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Scared Stiff — restyled cabinet backglass

Bally · 1996

Scared
Stiff

Finish six short Tales of Terror. Then shoot the center crate to begin the Stiff-O-Meter and complete ten flashing ramp or crate shots to start four-ball Monster Multiball.

Learn the scoring plan →Jump to the six Tales
An adult horror hostess presents a late-night monster show from a cobwebbed television studio
Act ILearn.

Controls, the monster shots, and the first route that gives a new player a plan.

Act I · Scene 1Start here

Objective

Each Tale of Terror is a small objective tied to a named playfield area. Finish all six Tales, shoot the center crate, and follow the flashing ramp or crate lights until the Stiff-O-Meter reaches ten.

Ball one plan: shoot the left ramp, then the far-left loop to lock a ball in the coffin. If the Spider is lit, choose Coffin first, Crate second, and Double Trouble only when a multiball is ready.

  1. 1. First ballLeft ramp lights Lock; far-left loop puts a ball in the coffin. Repeat for coffin multiball.
  2. 2. Spider choiceTake the matching restart before the multiball you are advancing: Coffin or Crate.
  3. 3. FinaleLight all six Tales, shoot the crate, alternate ramps and crate to level 10.
Purple-suited skeleton holding a pinball

Act I · Scene 2Know the playfield

Monsters

An adult horror hostess, rubber monsters and a glowing coffin

Top lanes, bumpers and three leapers

The three top lanes, the crate and the bumpers at the upper right

Top lanes finish Return of the Deadheads. Bumpers finish the Monster’s Lab, usually after 20 hits. The three frog targets finish Night of the Leapers.

How to try it: Reach the top lanes with the launch or with a full outside-lane shot. Use the flipper buttons before the ball arrives to move the flashing lane light under the ball.

Left ramp · the Boney Beast

The left ramp entrance beneath the Boney Beast skull

Your first shot with a predictable return. It lights Lock for the coffin and counts toward Eyes of the Boney Beast. Three made left ramps finish that Tale.

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the two posts at the bottom of Left ramp · the Boney Beast and use a firm forehand so the ball climbs the ramp. If it starts up and rolls back, let it reach a flipper before shooting again.

Deadhead lanes, Lab and Leapers

Dead Head and Lock markings beside the green leaper; rails partly cover the lane.
Dead Head and Lock markings beside the green leaper; rails partly cover the lane.

Use flipper buttons while the ball is up top to move the lane lights. Hit unlit frogs only once, then regain control.

How to try it: Do not aim at the round bumpers themselves; their caps are not targets. Send the ball into the upper area beside Deadhead lanes, Lab and Leapers through an outside lane, then let the bumpers knock it around.

Far-left loop · coffin locks

The coffin at the far left, below the Lock lamp

With Lock lit, this loop drops the ball into the coffin. Without Lock, it sends the ball to the top lanes and bumpers.

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the open channel at the bottom of Far-left loop · coffin locks; the ball must pass the entrance switch and continue up the lane. If a weak shot rolls back down the same lane, let it return to a flipper before trying again.

Scared Stiff rendered playfield reference viewed from the flippers toward the crate
The real playfield, seen from the flippers. Photo: AUS pinball award. Tap it to enlarge.

Center crate · the other multiball

The actual upper crate and its Warning: Ball Is Wild sign.
The actual upper crate and its Warning: Ball Is Wild sign.

Hit the crate until its four lights fill. Shoot inside when it opens to start Terror from the Crate.

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Aim at the dark opening of Center crate · the other multiball, not at its rim or the nearby posts. After the ball settles in the hole, watch where the machine kicks it back and regain control.

Right ramp + Spider scoop

The Spin Spider scoop and the right ramp wireform

The right ramp lights Spin Spider in single-ball play. Shoot the scoop, then stop the wheel with a flipper button.

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Aim through the two posts at the bottom of Right ramp + Spider scoop and use a firm forehand so the ball climbs the ramp. If it starts up and rolls back, let it reach a flipper before shooting again.

Right loop and Telepathetic target

The Telepathetic Power target beside the right ramp

The loop can send the ball to the crate area. The Telepathetic target toggles a right-outlane award, but that award does not save the ball.

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the open channel at the bottom of Right loop and Telepathetic target; the ball must pass the entrance switch and continue up the lane. If a weak shot rolls back down the same lane, let it return to a flipper before trying again.

How the major shots return

The flippers, slingshots and inlanes at the bottom of the table

Made ramps often return to the same-side flipper. Missed ramps, crate rejects, and Spider kickouts can become loose quickly.

How to try it: Watch which flipper receives a successful shot. Let a clean return settle on that flipper; after a rejected shot, regain control before choosing the next target.

Coffin and crate are different. Coffin multiball is three balls with ramp jackpots. Crate multiball is two balls with crate jackpots. They do not play at the same time.

Act I · Scene 3See it before you shoot it

Shot map

The three pictures below are the practical first-ball map: left ramp, far-left loop, then alternating ramps during coffin multiball.

1

Left ramp

Send the ball under the skeleton. This lights Lock and starts your coffin plan.

2

Far-left loop

When Lock is lit, this lane sends a ball into the coffin and gives you a new one.

3

Both ramps

In coffin multiball, shoot the lit ramp jackpot, then the other ramp when the current light turns off and the next one turns on.

Act I · Scene 4Use the plunge

Launch

A soft plunge can fall into the Spin Spider hole. If it does, stop the wheel on Coffin for your first route. If the ball misses, cradle it on a flipper and go back to the left ramp.

  1. Best startSoft plunge to Spider, pick Coffin, then advance coffin locks.
  2. Skill shotThe right-loop area can score a skill shot, but control matters more than the award.
  3. After a lockThe new ball can be plunged toward Spider again if Spin Spider is lit.

Act I · Scene 5The big fork

Coffin or crate?

Choose Coffin first if you can make the left ramp and far-left loop. Choose Crate first if you can safely hit the center crate and shoot inside when it opens. Bank the matching Spider restart before either start.

Terror from the Crate · two balls

How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim at the dark opening of Hit the crate, then shoot inside, not at its rim or the nearby posts. After the ball settles in the hole, watch where the machine kicks it back and regain control.

Hit the crate, then shoot inside

The crate at the top of the table, with its warning sign
  1. Hit the center crate until all four lights fill.
  2. Shoot inside the open crate.
  3. During crate multiball, shoot the crate for jackpots.
  4. Left ramp raises the crate value.
Elvira holding a skull in her black gown
A horror hostess presents a carnival-style spider prize wheel
Act IIPlan.

Pick the Spider award that helps the multiball you are about to start.

Act II · Scene 1Use the wheel

Spider strategy

The Spider prize wheel: eyes, chrome balls, bats, pumpkins and a black spider at the hub
The Spider wheel and its symbols. On the machine it spins on the display above the table.

Light Spin Spider with the right ramp, then shoot the Spider scoop. Aim for an unlit award. Repeating a lit award is usually wasted.

  1. First pick: CoffinRestarts coffin multiball when it falls to one ball.
  2. Second pick: CrateRestarts crate multiball the same way.
  3. Late pick: Double TroubleOnly when a multiball is one shot from starting, because the 20-second timer starts at once.

Act II · Scene 2The wheel

Spider awards

The wheel awards include Coffin restart, Crate restart, three Eyes, bats, pumpkins, Double Trouble, extra-ball progress, and Spider Mania progress. The simple rule: earn unlit symbols, but favor the restart that matches your next multiball.

Advanced Spider notesWhen the whole wheel matters

Lighting every wheel award starts Spider Mania, a separate celebration goal. Its first 20 seconds are doubled. It is worth chasing only after you can relight Spin Spider on purpose with the right ramp.

Act II · Scene 3Overlap goals

playing two features at the same time

Start a restart first, then the matching multiball, then any doubled scoring. Coffin multiball can help finish ramps, frogs, lanes, and bumpers, but crate hits during coffin multiball do not open the crate.

  1. Bank restartCoffin before coffin, Crate before crate.
  2. Start multiballUse extra balls to finish missing Tales.
  3. Add Double TroubleTake it immediately before the start, not while still making the required shots.

Act II · Scene 4Another turn

Extra balls

Lighting an extra ball is not earning it. Shoot the lit extra-ball award lane right of the crate. Spider awards can also move you toward an extra ball, and machine settings can limit or replace extra balls.

Elvira in her black gown

Act II · Scene 5Know the saves

Ball saves

Coffin and Crate Spider awards are not regular ball saves. They restart only their matching multiball after it drops to one ball. A launch ball save may return an immediate drain, but do not base a plan on it.

Act II · Scene 6Short features

Modes and finale

The short features are useful only when they support Tales or multiballs. Telepathetic Power gives a random award from the right outlane but does not rescue the ball. Spider Mania is separate from the Stiff-O-Meter finale.

Other useful quirksHold Bonus, left-ramp value, Telepathetic award

Right-ramp shots can turn on helpful side-award lamps. After the Boney Beast Tale is finished, repeated left ramps raise the value until you miss. If the display disagrees with this page, trust the display.

Act II · Scene 7What next?

Priorities

Practical order: learn coffin multiball, learn crate multiball, finish whichever Tales are still dark, then shoot the crate for the Stiff-O-Meter. Do not chase Spider Mania until you can relight Spin Spider deliberately.

  1. Safe pointsLeft ramp and coffin route.
  2. Big setupMatching restart plus multiball.
  3. FinishAll six Tales, crate, Stiff-O-Meter.
A chrome pinball races past a coffin, monsters and haunted carnival scenery
Three checks before the next shot.

Which Tale is still dark? Which Spider restart do you have? Which multiball is nearest?

Act II · ReferenceScoring details

Scoring

The strongest order is control first, jackpot second, doubled scoring last. A live Double Trouble timer with no multiball ready is usually wasted.

Advanced scoring planRestart, start, double
  1. Bank Coffin or Crate from the Spider wheel.
  2. Prepare the matching multiball until it is one shot away.
  3. Take Double Trouble only if you can start immediately.
  4. During coffin multiball, shoot lit ramps. During crate multiball, shoot the crate.

Act II · ReferenceRoute choices

Control routes

Open complete routesCoffin · Wizard finish · Spider Mania

Wizard route

  1. Use multiball to finish frogs, lanes, bumpers, and ramps.
  2. Take Crate restart before opening the crate.
  3. Finish all six Tales and shoot the crate.
  4. Follow lit ramp and crate shots to level 10.

Spider Mania route

  1. Earn both restarts and the three Eyes early.
  2. Relight Spin Spider with the right ramp.
  3. Late in the wheel, choose any unlit symbol.
  4. In Spider Mania, keep balls moving during doubled scoring.
A gothic horror hostess commands a moonlit crypt stage with bats and theatrical fog
Act IIIFinish.

Complete the six Tales, climb the Stiff-O-Meter, and start four-ball Monster Multiball.

Act III · Scene 1Track progress

Tales of Terror

Each Tale has a table light. Once all six are lit, the next crate shot starts the Stiff-O-Meter.

  1. 01Stiff in the CoffinLock three balls in the coffin.
  2. 02Terror from the CrateOpen the crate and shoot inside.
  3. 03Eyes of the Boney BeastMake the left ramp three times.
  4. 04Night of the LeapersHit all three frog targets.
  5. 05Return of the DeadheadsLight all three top lanes.
  6. 06The Monster’s LabScore the bumper hits, usually 20.
A horror hostess celebrates beside a red coffin, four chrome pinballs, a cheering monster and a skeleton pianist
Level 10 starts Monster Multiball.

Reach the top for 5 million points and four balls. Either ramp or the crate pays 1 million during Monster Multiball.

Act III · Scene 2The climb

Stiff-O-Meter

With all six Tales lit, shoot the crate. Follow the lit lamps: ramp, crate, ramp, crate. Each shot raises the meter, and the final shot is the crate.

The Stiff-O-Meter column in the middle of the playfield, its levels stacked from Hair Raising up to Scared Stiff
The Stiff-O-Meter runs up the middle of the table. Follow its lamps: ramp, crate, ramp, crate, and the last one at the crate.

If time runs out, your meter level stays. You must light all six Tales again before another crate shot resumes the climb.

Make the call

During coffin multiball, you just earned the big award on the left ramp. Where is the next one?

Act III · Scene 3From the video

Video tips

Bank the restart

12:05: Coffin and Crate restart only their matching multiballs.

Light Spider first

22:01: light Spin Spider before a lock so the replacement ball can plunge toward it.

Act III · Scene 4Watch

Gameplay

Use the video to see timing and ball returns, then return to the shot map before playing.

About this guide

This guide follows the Bally rules for Scared Stiff. Settings can change some counts and awards, so trust the display when it disagrees with this page. If you play through a Quest 3, the table may look different from these photographs.

Playfield photograph belongs to its original rights holder. Personal fan tutorial; no affiliation with Bally or the game’s creators.