History Main / RubeGoldbergDEvice

** In "The Practical Pig" it's a lie detector that when it detects a lie restrains and either spanks the liar or [[SoapPunishment washes his mouth out with soap]]. Or both. The lie detector [[HoistByHisOwnPetard bites Practical Pig in the ass]] at the end of the short -- [[{{Irony}} when he tells his brothers something to the effect of "This'll hurt me more than it'll hurt you"]].

* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''

* ''Film/InspectorGadget 2'': The [[DesignStudentsOrgasm opening credits]] take place in a gigantic machine which creates the letters of the title.

* The Symphonophone From ''WesternAnimation/HortonHearsAWho2008'' is a rather musical example

* ''Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers'' had one of these featured in "Cooking with Bowser and Mario 2!", all just to get a Yoshi egg from a pack of Yoshis sitting at a table for use in an omelet (here called "Yoshi Omelette").

A commonly-related concept is commonly [[InvokedTrope invoked]] by players in games featuring a LevelEditor (such as VideoGame/LineRider, VideoGame/HappyWheels and VideoGame/GeometryDash), which are referred to as "auto" or "don't move" levels. Closely resembling a Rube Goldberg Machine, they follow the main character being transported through bizarre (and [[TraumaCongaLine possibly dangerous]]) means through a purpose-built course, as opposed to a chain of distinct but still connected events. Such courses are almost always [[GamePlaysItself hilariously convoluted paths that lead to the finish line, with no player input required]].

* The bizarre door puzzles in ''VideoGame/MysteryCaseFiles: Ravenhearst'' and most of the other [=MCF=] are very much like this, to the point where Wiki/TheOtherWiki makes the direct comparison between the two. The biggest difference is the player has to trigger each step: i.e., solving a puzzle placing NESW in correct order on a dial will open up a puzzle that requires the sides to be balanced, which lights a flame that opens another puzzle that requires sliding around blocks to make a picture, which opens ''another''..

You can read more under [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine Rube-Goldberg Machine]] on Wiki/TheOtherWiki.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'': The first murder is committed using one of these. [[spoiler:Shuichi's motion sensor and camera set-up in the library is altered so that one camera flashes, luring the victim towards the bookcase, while a shot put - thrown into a vent from the floor above by the culprit - rolls down a staircase of books on top of the bookcases and falls on their head]]. Tsumugi even name-drops the trope when the set-up is exposed to everybody. [[spoiler:Only she's lying; the device ''failed''.]]

[[folder:Board Games]]
* ''MouseTrap1963'' is all about building an overly-elaborate contraption to catch your rival mice, with parts ranging from rolling balls to a little plastic dude getting launched into a bathtub. WebVideo/BoardJames demonstrates it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCplp_AtRo#t=01m46s here]].
%%* ''Crazy Clock''
%%* ''Fish Bait''
[[/folder]]

* ''TabletopGame/MouseTrap'': Players assemble an absurd collection of parts that ultimately aim to drop a cage on a mouse. The preposterousness of this device is a huge part of the game's charm.

* ''MouseTrap''. WebVideo/BoardJames demonstrates it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCplp_AtRo#t=01m46s here]].
* ''Crazy Clock''
* ''Fish Bait''

* The music video for X-Press 2 and Music/DavidByrne's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB_I1YBAozE "Lazy"]][[note]]specifically the original 2002 version, not the ''Music/GrownBackwards'' re-recording[[/note]] features a man who stays on the couch all day, doing things like combing hair, getting food, and doing chores via many of these. Eventually, the machine designed to give him his breakfast short-circuits after spilling coffee on itself, forcing the man to settle for a dirty, half-eaten Snickers bar that he finds on the floor.

* ''Manga/DoctorSlump'': In an special two-part chapter, Sembei builds an specially ridiculous one (to the point that it involves [[TheFaceOfTheSun the Sun sweating]]) to get a panty shot of Ms. Yamabuki just because Arale told him that she was wearing strawberry panties. The machine works perfectly, but the plan fails, of course.

* ''Manga/DoctorSlump'': In an special two-part chapter, Sembei builds an specially ridiculous one (to the point that it involves [[TheFaceOfTheSun the Sun sweating]]) to get a PantyShot of Ms. Yamabuki just because Arale told him that she was wearing strawberry panties. The machine works perfectly, but the plan fails, of course.

* ''WesternAnimation/PatAndMat'' seem to have a variant of ComplexityAddiction, as they never just transport things normally. Then again, to put a jack under a car, [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} these two]] dig a hole in the road, so...

-->-- ''Series/ICarly'' explains how 90% of all these contraptions come to be

[[folder:Web Original]]
* A one-shot gag in ''Script/AHDotComTheSeries'' had the ship's reactor's control rods triggered by a complex system of events including falling dominoes, fans powering sailboats and candles burning threads. At the end, chief engineer Dave Howery remarks on how he's glad they've managed to simplify the process so much compared to what they had before.
[[/folder]]

* In an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' ("Rosebud"), Homer is in a dungeon at the plant, [[WheelOfPain manually turning a massive gear around]] while a masked man whips him. Pan up past a complicated series of gears, and we find Lenny and Carl in the cafeteria... wondering what makes the dessert sampler rotate.

* The ''Kobold Quest'' hack for ''TabletopGame/GoblinQuest'' involves the players constructing an elaborate machine from whatever they can hastily find to appease the Great Dragon King, and then hoping each component works as intended using a sequence of consecutive dice rolls.

* A variant appears with [[https://youtu.be/IvUU8joBb1Q this music video]] of a marble-powered machine [[BizarreInstrument that plays about five different instruments]]. While it requires constant maintenance by the "player", the actual instrumentation is largely autonomous.