“It’s man against machine!”
Released by Ideal in 1978, Payoff Machine was a tension-filled game of both skill and chance as players competed to hit a payoff of high-scoring marbles.
GAMEPLAY
The goal of the game was to be the first player to score 25 points by dropping marbles from a twistable plastic tower.
The tower comprised six opaque tumblers with holes. The tumblers were stacked and the tower secured to the game base using a post. Marbles were dropped through holes in the tower’s cap. There were three colours of marbles, each with its own point value: black (one point), white (five points), and red (ten points). Only one red marble was in play during the game, making it a particularly valuable reward.
Each player started the game with one white and five black marbles (10 points total). The rest of the marbles were placed into holes in the tower cap.
Players took turns dropping their marbles into the cap. Each point represented during their turn gained the player one twist of the tumblers. Twists were made in an effort to guide the balls down the tower and onto the base. Players relied on keen listening skills and intuition to judge the progress of the marbles as they descended the tower.
At the end of their turn, the player gathered their marbles and tallied their points. The player to the left then took their turn.
Players who ran out of marbles due to bad luck or poor performance were ousted from the game. Players raced to be the first to earn 25 points and win.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included a base, tower components (post, tumblers, and cap), marbles and storage bag, and bumpers. An instruction pamphlet was also included.
MARBLE MANIA
Games that used marbles or marble-like balls as a central component of play have been popular throughout the years. In his article Don’t Lose ‘Em: Games with Marbles, Nicolas Ricketts takes a look at a few notable vintage games.
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