Well, Bonanza slot is a big name for a game, from the big-named company Big Time Gaming! The theme is a very old one; Bonanza was a TV western series way back in the day, and this game is sort of based on mining in the Old West.
That’s where the simplicity seems to end with this game, which even has a complicated layout based around six-reels that’s like few other games you’ve ever seen.
It has a Megaways setup that means that there are 117,649 possible winning combinations. It has three bonuses and lots to discover.
Big Time Gaming is an averagely sized developer that offers games to customers all around the world. Their games tend to focus on very high-quality graphics and player experience. Bonanza slot is their popular title at the moment, and you could also check out Extra Chilli, Danger High Voltage, and White Rabbit, Donuts.
So we’ve established there’s nothing basic about this game.
One straightforward figure is this: a 96% RTP. This isn’t bad in the current market. Please remember that this does not guarantee that you’ll have a 96% return on your game, it’s a long-term measure of game performance.
The variance is rated as high, which tends to mean bigger wins paying out less often, but again, this is something that will vary as you play the game. The top prize is 120,000 coins, which is produced from betting from 0.2 to 500 coins – make sure you check maximum pay-outs, coin amounts, and betting amounts on the actual game and site you’re playing at.
We normally just type in a simple figure for the layout, but here you’re looking at six reels of varying size, that show rocks falling into place. Wins see rocks with winning symbols exploding and allowing new symbols to drop in in their place. From this, arrive the 117,649 ways to win, which pay in both directions.
Bonanza slot game can be played on all platforms, using JavaScript and HTML5. It was released in 2016.
The pay-table opens with card symbols from nine to ace. The nine pays 0.1-times stake for three, 0.2 for four, 0.4 for five, and 0.8 for six. The 10 pays 0.15-times stake for three, 0.25 for four, 0.5 for five, and 0.9 for six. The Jack pays 0.15, 0.25, 0.5 and 1-times stake. Queen is worth 0.2-times stake, 0.25-times stake, 0.6-times stake and one-times stake. The King pays 0.2 for three, 0.4 for four, 0.6 for five, and 1.75 for six. The Ace pays the same as the King.
To keep with the mining theme, a load of diamonds follow. A green stone pays 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and twice stake. The bluestone pays 0.25, one-time, 1.5-times, and double stake for six. A red stone pays once for three, twice-stake for four, 2.5 for five, and 7.5-times for six. The diamond pays two for two, five-times for three, 10-times for four, 25-times for five, and 50-times for six.
Then you have bonuses!
The re-spin feature is called “reactions”. Symbols tumble in, and when there’s a win, winning symbols are blown up and new ones drop in, continuing until the wins stop.
Carts drive across the top of the screen, with four carts stopping above the four central reels. These contain symbols that can drop in.
There are four scatters, the letters spelling out the word “GOLD”. Four of these triggers 12 free spins and any extras add five more spins. During the free spins round, there is an unlimited multiplier that starts at one and increases by one for every win. There is also a new scatter – a minecart full of gold – that can retrigger the respins, with three adding five more and four adding 10 more.
Wilds are a set of dynamite sticks, and they substitute for everything except the scatters.
The look of this slot is very modern. It has high-quality drawing and loads of detail in its reels, symbols and extras. The animation can’t be faulted either. You might want to turn off the sound effects if you have a low tolerance for banjo music, but that’s up to you.
There’s a mountain-side as a backdrop with a log cabin. It’s quite an uneven look, but perhaps that fits the feel. The controls are minimal, with just betting, a menu, and the spin and auto spin buttons.
It’s all very up to date, but it’s a bit worrying that things might appear rather too small on mobile screens.
While there are a lot of differences with the standard online video slot on Bonanza, the actual gameplay is fairly simple.
At the left of the screen is a betting control with left and right buttons to lower and raise the stake. Betting is set as a total rather than by pay-line.
Then there is a modern, three-line menu button. This includes the pay-table, with details of all the bonus symbols. The autoplay settings, which allow you to set a number of spins, a loss limit and a single win limit. The options tab lets you turn the sound on and off. And the help tab contains a good guide to the game.
The play buttons – autoplay and single spin – are to the bottom right of the screen.
Don’t be put off by Bonanza’s non-standard features, because underneath the detail is a very simple game that’s rewarding to play and offers the chance of some genuinely big wins. In fact, we recommend you look at this as a novelty title that makes a great change from all those run-of-the-mill titles that clog up our casino front pages.
If you hit gold in this game, you could be pushing away cart-loads of loot, so take a quick look at the excellent help guides, check you know what you’re doing and press the plunger on your detonator and see where the rocks tumble!