Labyrinth

Barrels of Fun, 2024 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Labyrinth in the Pinball Genie app →

Labyrinth is a boutique, single-configuration title (MSRP ~$10,600, 1,100-unit run — no Pro/Premium/LE split) themed to Jim Henson's 1986 film. Design: David Van Es, rules by Phil Grimaldi and Bowen Kerins, on the FAST pinball platform. It has three flippers (two lower, one upper-right) and no pop bumpers.

Skill Shots

Seven plunge-strength options route the ball to different first shots — Ello Worm (short), Wiseman scoop (medium-strong, sets up a Super Skill Shot combo if followed immediately by the bridge/inner loop off the upper flipper for 1.2M), the Change Mode target (Target Skillshot, the highest flat value and double-duty toward mode progress), the bridge/inner loop, "Egdirb" (a reverse-loop mis-route), or the back Village scoop (long plunge). Values scale roughly ×2 on ball 2 and ×3 on ball 3.

Modes (6 total, in two tiers of three)

Spell LABYRINTH on white-arrow shots to flash Start Mode inserts at the Horseshoe, then shoot the Horseshoe (either side) or the Wiseman scoop to launch the lit mode. The Change Mode target cycles which mode is lit within its tier (upper: Knockers/Four Guards/Fireys; lower: Cleaners/Oubliette/Bog). Spelling HELP at the in/outlanes arms Sir Didymus's ball-save post and lights Helping Hands scoop to finish LABYRINTH or swap tiers.

• The Knockers — pass the ring on yellow shots, hold the knocker's nose at the Wiseman drop target, replace the ring at the scoop, open the door at the right orbit.
• The Four Guards — toggle four shots red/blue, reveal the true color at center ramp/bridge, answer at the right Horseshoe.
• The Fireys — a 2-ball mini-multiball: pop Firey heads at the captive ball (add-a-ball, capped at 5), relight forks with red-arrow shots, chase the roving Super Jackpot.
• The Bog of Eternal Stench — a 5-shot discrimination sequence (left ramp → right ramp → left orbit → right Horseshoe → right orbit) avoiding the green "Bog" shots.
• The Oubliette — hit any lit violet door, then a different lit door to move the flash, hit it twice to escape; five doors total.
• The Cleaners — timed; spin the left-orbit spinner to build a hurry-up, collect at the right orbit, repeatable 3 times before the "13th hour" clock expires.

Multiballs

Brick Keeper locks via wall/Fairy targets then green targets at left orbit, center ramp, and right orbit; red-arrow jackpots light the forks for a captive-ball-into-spinner Super Jackpot. Friend Multiball starts at Helping Hands scoop once all three Friends (Hoggle/Ludo/Sir Didymus) have a jackpot. Tea Time Multiball starts from an Ello Mystery award; orbit shots multiply and Horseshoe shots increase a hurry-up banked under the left ramp. Wiseman Multiball auto-starts on the 4th completed Wiseman Quest, scoring jackpots at the Wiseman scoop.

Friends, Quests, and Mystery

Hoggle/Ludo/Sir Didymus each level up 1-4 through found items and collected jackpots, granting scoring bonuses, easier locks, and ball-save perks; Level 4 lights a Collect Orb insert for each. Wiseman Quests are started by knocking down the Wiseman drop target and shooting the scoop; each of 6 completions adds +1x Bonus Multiplier, with milestones lighting Friendzy, Extra Ball, Wiseman Multiball, and an Orb. Ello Mystery awards are lit by hitting the paired Wiseman targets and collected at the lane under the upper flipper.

The Orb System and Wizard Modes

Thirteen Orbs — one from each mode, each Friend at Level 4, Brick Keeper (5 cumulative Super Jackpots), Wiseman Quests (6 completions), Friend Multiball, and Goblin City — are each lit by their achievement and collected at the lane under the upper flipper (10M + a stacking "rainbow" multiplier). Completing all 3 modes on one tier triggers Poisoned Peach, a timed mini-wizard mode where ramp-to-ramp combos power up two drop targets that must each be hit twice to break the spell. Completing all 6 modes qualifies Goblin City Multiball, a three-phase wizard mode (Defeat The Gate → Evade Capture → Counterattack) ending in an all-shots-lit jackpot frenzy. Collecting all 13 Orbs qualifies Battle Jareth, the super/ultimate wizard mode, where draining or hitting the mode clock's "13" costs an Orb.

Strategy in Brief

Open with the Target Skillshot, take an early Friend shot, and start a Wiseman Quest as soon as possible so its multiplier compounds all ball. New players should aim for The Knockers or The Oubliette first (simplest execution) over The Bog or The Four Guards. At a competitive level, Orbs — not any single combo shot — are the real currency: prioritize clearing modes, grinding Quests, and cashing every lit Orb over farming one shot repeatedly.

Goals in Labyrinth

Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.

• Target Skillshot skillshot · Easy

  A medium-strength plunge routes the ball to the Change Mode target for the highest flat skill-shot value while also advancing mode progress.

  Reward: 500k / 1M / 1.5M by ball number

• Super Skill Shot Combo skillshot · Medium

  Chain the Wiseman scoop skill shot into an immediate bridge/inner-loop shot off the upper flipper for a 1.2M Super Skill Shot.

  Reward: 1.2M flat

• The Cleaners Hurry-Up Loop combo · Medium

  The clearest farmable money loop in the game: spin the left-orbit spinner to inflate a hurry-up, then cash it at the right orbit — repeatable 3 times per attempt.

  Reward: Escalating hurry-up value; 5M+ cumulative lights an Orb

• Brick Keeper Captive-Ball Grind combo · Medium

  Inside Brick Keeper Multiball, trap a ball at the left orbit's forks and bash the captive ball into the spinner repeatedly to inflate and collect the Super Jackpot.

  Reward: Growing Super Jackpot, re-lights for progressively more

• Tea Time Value Loop combo · Medium

  Cycle orbit and Horseshoe shots to inflate the Tea Time hurry-up before banking it under the left ramp.

  Reward: Inflated hurry-up jackpot per bank

• Poisoned Peach Ramp-Combo Grind combo · Medium

  During the Poisoned Peach mini-wizard, alternate ramps while their arrows blink for combo value instead of taking single solid shots.

  Reward: Above-base ramp value + faster drop-target breaks

• Goblin City Counterattack Frenzy combo · Hard

  The endgame jackpot frenzy of Goblin City Multiball — every shot on the playfield scores simultaneously once you reach Phase 3.

  Reward: Biggest score density in the ruleset; lights an Orb via a Counterattack Super Jackpot (per the manual)

• Brick Keeper Multiball multiball · Medium

  Light three locks via wall/Fairy targets and the green standup targets at the left orbit, center ramp, and right orbit, then start the multiball.

  Reward: Red-arrow jackpots + Super Jackpot at the captive-ball spinner

• Friend Multiball multiball · Medium

  Collect a jackpot for all three Friends, then start the multiball at Helping Hands scoop.

  Reward: Friend jackpots; the three Friends reaching Level 4 each light an Orb (3 of 13), separate from Friend Multiball's own Orb (collect one jackpot in the MB)

• Tea Time Multiball multiball · Medium

  Collect the Ello Mystery award to start Tea Time Multiball, then bank hurry-up value under the left ramp.

  Reward: Inflatable hurry-up jackpots

• Wiseman Multiball multiball · Medium

  Completing your 4th Wiseman Quest auto-starts Wiseman Multiball, scoring jackpots at the Wiseman scoop.

  Reward: Jackpots at the Wiseman scoop, no documented super structure

• The Knockers mode · Medium

  Single-ball mode: pass the ring on yellow shots, hold the knocker's nose at the Wiseman drop target, replace the ring at the scoop, then open the door at the right orbit.

  Reward: Orb for completing the mode

• The Four Guards mode · Hard

  Toggle four guard shots to red/blue, question the guards to reveal the true color, then answer at the Horseshoe.

  Reward: Orb for opening the door on the first attempt

• The Fireys mode · Medium

  A 2-ball mini-multiball mode: pop Firey heads at the captive ball to add balls, relight the forks, and chase the roving Super Jackpot after 5 heads.

  Reward: Orb for collecting one Super Jackpot

• The Bog of Eternal Stench mode · Hard

  Single-ball discrimination mode: shoot the 5-shot sequence while avoiding the two green ('Bog') shots flanking the safe orange one.

  Reward: Orb for crossing stench-less

• Bonus Multiplier via Wiseman Quests multiplier · Easy

  Each completed Wiseman Quest adds +1x to the passive end-of-ball Bonus Multiplier — start Quests early to compound value.

  Reward: +1x Bonus Multiplier per completion

• Orb Rainbow Multiplier multiplier · Medium

  Collecting an Orb lights 'rainbow' shot arrows that stack a multiplier on future Orb value.

  Reward: Stacking multiplier up to 3x/shot (unconfirmed)

• Poisoned Peach wizard · Hard

  Mini-wizard mode: start and play all 3 modes on either the upper or lower level to qualify, then break two hallucination spells before the clock hits 13.

  Reward: Time bonus + progress toward Battle Jareth

• Goblin City Multiball wizard · Hard

  Full wizard mode: start and play all six story modes to qualify, then survive three escalating phases — Defeat The Gate, Evade Capture, and Counterattack.

  Reward: Orb #13 (Battle Jareth qualifier) via a Counterattack Super Jackpot

• Best Opener strategy · Easy

  The Target Skillshot, a Friend shot, and an early Wiseman Quest form the highest-value, lowest-risk opening sequence on a fresh ball.

  Reward: Max skill-shot value + early multiplier engine online

• Beginner First 30 Seconds strategy · Easy

  A concrete shot-by-shot plan for a brand-new player's opening ball: skill shot, Friend shot, a LABYRINTH letter, a Quest, then the easiest first mode.

  Reward: Safe points + mode/quest progress with low execution risk

• Orb Rush (Advanced Priority) strategy · Hard

  Orbs are the real end-goal currency gating Battle Jareth — prioritize mode clears, Quest grinding, and cashing every lit Orb over farming any single combo shot.

  Reward: Fastest path to all 13 Orbs and Battle Jareth qualification

• Maxing the Friends to Level 4 strategy · Hard

  Each Friend levels up on its own advance-and-collect cycle, and taking all three to Level 4 lights three separate Orbs — so keep feeding levels instead of cashing Friend Multiball the moment it qualifies.

  Reward: One Orb per Friend at Level 4 (3 of 13)

• Battle Jareth wizard · Hard

  The final confrontation, gated behind all 13 Orbs: every mode clear, multiball Orb, Quest milestone and Friend Level 4 you bank moves you closer, and the fight itself resolves at the back-left castle shot fed from either orbit.

  Reward: Game-ending wizard mode