Always short plunge to the Advance Spinner lane in the upper right, but begin by focusing on completing banks of drop targets to collect numbers and add to your bonus, since bonus count and multiplier both carry over between balls. On the final ball of the game, or if the spinner value is maxed out at 1,500 per spin + your bonus is relatively high (I recommend getting to 4x), pivot to a spinner all day strategy. If you're done to just one number left, try to pick it off so your next ball has a 136,000 point super bonus. Bonus multiplier and multiball start are tied to completing a colour on the grid. Extra balls are available for reaching 4x bonus or completing the A-B-C-D target banks in order on a single ball. Specials are available for reaching 5x bonus by completing the grid once. Remember that everyone gets to play the backbox game at the end of their turn, so be mindful about not accidentally making a play on someone else's ball.
The far left top lane scores 1,000 points and stops the rotating lights in front of the drop targets on their red numbers. If this lane is lit, 5,000 points are scored and #6 is spotted for free. The near left top lane scores 1,000 points and stops the drop target rotating lights on their yellow numbers. If this lane is lit, score 5,000 points and #1 is spotted. Pop bumpers and slingshots rotate which of these two lanes, or the standup target in the lower left of the game, is lit. There is no way in the pinball portion of the game to stop the rotating drop target lights on green or blue, and there is no way to spot any numbers other than the 6 and 1 from these lanes, or the 2 from the aforementioned lower left standup.
The far right top lane always scores 1,000 points, and advances the spinner value one step in the sequence of 100 - 500 - 1,000 - 1,500 points per spin. As the game goes on and it becomes harder and harder to continue to collect the grid numbers you need, the spinner value becomes more and more important, so raise it when you can. Unfortunately, since the only real way to return to the top of the playfield to collect this lane during gameplay is through pop bumper luck, you'll need commit to finding this lane on plunges, and hope to lock balls in the side saucers to get yourself more plunges.
The star rollover at the very top of the game scores 10 points only, and is present just to be a playfield validation switch.
There are 4 different banks of drop targets in the game, with 3 targets in each. The A bank is on the left, the B bank is in the top center, the C bank is in the upper right, and the D bank is in the middle right. In front of each bank, alongside the letters, are four numbers, which correspond to the grid in the center of the table. During gameplay, one of the numbers in front of each bank will be lit, and the lit number rotates every couple seconds. Each individual drop target down scores 1,000 points. There is no point value for completing the bank, but when you do complete a bank, the number that was lit in front of that bank will be lit up on the large grid in the center of the table. If all four numbers corresponding to a bank of drop targets have been collected, the numbers will rotate very fast to indicate that that bank is completed.
If either of the two upper left lanes labelled "Stops Lights on Red/Amber" is rolled through, all 4 banks of target will solidly light only the number corresponding to the stopped colour, until and unless the respective red/yellow number has already been collected on a particular bank.
It is possible to collect a number you already have; there is no bonus or incentive to do so.
Number-bank distribution is as follows:
Completing a colour advances the bonus multiplier toward the maximum of 5x and releases any locked balls to start a multiball. If you complete the grid on a ball, there is no way to collect additional colours, and so no way to start more multiballs. Lit numbers score 1,000 points times the bonus multiplier each in bonus. On the final ball of the game, you receive additional unmultiplied bonus equal to 34,000 points per completed line (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal) on the current grid. If you complete the grid on a ball other than the final ball of the game, your next ball in play will include a 136,000 point super bonus, which is not affected by bonus multiplier. Achieving 4x bonus lights the spinner lane for an extra ball. Achieving 5x bonus lights the spinner lane solidly for a special, and also lights the out lanes alternately for a special.
Completing the drop target bank where the letter is lit will move the lit letter to the next bank in the alphabet. Completing the A, B, C, and D banks in sequence in this way all on a single ball lights the in lanes alternately for extra ball.
The A, C, and D banks of targets can be shot directly from the flippers. The B and C banks can be hit via a fast shot to the spinner lane. The B bank can also be collected via a ricochet off the targets in the A bank.
The spinner starts at 100 points per spin. Each time the ball goes through the rightmost top lane, the value is advanced, first to 500, then 1,000, then 1,500. If your grid is mostly full, especially if the spinner value is high and the numbers you still need are on the B or C banks, you may want to focus on the spinner for more efficient scoring instead. Pretty much nothing in the game gives more than 1,000 points at a time, so a couple late game 1,500/spin rips of this spinner can be a huge benefit to your score.
The one way gate at the end of the spinner lane scores 1,000 points. When 4x bonus is achieved, this is lit for a one-time extra ball. When 5x bonus is achieved, this is lit for a one-time special.
There are two lock saucers in the game, which are initially hidden to the player: they are on the sides of the game, immediately above the A and D target banks. These cannot be shot for directly, and balls can only end up here via pop bumper luck. If you lock a ball, you are fed a new one to plunge (another chance at the spinner advance lane for free!). When you complete a colour on the grid, thereby advancing the bonus multiplier, all locked balls are automatically released and multiball begins. There are no multiball-specific scoring features or playfield multipliers; you just get additional balls in play as a safety net for more drop target completions and spinner shots. If you complete the grid, multiball can no longer be started on that ball, since you can no longer collect any colours. Locked balls persist from player to player and from game to game, so always check to see if there are locks whenever you walk up to the table.
Catacomb has a conventional in/out lane setup. Outlanes score 5,000 points, and are lit alternately for a special by achieving 5x bonus. In lanes score 1,000 points, and are lit alternately for extra ball by completing the A-B-C-D banks of drop targets in sequence.
See the "Drop targets and grid" section.
After your ball drains, you get a chance to play the Bagatelle game on the backglass. Use the right flipper to flip the ball up toward the funnel, where it will bounce into either the A, B, C, or D lanes. No matter what, you get 3,000 points, and the currently lit number on the drop target bank corresponding to where the backglass ball went will be awarded to you. By default, the lit numbers in front of each bank will continue rotating, but you can use the left flipper while the bagatelle is active to force all lights of a given colour to be lit (hit the left flipper multiple times to rotate colours). Once a frozen bank has a number collected, that bank only will begin rotating again, but you can always use the left flipper to freeze all banks on a colour of your choice. You can continue playing the bagatelle until you collect a number that was already lit in your grid. If you complete a colour during the bagatelle game, you are immediately given the increased bonus multiplier, and multiball will begin as soon as your plunged ball on your next turn hits any switch in the game (assuming there are indeed locked balls by the time it gets back to your turn).
In a competition setting, be sure not to forget to play your bagatelle, and pay attention to the player before you in case they forget about theirs so that you don't accidentally play during their rightful turn.
In competition/novelty play, specials score 100,000 points. There is no setting available to assign a point value to extra balls, they are either on or off. The maximum number of extra balls available that a player can hold at any one time can be set to 0, 1, 3, or 5.
Back to top