The Border Slot

The Border Slot Demo Gameplay

The Border Slot Review 2024

Nolimit City is the last provider to shy away from real-world issues, and their slots often go much deeper than the underlying humorous aspect that usually accompanies them.

The Border from Nolimit City is the latest to make its bold debut, and this time we’re exploring the stark reality of the border that separates the United States of America from Mexico.

The border between the United States and Mexico stretches for nearly 2000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, and along it is approximately 700 miles of barbed wire, as well as thousands of cameras, underground censors, aircraft, drones and boats. In 2021, the US.S Border Patrol reported 1.6 million encounters with migrants along the border, which is an alarming number of the shifting dynamics of the border based on previous years.

In the Border by Nolimit City, the provider establishes the mood with the line ‘Hope can only get you so far.’ A true statement for many, and a short yet effective statement on the struggles of many seeking illegal entry into the land of opportunity.

Nolimit City slots are unique in many ways. Their features are often unlike anything you could ever imagine yourself if you were to create a game in your head, and the tone and inspiration are really something that makes you think. Beneath the innovation, humour, potential and creativity is a game that makes you think, wonder and research issues and events.

Where Nolimit City dares to venture, controversy sometimes follows. Despite what you may think, you can’t deny that Nolimit City are doing what nobody else is, and they’re doing it in a way that few can begin to fathom.

Join us in this slot review as we explore a dark and desolate tale of cartel kingpins and border agents that are all too happy to pull the trigger.

The Border Slot – The Base Game and Features

The Border is a 6×6 slot with a cluster pays mechanic.

To form a win, you’ll need to connect at least 5 identical symbols vertically and/or horizontally. When a win is formed, the winning symbols disappear, which leaves room for new symbols to fill their place.

Cluster Pays fans will be happy to see something like this from Nolimit City. This is their first cluster pays slot to date, having eluded it for so long in favour of ‘ways to win’ and other pay line mechanics.

A new cluster pays slot isn’t all you’re getting with The Border. Once again, the famous ‘x features’ are back to show their stuff once more, and this time we’ve got a couple of new ones to look forward to.

xWays

Once again Nolimit City welcomes back their famous xWays mechanic.

xWays symbols will transform into a regular paying symbol of size 2 or 4, and if more than one xWays symbol lands on the reels, then all xWays symbols will reveal the same symbol.

The resulting symbols will be two full-size symbols or four half symbols, which is handy considering the cluster pays mechanic

xSplit

xSplit symbols may only land on reels 2-6.

The xSplit symbol splits all symbols to the left, doubling the symbol size in the process.

If multiple xSplit symbols are on the same row, the already split symbols will get an xX indicator ranging up to x64. The Multiplier value reflects the symbol count on that reel.

xNudge Cluster Wild

The xNudge Cluster Wild is a Wild symbol that can nudge both up and down, providing it forms a part of a winning cluster.

Depending on the winning symbol above or below, it will nudge in that direction and increment the multiplier by +1 for each symbol it nudges over. If the symbol happens to have an xMultiplier value, then it will increase the increments with that value instead.

The nudge will continue until no further consecutive symbols are part of a winning cluster.

The xSplit symbol may also affect the xNudge Cluster Wild too. If the nudge is split by an xSplit symbol, it will start by adding its own multiplier to the overall win multiplier.

xBomb Wild

xBomb symbols substitutes for any symbol except Scatter symbols.

The xBomb Wild removes adjacent symbols except for the Scatter and Wild symbols, increasing the win multiplier by one for the next collapse.

If the xBomb is split, it will increase the win multiplier for the next collapse with the amount it has been split into.

xCluster

The xCluster is completely brand-new, and it can only appear in the Bonus Mode.

2 or more unique symbol clusters in the same avalanche triggers the xCluster feature, increasing the win multiplier by +1 for each unique symbol cluster from the second cluster onwards.

the xCluster multiplier is instantly added and affects all current wins of that spin.

Boosted xRIP

The xRIP isn’t a feature we’ve seen since the immensely volatile Tombstone RIP.

Activating this will cost an extra 50% on top of the usual stake, but the players are guaranteed a Scatter symbol on reel 1.

The Border Slot – Free Spins

The Border has two different Free Spins modes – Mule Spins, and Coyote Spins.

It’s not unusual to see different game modes in a Nolimit City slot, and as usual, one is a super bonus.

First of all, let’s explore Mule Spins.

Mule Spins

6 Scatter Symbols will trigger 10 Mule Spins.

In this mode, when an xWays is part of a Cluster Win, Cluster Symbols on the same reel are infected before the xSplit and xNudge come into effect.

xWays revealing 2 or 4 symbols would infect them to split into 2 or 4 symbols respectively.

If you land an additional Scatter, the symbols will upgrade the bonus mode into the improved Coyote Spins, which awards 2 extra spins per Scatter.

Sound a little confusing? That’s not unusual for Nolimit City slots either. The confusing nature of their games is a testament to their genius, and worry not, because we’ll include a gameplay demo within the review.

Coyote Spins

7 or more Scatter Symbols trigger the Coyote Spins. 7 Scatter Symbols award 12 Spins and any additional Scatter Symbols will award +2 spins per symbol.

In this mode, xWays symbols will infect Cluster Symbols. The difference between this and Mule Spins is that all of the cluster symbols will get infected.

All xBombs will add their multiplier value to all symbols with an xX indicator that are not blown away by the bomb, and xBombs without a multiplier will add _1.

The Win Multiplier does not reset during Coyote Spins.

The Border Slot – Bonus Buy

Those outside of the UK may utilise a Bonus Buy Feature to jump straight into the action.

• 10 Mule Spins – 98x your bet
• 12-20 Coyote Spins – 914x your bet
• Lucky Draw – 506x your bet
  • 50% Chance of Mule Spins
  • 50% Chance of Coyote Spins

The Border Slot RTP

The RTP for The Border may vary, depending on which stage of the game you’re in and what features you activate.

• The Border Slot – 96.17%
• Boosted xRIP – 96.20%
• Mule Spins – 96.32%
• Coyote Spins – 96.03%
• Lucky Draw – 96.05%

The Border Slot Review – Our Verdict

The Border is exactly what we’d expect from a Nolimt City slot, while simultaneously being completely unexpected.

We knew that they’d come up with something completely bold, daring and somewhat controversial, yet nobody can predict exactly how Nolimit City will pull it off.

The Border is Nolimit City’s first foray into the world of cluster slots, yet they’ve managed to pull off something that blows every other cluster pays slot out of the water. We’re starting to suspect Nolimt City of being a team of creators that aren’t of this world. We’re finding it difficult to believe that such creations could come from the minds of mere mortals, and the mind boggles at exactly how they did it.

We’d love to be a fly on the wall during a Nolimt City meeting where they sit around and talk about their ideas for the next game. We imagine it’s akin to bearing witness to the first hearing of Canon by Pachelbel, or the unveiling of the Mona Lisa.

Maybe it’s not as dramatic as that, but it would certainly be an experience. That’s what The Border is, an experience. It’s a game that you can’t convey accurately in writing because you need to see it to truly understand it, and even then you might not.

One of the great things about Nolimit City’s slots is how it can go from a maelstrom of confusion to an explosion of greatness in a matter of seconds. The Border certainly feels like that, and it’s a nice return to business as usual after Road Rage, which wasn’t quite typical Nolimit City.

When we’re talking potential, The Border looks great once again. The maximum win here is 44,288x, which isn’t quite as high as previous games, but it’s much higher than many.

Overall, The Border is another fantastic offering from Nolimit City, and it’s truly innovative and exciting.