 levels on the playfield, spooky house, creepy organ music. What's not to like? It's still really cool.

As I've come back to this pin many years later, it's still a lot of fun, but just doesn't have me coming back for multiple games. I'll play a couple, and then move on to something else. It has beautiful artwork, fun music and nice lighting changes when you go to the basement, but the gameplay just isn't exciting enough to warrant multiple games in a row. There's just not that much variation game to game. Also, the fact that the music cuts completely for a sound effect to play and then starts over at the beginning once the effect is done drives me insane! I guess they hadn't figured out how to play 2 sound files at the same time yet.

If I had the chance, would I own this in my collection? Yes. If it was my only pin, probably not.
8.192/10
3 years ago
Great old classic! Fun to play all three playing fields. A little wide and flat for slower play, but keeps you entertained for quite a while.
9.320/10
3 years ago
Spooky fun that endures and keeps you wanting to play more
6.800/10
3 years ago
I've owned this pin 3 times. It is still one of my favorite art packages in all of pinball. The theme is excellent and I love the 3 playfields. I really find the music charming as well. Unfortunately, there really isn't a lot to do in this pin...which is surprising given the 3 playfields. It gets old fast.

If I had a larger collection (25+), I would probably own another one...but since I only have room for a few, there are many games I would rather have.
7.928/10
3 years ago
Definitely should have had a multiball, but it sadly misses this feature.
8.460/10
4 years ago
I've always have had very conflicting feelings about Haunted House. The 3-level layout, especially when I discovered this machine as a kid, blew my socks off. The music and sound effects, are in my opinion some of the best themed and beautifully addictive of any pin out there, albeit a bit repetitive at times. The uniqueness of the layout always makes me feel like I'm playing a very special machine. However, the game play itself can be kind of slow and boring, spending a lot of time watching the ball rolling around. The music at the end of the game was so good at seducing me to put one more quarter in the machine, but the slow game play afterward made me wonder why I hadn't saved my quarter and moved on to another machine.
7.025/10
4 years ago
First I'll get out of the way that I'm not a real big fan of upper playfield games, but I actually do like lower playfield games(or at least the idea of them). I know this might not make a lot of sense, but its because I feel a lot of the upper playfield games really lack any sense of flow or amazing shots. Black Knight is one of the few that has rewarding shots... But, this is my review for haunted house. SO with that disclaimer out of the way lets get on with the review.
I like to generally talk about art first. This has a great overall art package that really enhances the theming of the table. The backglass is really nice, the cab art is unique and good(especially for the era that it was made in), and while the playfield art is simplistic it works. It really sets the tone that you're in the haunted house.
And as such there are three areas the attic(upper playfield), the main lobby(main playfield), and the basement(lower playfield). Its a unique and different design, and so that is always good. But, I just don't feel personally there are many satisfying shots. I'm not saying this game isn't fun to shoot. I'm just saying there is not a single shot that wows me after I make it.
The rules... I won't lie. I really don't understand them all that much. I just aim for stuff and shoot the flashing lights. And I generally pride myself in learning games codes... But, this one still eludes me.
Speaking about the code. No multi ball. This game would be cool with MB... I know some people do an add on for it. But, stock factory is what I am reviewing. I really think this game would be awesome with MB.
The music also plays into the theme and has some nice creepy classical music. The only downside is once you hit a switch and trigger a sound effect, the music starts over, and over, and over again. That's fine... For the most part, because it has a building/looping quality to it. I like the sound effects and they fit.
So while no really cool toys, the main gimmick is the three level layout. And as I said, its a unique layout... But, for me lacks excitement. Still it is fun for me for short bursts. Galloping ghost has one and I don't always play a game on it when I am there. And if I do play on it, I generally only play for couple of games and move on. I don't hate the game, I do enjoy it. Just it doesn't get my pulse racing like some of the other games. But, I do respect what it did for pinball, as I do consider it a classic. Would I ever want to own one... I don't know. These games are a bit heavy and if I have room for 50 games... Perhaps. But, more than likely its a game I'd be content with just playing whenever I come across it in the wild.
But, its a looker, and its a unique shooting experience. So I can understand why some people might love this game.
9.051/10
4 years ago
Three levels, Eight flippers, they don't make em like this anymore. Haunted House is a truly unique game. One of my absolute favorites.
8.669/10
4 years ago
The best of the System 80(s) in my opinion. 8 flippers and 3 levels. This game is tough and I like tough. Speech is over rate. This title is fine with plain old music and sound effects.
There are 126 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 6.

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