Speakeasy

The Speakeasy, produced by Playmatic in May 1977, is an electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine notable for its mechanical backbox animation, in which slot-machine-style reels turn as part of the gameplay presentation. Playmatic, a Barcelona-based manufacturer active from 1968 to 1987, released Speakeasy roughly at the midpoint of its production history; little specific information survives about its designer.

Speakeasy features two flippers, three pop bumpers, one slingshot, two mushroom bumpers, and five kick-out holes, along with an end-of-ball bonus. The turning slot-machine reels in the backbox are the game's signature feature, standing out among typical EM titles of the era. A single-player export version of this game was released the same year as Playmatic's 'The 30's.'

The Speakeasy's American History theme, built around cards and gambling imagery, evokes the Prohibition-era underworld referenced in its name. As with many EM machines from this period, detailed records of its reception are scarce, but its distinctive backbox mechanism makes it a notable piece for collectors and historians of European pinball manufacturing.