3 in LINE

The 3 in LINE, manufactured by Bally in 1935, is an early electromechanical (EM) game from the company, designed by Sam May. It predates many modern pinball conventions, including flippers, and features a gameplay mechanic that would be considered quite unusual today.

At its core, 3 in LINE is about creating lines of three in specific holes on the playfield, drawing on tic-tac-toe-style scoring. Players are challenged to land ten balls for just five cents, navigating through a tic-tac-toe array of nine holes while avoiding trap holes and making strategic use of the left-side kicker lane. The game's design also includes playfield lights that illuminate which holes have been scored, and the top "Lite" hole must be made to enable those lights. There is no outhole; the kicker lane simply shoots non-scoring balls back into play.

One notable aspect of 3 in LINE is that it operates on dry cell batteries. Very little else is documented about this game, making it an intriguing artifact for enthusiasts and historians of early pinball.