Play the Joker

"Play the Joker", manufactured by Sterling Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, is an early piece in the evolution of pinball machines. As a Pure Mechanical (PM) counter-top game, it represents a step in the development of coin-operated amusement during the medium's infancy.

Gameplay would have relied entirely on mechanical means, without any flippers, which had not yet been invented at the time. The pin table version of this same game is Sterling Novelty Manufacturing Company's 'Play The Joker,' released after the manufacturer slightly changed its company name.

Unfortunately, there is limited information available about the designer or the specific gameplay mechanics of "Play the Joker." Its age and rarity make it a historically interesting artifact from the earliest era of pinball's development.