Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep21 - Beetlejuice Brains & Spooky Pinball Logic from Bug

Bug from Spooky Pinball joins to break down the creative chaos behind Beetlejuice, from shaping the theme into a playable world to the collaboration across design, code, art, and sound that gives the game its personality. We talk problem-solving during development, how rules evolve once players get their hands on the machine, and what it takes for a boutique studio to ship something this ambitious.

It’s a grounded look at Spooky’s workflow, Bug’s role in steering the vision, and how Beetlejuice came together from early pitch to final polish.

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:06 - Spooky Pinball’s Beginnings as a Podcast

00:03:01 - Early Pinball Media and Community Roots

00:05:00 - Shifting From Podcast to Pinball Manufacturer

00:06:34 - Pinball Zombies and The Walking Dead Conflict

00:07:52 - Choosing America’s Most Haunted as the First Title

00:09:01 - Building AMH With Friends and Family Voices

00:12:03 - Texas Pinball Festival Weekend That Changed Everything

00:13:39 - Growing the Factory and Life as a Family Business

00:16:00 - How Bug and Spooky Luke Split Game Design

00:18:52 - Bug’s Approach to Rules and Theme Integration

00:20:10 - Working With Licensors and Protecting Creative Vision

00:22:03 - Tournament Settings and Player Feedback

00:23:39 - Moving Spooky to Unity and Standardized Hardware

00:25:31 - Beetlejuice Trailer Breakdown and Art Direction

00:28:06 - Sandworm Design and Under Flipper Magnet Saves

00:31:14 - Evolving the Waiting Room and Rising Mech Concepts

00:34:10 - Upper Playfield Flow and Nontraditional Shot Paths

00:36:00 - Prototyping, Metalwork and Fast Mechanical Iteration

00:39:00 - What Makes a Modern Game Successful for Spooky

00:43:00 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a Design Benchmark

00:47:30 - Beetlejuice Code Depth and Update Philosophy

00:50:00 - Dreams of Army of Darkness and Future Themes

00:54:00 - Quality of Life Tech Like Voice-Controlled Service

00:56:00 - Beetlejuice Launch Party and Community Energy

00:58:00 - Toppers, Butter Cabinets and Long Term Support

01:01:00 - Horror Inspirations and Movie Recommendations

01:03:30 - Theme Integration and Dark Ride Style Design

01:06:00 - Managing Demand and Production Expectations

01:08:30 - Community Shoutouts and Tournament Players

01:11:00 - Dream Licenses and Wild Theme Ideas

01:14:00 - Internships, Learning and Life Inside Spooky

01:17:00 - Long Term Updates for Spooky Titles

01:20:00 - Big Player Scores and Gameplay Shoutouts

01:23:00 - Home Collections, Wish List Games and Spooky Alley

01:25:20 - Hardbody Callback and Final Thanks to Bug

01:25:25 - The Raven Gag

01:26:21 - Episode Outro

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