Bucket of Bass Demo
Bucket of Bass Slot Review
Embark on a fishing slot extravaganza in High Limit Studios’ latest release, Bucket of Bass!
Games Global provider partner, High Limit Studios, has us up at the crack of dawn for a spot of fishing – a time when the fish are particularly ‘bitey’. Operating under a Medium Volatility rating, Bucket of Bass reveals Lucky Levels, a nifty Wheel Bonus, and epic Free Spins mode.
Fill your boots (and bucket) with a variety of rewarding Fish Icons, each displaying sizable payouts. If the Fisherman should drop in, he will collect the values of each Fish Icon, while also contributing towards filling the Free Spins Bucket in the bottom left corner.
Fishing-themed slots have certainly made waves in the iGaming industry, combining our love for underwater fun with the potential for big wins. The Fishing genre is by far the most popular category within the iGaming market, possibly topping the likes of Egyptians and the Wild West.
Big software developers like Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City, and 4ThePlayer have taken a stab at this particular genre in games like Marlin Masters, Ugliest Catch, and 4 Fantastic Fish, but where will Bucket of Bass fit into the equation?
While Reel Kingdom and Blueprint Gaming were the first two developers to appear on our radar with their Big Bass Bonanza and Fishin’ Frenzy series, it’s always nice to see smaller providers like High Limit Studios tackle a renowned genre.
Bucket of Bass looks like your average Fishing slot, offering a fixed RTP of 96.16% a hit rate of 24.56%, and a maximum win potential of 6,250x your bet. It’s the start of a brand-new day, and we’re hopeful to catch a fresh bite or two!
Base Game & Features
Bucket of Bass is the latest medium volatility slot release from High Limit Studios, consisting of 5 reels, 3 rows, and 25 fixed pay lines. Matching 3-5 symbols across an active win line, starting from reel 1, guarantees a winning combination.
The highest-paying symbol falls to the Seagull, which accounts for winning payouts between 1x and 8x your bet. Other symbols, consisting of fishing items and card suits, award fixed payouts between 0.2x and 7x your bet, where applicable.
Lastly, Wild symbols appear on reels 2, 3, 4, & 5, substituting for all symbols except Scatter, Multiplier, Booster, Balloon, and Prize symbols.
Lucky Levels
Throughout gameplay, each spin will contribute towards the Lucky Levels Feature. At the start of the session, the Treasure Chest above the reels will begin at 20. Once 20 base game spins have occurred, the Treasure Chest will activate Lucky Level 1.
Each Lucky Level will reveal a special Modifier from the following:
- Lucky Level 1: The Attackin’ Kraken may randomly award Wilds or Cash Prizes to reels 2, 3 or 4.
- Lucky Level 2: Requires 50 base game spins to activate, adding up to 5 Wheel Boosters to the reels. Wheel Boosters will increase your chance of triggering the Wheel Bonus.
- Lucky Level 3: Requires 100 base game spins to activate, awarding Trigger symbols to reel 1. Trigger symbols award a Free Spins Multiplier to the top of reel 1.
- Lucky Level 4: Requires 200 base game spins to activate, awarding between 20x and 200x your bet as a guaranteed win for all Free Spins modes.
Express Collect
In the base game, special Cash (Fish) Prizes between 0.8x and 200x your bet can appear on all reel positions. Without a Trigger (Fisherman) symbol present, each available Cash Prize is added to the Free Spins Bucket in the bottom left corner.
Alternatively, when a Trigger symbol appears on reel 1 or 5, it will expand to cover the entire reel and collect all visible Cash Prizes in view before the next paid spin. Please note that Trigger symbols may only appear on reel 1 if Lucky Level 3 has been activated; otherwise, they will only appear on reel 5.
Wheel Bonus & Boosters
Whenever Cash Prizes appear on the reels, without a Trigger symbol to collect them, there is a chance to trigger the Wheel Bonus. Once active, the Wheel Bonus will display the following Jackpot Prizes:
- Mini: 5x your bet
- Maxi: 10x your bet
- Minor: 50x your bet
- Major: 200x your bet
- Mega: 1,250x your bet
Please note that the Wheel Bonus can only be triggered during the base game. In addition to this, special Wheel Boosters are introduced to gameplay when Lucky Level 2 is activated.
Wheel Boosters will randomly appear on top of paytable symbols throughout spins, except Scatter, Cash Prize, Multiplier, Balloon, and Trigger symbols. There are a total of 5 Wheel Boosters, each tied to the individual Jackpot Prizes:
- Mini Booster: Increases the current Jackpot Prize up to a maximum of 40x your bet.
- Maxi Booster: Increases the current Jackpot Prize up to a maximum of 80x your bet.
- Minor Booster: Increases the current Jackpot Prize up to a maximum of 200x your bet.
- Major Booster: Increases the current Jackpot Prize up to a maximum of 800x your bet.
- Mega Booster: Increases the current Jackpot Prize up to a maximum of 5,000x your bet.
After any of the upgraded Jackpot Prizes have been won, their current value will reset back to their original state.
Balloon Feature
Another symbol to be on the lookout for is the Balloon Icon on reel 5, which triggers the Balloon Feature. During this time, Balloon Icons will reveal random Bonus Prizes between 0.8x and 5,000x your bet, which are instantly awarded when they appear in view.
Bucket of Bass Free Spins
Landing 3 Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 in the base game triggers the Free Spins mode, awarding 10 Free Spins. Once active, the Free Spins Multiplier is awarded as part of the feature above reel 5.
Additionally, a special Multiplier Meter, above reel 1, is awarded as part of this feature if Lucky Level 3 was achieved within the base game. Each Multiplier available is applied to the Express Collect Feature during this mode.
The Multiplier above reel 1 is applied to the Trigger symbol and its collected Cash Prizes for that reel, and the Multiplier on reel 5 applies to Trigger symbols and their collected Cash Prizes, respectively.
Multiplier Booster & Minimum Win
Throughout base game spins, each Multiplier Booster will enhance the current Free Spins Multiplier by 0.5x your bet before the Free Spins mode is activated. Once the Free Spins Multiplier on reel 1 is unlocked, each Multiplier Booster will increment a single Multiplier on reels 1 & 5 by 0.5x, up to a maximum of 10x your bet.
At the end of a Free Spins session, the current Free Spins Multiplier(s) reset.
Lastly, a minimum Free Spins win is activated from Lucky Level 4. When any of the Free Spins Multipliers increase, so too does the Minimum Win outcome by 5x your bet. The minimum win will begin at 20x your bet and can increase to a maximum of 200x your bet.
If the total win at the end of a session is less than the guaranteed Minimum Win, your total win will be increased to match its value and awarded. After a Free Spins session, the Minimum Win will reset between 20x and 80x your bet.
Bonus Buy
Players may purchase the Free Spins mode using the Bonus Buy tab for an additional 150x their current bet. This option guarantees to award 3 Scatters in the next base game spin, triggering 10 Free Spins and Multipliers between 5x and 10x your bet on reels 1 & 5 (RTP 96.16%)
Our Honest Verdict
Bucket of Bass offers an extensive selection of features and mechanics, so there’s quite a lot to unpack here. Due to the Fishing theme, it’s easy to mistake Bucket of Bass as your standard Fishing slot. Granted, it does have certain similarities to the iconic Big Bass series, but as a whole, it’s entirely unique.
The first thing that lures us in is the stunning visuals and enjoyable sound effects, even if the Fisherman does talk a little too much for our liking. Although Fishing at sunrise is not completely unheard of, we much prefer the view here to an average daytime fishing session found in others.
The base game is packed full of indulgent features, including a generous Wheel Bonus, which guarantees 1 of 5 Jackpot Prizes as standard. Although the current Jackpot Prizes are nothing to scream home about, High Limit Studios grants players the opportunity to enhance them for maximum potential.
As previously mentioned, certain features are reminiscent of the Big Bass series, one of which is the Express Collect Feature. Fortunately, High Limit Studios has built upon its structure so that it’s more beneficial to players. What we mean by this is that Trigger symbols can appear in the base game, allowing Cash Prizes to be collected in addition to the Free Spins mode.
Failing to land a Trigger symbol, though, may result in the Wheel Bonus, so there’s no real loss or feeling of disappointment if you don’t cash in on the individual Cash Prizes. Our only dispute is that the Wheel Bonus is not purchasable through the Bonus Buy tab, nor is the Balloon Feature.
All in all, Bucket of Bass is the exception to all other Fishing slots on the market, offering a variety of unique and memorable features, with the opportunity to win 6,250x your bet.
*The images found in this slot review are currently from Demo Play. On average, our reviews are written prior to the initial release date and before real play is available.
