Do the crime, do the time — Gottlieb’s 1989 Big House is a cops-and-robbers prison-break romp with a couple of genuinely memorable mechanisms: a drill auger that lifts the ball, and a “blow the bridge” feature that creates a ramp for the multiball mode. Designed by Ray Tanzer with a hand-drawn translite and a confirmed run of 1,977, it’s a characterful late-’80s Gottlieb that leans into its jailhouse theme with both two- and three-ball multiball and a layout built around the escape.
The breakout strategy is satisfying and clear. The skill shot rewards a plunge to the center lane for a hundred thousand points, multiplied by whatever bonus multiplier you’ve got working — a nice incentive to build your multiplier before cashing in. For multiball, secure your first lock to the left, then optionally stash a second ball by shooting under the ramp, and finally start the jailbreak by shooting “escape” — or the ramp itself, if the three-ball multiball is ready. It’s a tidy lock-and-release structure that ties directly into the prison-break narrative, with that auger and bridge feature giving the whole sequence a mechanical flair you don’t find on every machine of the era.
Big House is one of those solid, slightly under-the-radar Gottlieb machines that rewards the collector willing to look past the marquee titles. The drill auger and bridge gimmick give it real personality, the multiball is fun to set up, and the hand-drawn translite has that warm late-’80s charm. Build your multiplier for that skill shot, stash your balls, and blow the bridge for the breakout. The big house is easy to get into and a blast to escape — just mind the guards on your way over the wall.