Shoot the Chutes

Shoot the Chutes, manufactured by G. M. Laboratories in January 1936, is an electro-mechanical machine with an amusement park, circus/carnival, and rollercoaster theme. G. M. Laboratories showcased the game at the 1936 Coin Machine Exposition, held at Chicago's Sherman Hotel January 13-16, 1936, according to a contemporary Billboard report.

Gameplay centers on an elaborate captive-ball system: 13 trap holes, 15 captive balls, and 6 free play holes. Each time a captive ball is kicked into action, a light briefly illuminates above that ball's channel, giving players visual feedback as the game's captive-ball mechanism unfolds — a feature that added spectacle to a design already built around trapping and releasing balls.

The amusement-park theme, evoking rollercoasters and carnival midways, fits neatly with the game's playful, chaotic captive-ball mechanics. No designer is credited in surviving records, but the game's public debut at a major Chicago trade show suggests G. M. Laboratories saw it as a notable release in its lineup.