Williams’ Funhouse, released in 1990 from Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar, is a carnival fever dream built around one of pinball’s most unforgettable characters: Rudy, a wisecracking animatronic dummy head whose eyes follow the ball and whose mouth you literally shoot into. Rudy talks, taunts, and even nods off — and the whole machine is a masterclass in turning a single mechanical gimmick into pure personality.
The game runs on a clock. Your shots advance the time toward midnight, and when the hour finally strikes, Rudy’s eyes snap open and his mouth gapes wide — feed him a ball for a million points and the start of Midnight Multiball. Along the way you build toward locking balls and starting multiball at his mouth, with the trapdoor and ramp keeping the jackpots climbing. The mirror lights for mystery awards and the escalating Frenzy and Super Frenzy modes, where every switch hit rains points.
There’s a wealth of clever detail, from the dual plungers and the steps ramp that feed the upper flipper, to the famous quirk where Rudy gives each player a different nickname (and if he dubs you “Slick,” he simply won’t like you). Witty, atmospheric, and endlessly entertaining, Funhouse is Lawlor proving that the best toys aren’t just mechanical — they have a soul. Goodnight, Rudy.