Castle Lite

The Castle Lite, manufactured by Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) of Chicago in March 1935, is an early medieval-themed pinball machine offering ten balls for five cents. Its batteries powered the game's lighting, which was central to its signature feature: an illuminating score panel at the top of the playfield, analogous to a backglass, that lit up symbols and point values as balls landed in scoring holes.

The playfield contains twenty trap holes. Eight of them score 100 points each, while the remaining twelve are marked with one of five medieval symbols carrying higher values: Tower (1,000 points, two holes), Shield (1,000 points, two holes), Knight (2,000 points, three holes), Crown (2,000 points, three holes), and Horse (3,000 points, two holes). When a ball lands in a symbol hole, the corresponding symbol and point value light up on the score panel, creating a dynamic display that added a layer of strategy to the game.

The cabinet was advertised as 38 inches long and 19 inches wide, and the apron references two 1930s patents, including a coin chute mechanism that displayed the last coin played through a view window so the location owner could confirm a genuine coin was used before paying any award. Period advertising indicates an award was offered for scoring all holes of any symbol - presumably paid by the location, as this was a non-payout game. Little is known about the machine's designer, leaving enthusiasts to appreciate the Castle Lite as an evocative example of mid-1930s pinball design.