The California Gold Rush began in 1848 with the discovery of gold nuggets, and everyone wanted a piece of the action, including Wild Willy – at least, according to Armadillo Studios.
The developer invites you to join the eponymous hero as he tries to make his fortune, and they’ve thrown in a few bonus features to help things along. Expect bonus symbols, win multipliers and a Wild Collection feature that could generate big returns for some players.
Slot information
| RTP: | 96.03% |
|---|---|
| Volatility: | High |
| Max Payout: | 1,000x stake |
| Reels: | 5 |
| Paylines: | 20 |
| Jackpot: | No |
| Min Bet: | 0.20 |
| Max Bet: | 100.00 |
| Theme: | Wild West |
| Release Date: | 25th Apr 2023 |
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Playing out on a standard 5 x 3 playing grid, Wild Willy’s Gold Rush comes with 20 fixed paylines and several bonus features. The first thing to notice is an extra symbol above reel 3, which is chosen randomly at the end of each spin. If that symbol features in a win, a 3x multiplier is applied, increasing to a 20x multiplier if the winning symbol is a Golden Nugget.
During the free spins bonus round, all Gold Nuggets come with a cash value attached. Landing a Wild on the same spin as one or more Golden Nuggets awards all cash values, and Wilds are also collected throughout the feature. The more Wilds you collect, the more free spins you attract, with an increasing multiplier that climbs as high as 20x.
Land at least three mine cart Scatters to activate the free spins bonus round, with up to 15 free spins with the possibility of more thanks to the Wild Collection feature.
Golden Nuggets come with cash values during the bonus round, which are collected by the Wild. The more Wilds you spin up, the more free spins you’ll receive and the higher the win multiplier climbs!
One random symbol is displayed above the reels following every spin. If that symbol features in a win it attracts a 3x multiplier, increasing to 20x for Golden Nugget wins.
Slot developers absolutely love the Gold Rush theme, so it’s only natural that Armadillo Studios should address the subject at some point. After all, what slots fan isn’t tempted by the word ‘gold’, especially when accompanied by the chance to win real cash prizes?
We’ve seen so many games based around prospectors hoping to make their fortune, so we were keen to see how this latest addition measures up.
Pine forests, steep hillsides and a river form the backdrop to Wild Willy’s Gold Rush, with a wooden frame supporting the reels. The graphics are so-so, with slightly cartoonish characters and basic animations to celebrate wins.
We found the colours rather subdued, and it all feels a little basic, but it’s the game mechanics that are of most interest to us.
As you spin the reels you’ll notice an extra, random symbol appears above them. If that symbol is involved in a win on the reels, a 3x multiplier is added, unless the win involves Golden Nuggets, in which case it increases to 20x.
Land 3, 4 or 5 mine cart Scatters to trigger 8, 12 or 15 free spins respectively. Throughout the bonus round a Wild Collect feature gathers up the values of any Golden Nuggets in view, adding to your win total.
Every Wild that lands during free spins adds +1 to the meter awarding additional free spins and an increase in the multiplier at the following levels:
The lowest-paying symbol on the paytable is the 10, which returns your stake for a five-of-a-kind win. The character symbols pay better returns, with the Wild and the saloon girl paying up to 10x the bet.
Base game wins can be enhanced if the winning symbol also appears above the reels, awarding a 3x multiplier, or 20x in the case of Golden Nuggets. But it’s the free spins bonus round where the biggest wins are to be found. Keep spinning up Wilds to collect Golden Nugget cash prizes and fill the meter to increase the win multiplier all the way up to 20x for big cash prizes.
The RTP comes in at slightly above the industry average of 96%, but keep in mind that this is a highly volatile game. A modest bankroll is unlikely to take you far, so try a few demo spins if you can, before putting your own money on the line.
We gave it our best shot, but Wild Willy’s Gold Rush didn’t really hit the spot for us. To be fair, that’s almost entirely down to a less than rewarding playing experience - if we’d had more luck on the reels we might have taken a more favourable view, although we still felt a bit let down by the graphics.
As we’ve already mentioned, the Gold Rush theme is hugely popular with developers and players, and there are some truly iconic games in this genre, including Bonanza, which set the bar high. It’s highly unlikely that the team at Big Time Gaming will be quaking in their boots about this new addition to the genre, but that’s no reason not to give it a try. See if you have more luck than we did, and let us know how you get on!
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