How did it work?

Choosing a question. There were three separate modules. You inserted a coin into the “monkey” that corresponded to the question you were interested in (e.g., What is my weakness?).

Start. In many units, after inserting the coin, you had to press a button or pull a small lever – and the magic began.

Lights in motion! Inside, a simple electro-mechanical system (motor, relays, stepper switch) was activated. The lights ran around the question mark (?) in a carousel-like effect.

Random result. After a moment, the mechanism stopped and illuminated one of the printed answer fields on the panel (e.g., “Too proud”, “A good friend”, etc.).

“Test” effect. The machine didn’t speak or print a card – it simply gave one illuminated answer. It felt like a quick “psycho test” for just one cent.

Differences between versions:
In some models, the lights “chased” and stopped randomly; in others, the coin triggered a latch/contact that selected the position mechanically.
From the player’s perspective, the sequence was always the same: insert coin → lights → answer. 😊

Coin denomination:

Machine 1 (auction variant): marked 1¢ on the front — accepted pennies.

Machine 2 (collector’s variant): marked 5 in a circle — accepted nickels (5¢).

Was there “flexibility”?
No. Each module had a mechanical coin slot calibrated for a specific denomination (1¢ or 5¢). The operator could reconfigure it (by replacing or adjusting the coin slot), but at any given time, only one denomination worked. Dollar bills were not accepted; a $1 coin didn’t fit standard slots.