Triangle

The Automatic Amusements Company's 1935 Triangle pinball machine marks a milestone in pinball history: according to designer Harry Williams, in a 1978 interview with historian Russ Jensen, Triangle was the first game he designed with a "light-up" backboard. As an electro-mechanical (EM) game from this pioneering Los Angeles manufacturer, Triangle represents a step towards more modern pinball machines.

Triangle's gameplay is characterized by its basic yet engaging design, typical of single-player pin games of 1935 — more than a decade before the flipper was introduced to pinball in 1947. Players of the era instead relied on plunger control and careful nudging (within tilt limits) to influence the ball's path toward scoring targets. The machine's layout was typical of its era, featuring a compact playfield with simple artwork and minimal theme representation.

Triangle's use of electro-mechanical components, including its illuminated backboard, allowed for effects that would have stood out among its contemporaries. Although specific details about additional features are scarce, Triangle's existence as a tangible artifact from this pivotal era in pinball history, and its connection to designer Harry Williams, make it an essential piece for collectors and enthusiasts seeking to understand the industry's early development.