Fawkes Slot Review
Beneath the busy streets of London, the smell of treason fills the air. As smoke embers seep through the vaults of London, barrels of gunpowder are waiting to be ignited…and Fawkes is the one holding the match.
Prepare for explosive gameplay as Fawkes lights the fuse in this 6-reel, 4-row video slot, with up to 5,159,700 ways to win. Fawkes from Wicked Games burns with high volatility, triggering an inferno of Execution Modifiers, where one spark can blow it all sky-high, for a chance to win 20,000x your bet.
“Remember, Remember the Fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot. I see no reason why Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot”
On the 5th November 1605, Guy Fawkes planned to detonate 36 barrels of Gunpowder that were stored beneath the House of Lords, in an attempt to assassinate King James I and his government, hoping to ‘spark’ a Catholic uprising.
After an anonymous letter was received, warning members of Parliament to stay away, Guy Fawkes was discovered & arrested, ultimately leading to his death, where he was hanged, drawn, & quartered on the 31st January 1606.
In commemoration of his failings, every year, on 5th November, the public celebrates by lighting fireworks & setting bonfires, known to many as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night.
In light of this widely-celebrated event in England, Wicked Games has us playing the role of judge, jury, & executioner in their latest release, Fawkes. Landing Barrel symbols beneath the reels activates the Hanged, Drawn, or Quartered Execution Modifiers – each twisting Wild symbols into new shapes of destruction.
With a fixed RTP of 96.23% and a high volatility score, Fawkes can produce wins worth up to 20,000x your bet, but will gameplay go off with a bang? Let’s find out…
Base Game & Features
Fawkes is the latest release from Wicked Games, consisting of 6 reels, 4 rows, & up to 5,159,700 ways to win; however, each base game spin begins with 4096 ways as standard. Wins occur when 3-6 identical symbols land on adjacent reels, starting from reel 1.
The game reveals 10 high & low-paying symbols, representing Characters, Lanterns, Swords, Keys, and A, K, Q, J, & 10 card ranks. After each winning combination has been determined on the reels, a fixed payout between 0.05x and 2.5x your bet is awarded.
In addition, Wild symbols, of which there are multiple versions, appear on reels 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6, substituting for all symbols except Gunpowder Barrels. Lastly, below the main reel set is a separate row, specifically for Gunpowder Barrels.
Gunpowder Barrels
As the reels spin in the base game & Free Spins mode, the additional row below the main reel set will spin in a series of Gunpowder Barrels or Blanks.
In the base game, Gunpowder Barrels may award Execution Modifiers or Free Spins at random. Alternatively, in Free Spins, Gunpowder Barrels reveal Wild symbols or additional Free Spins.
Execution Modifiers
As mentioned above, Execution Modifiers are awarded when 1 or more Gunpowder Barrels appear on the additional row, along with a Wild symbol on the main reel set. The awarded Execution Modifier depends on how many Gunpowder Barrels are active on the additional row:
- 1-4 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards the Hanged Modifier, where any partial Wild symbol moves up or down until it fully covers its respective reel.
- 2-4 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards the Drawn Modifier, where any position covered with a Wild symbol is split into 2 instances, thus increasing the number of ways to win.
- 3-6 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards the Quartered Modifier, where any position covered by a Wild symbol is randomly replicated onto an adjacent reel. Each overlapping Wild symbol is awarded a Multiplier, up to a maximum of x3.
The current Multiplier during the Quartered Modifier is equal to the number of symbols, increasing the possible ‘ways to win’ combinations. Please note that Execution Modifiers are only applied to the main reel set.
Fawkes: Free Spins
When 4, 5, or 6 Gunpowder Barrels land within the additional row, beneath the main reel set, 1 of 3 Free Spins modes is triggered:
- 4 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards 11 Free Spins and a choice between Hanged or Drawn Free Spins modes. Both the Hanged & Drawn Free Spins modes are played with their respective Modifiers active for the entire feature.
- 5 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards 8 Free Spins and the Quartered Free Spins mode. During this feature, the Quartered Modifier is applied to any spin with a Wild symbol present on the main reel set.
- 6 Gunpowder Barrels: Awards 5 Free Spins and the High Treason Free Spins mode.
High Treason Free Spins
During this mode, the Hanged, Drawn, & Quartered Modifiers are applied simultaneously to each spin with a Wild symbol present on the main reel set. Additionally, Gunpowder Barrels that appear on reel 1 of the additional row award an extra 1-5 Free Spins.
Gunpowder Barrels that appear below reels 2-6 on the additional row will reveal Wild symbols. These Wilds are considered an extra symbol on the reel directly above it, on the main reel set, thus increasing the number of ways to win.
Ante Bet & Bonus Buy
Players may purchase any of the following Ante Bet & Bonus Buy options:
- Ante Bet: Triples the chance of triggering a Free Spins mode for 2x your bet per spin (96.27%)
- Execution Bet: Each spin guarantees a random Execution Modifier, with more than triple your chance of triggering a Free Spins mode for 10x your bet per spin (96.33%)
- Hanged/Drawn Free Spins: Direct entry into the Free Spins mode, where players can choose between Hanged or Drawn Free Spins for 75x their bet (96.33%)
- Quartered Free Spins: Triggers with 5 Gunpowder Barrels, awarding 8 Free Spins & the Quartered Modifier for 150x your bet (96.33%)
- High Treason Free Spins: Triggers with 6 Gunpowder Barrels, awarding 5 Free Spins & Hanged, Drawn, & Quartered Modifiers for 600x your bet (96.33%)
- Mystery Chance: 40% (4 Gunpowder Barrels), 50% (5 Gunpowder Barrels), 10% (6 Gunpowder Barrels) for 165x your bet (96.33%)
- Mystery Chance (Big Boom): 30% (4 Gunpowder Barrels), 45% (5 Gunpowder Barrels), 25% (6 Gunpowder Barrels) for 240x your bet (96.33%)
The maximum win potential of Fawkes is 20,000x your bet. If a single session exceeds this, the current mode stops, and the player instantly receives the qualifying amount.
Our Honest Verdict
To mark the start of their iGaming journey, Wicked Games came on ‘strong’ with Transformers – a game that stands out for its daring theme, identified as bold & controversial, as part of Wicked Games’ plan to engage players with a sharp eye for design and an even darker sense of humour.
Keeping that same momentum going, Wicked Games explores an important event in history from 1605, involving the attempted assassination of King James I. The story of Guy Fawkes is an interesting one and has been marked for celebration every year, and given the title of ‘Bonfire Night’.
Fawkes offers a quick recap of the historical night in question, followed by a popular poetry quote that is still being taught to children today, before the main event begins. The climactic soundtrack sets the scene, as do the wooden aesthetics & high-quality animations, which tie into the stage/show presentation.
The aesthetics are not quite Wicked Games’ usual forte, but its style is not unknown to us. Peter & Sons is another well-renowned studio we have observed such artwork, through games like Ghost Father, Boom Farm, & Greedy Alice, to name a few.
This game is only one in a handful of slots that cover the Guy Fawkes/Fireworks theme. Firewins Factory and Fireworks Megaways are two standout titles that utilise this particular theme, so there’s definitely a place for Fawkes on the iGaming market.
Fans of Wicked Games’ short journey, thus far, will be pleased with Fawkes. It still feels like they’re working out the kinks, especially when it’s so different from Transformers and others in their portfolio, but we’re enjoying the mash-up between themes, humour, features, etc.
Gunpowder Barrels, Execution Modifiers, and multiple Free Spins modes make it a game with plenty of opportunities to grasp the 20,000x max win potential. It’s versatile, capable, and more importantly, exciting. Fawkes doesn’t blend into the usual, generic categories, nor does the artwork, and we admire the history refresher lesson, too.
Guy Fawkes and his 36 barrels of Gunpowder may have failed spectacularly in 1605, but it sparked centuries of tradition, storytelling, & worldwide fascination. Now, over 400 years later, that one moment has become an important part of British history, giving developers like Wicked Games the ammunition to create the next best video slot release.
*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.
