Volatile Slot is a brand new volcanic-themed game from Golden Rock Studios

Do you remember the TV show Catchphrase? It's first host was the Irish comedian Roy Walker who used the catchphrase "Say what you see" when encouraging contestants on the show to try and guess the catchphrase displayed on the screen. The aim being for contestants to perhaps stumble across the correct answer by describing the action on display.

Of course, it didn't always work and it did often result in some hilarious wrong answers, however it seems to have been the process by which Golden Rock Studios, in what is the first game in their new agreement with Microgaming, have followed when it comes to naming their new slot; Volatile Slot.

The name does work on two levels, first off, we have a volcano at the centre of things on screen and of course, it is rumbling and grumbling away ready to erupt, so it is clearly a volatile volcano, but the title also describes just how the slot plays as this is a game which is aimed firmly at the high volatility end of the scale, which means potentially big rewards (up to 25,600x your bet), but also means it can be tough to hit any profit on a slot when it plays tight.

So how does this new game and the first in what promises to be a lengthy partnership between Microgaming and Golden Rock Studios, stand up to examination? We decided to take a closer look to find out.

Overview

• Game: Volatile Slot
• Developer: Golden Rock Studios (for Microgaming)
• Reels: 5x3
• Pay Lines: 10 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.10
• Maximum Bet: 100.00
• Jackpot: 25,600x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes (multipliers)
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: High

Presentation

I've seen a couple of early reviews that have slated the Volatile Slot graphics for being a little basic and simplistic and there is no doubt that they are, but they are certainly no worse than what you would find on another slot. The cartoon style of the game I feel works well and the fact that the background of the slot sees a rumbling, angry volcano which can erupt at any given moment, certainly creates the right feeling for the game and links in well with the title.

The soundtrack is a jungle-sounding beat of drums and unusual bird calls and animal wails, it is a little unnerving initially but after a while I found it a rather suitable accompaniment to the game and it is not an intrusive soundtrack that will have you reaching for the mute button.

What is on the reels?

When it comes to what is on the reels in the Volatile Slot, the options are somewhat standard. The lower value symbols are the playing card low symbols which go from the 10 through to the Ace and these can offer wins from 0.4x your bet to 10x your total bet.

There are four higher value symbols on the reels too and these are the drum, the fire, the hut and lastly the native lady. These symbols offer wins from just two landing on the reels (though they start out small at 0.4x your bet) but they do offer wins of up to 40x your bet too if you can land five of the native lady symbol on the reels.

There is just one other symbol on the reels, the Wild, although this can take on two different forms as we will see below.

Wild features

There are two different types of Wilds on the reels and they can appear in both the base game and also during Free Spins. The first is the standard Volcanic Wild which appears on the middle three reels and this simply acts as a substitute for any of the standard symbols in the game. You can land this Wild frequently and in combination to improve your chances of at least a small win.

However, at times, these Volcanic Wilds can turn into Exploding Wilds when they become active. When these Volcano's explode, they will also award an additional multiplier to the standard win, which can be 2x, 3x or 4x the stated amount.

What is great and what really adds value to the size of the wins in the slot is that you can combine multipliers together when you land several Exploding Wilds together. Land three Exploding Wilds each with a 4x multiplier and you can win a massive multiplier of 64x the standard win.

Free Spins features

There is no specific Scatter symbol on the Volatile Slot game and instead, you activate the Free Spins bonus game by landing three of the Wild symbols on the middle three reels. When you manage to achieve this, you will receive 10 Free Spins.

When Free Spins loads up you will see a short animation of the Volcano erupting and a new set of reels will be displayed. These look the same as the base game but there are in fact more of the standard and Exploding Wilds on the reels, which should help you land a win in the base game.

You can also re-trigger 10 Free Spins in the Free Spins bonus round if you only win a very small amount on your initial 10 Free Spins, which is a nice touch but doesn't necessarily mean you are guaranteed a big win in the bonus as even with the additional 10 Free Spins, the game is still relatively volatile and you may only win a little more.

Best feature of the Volatile Slot slot

Although the Free Spins bonus round is the one that people will most want to hit, I think it is the Volcano Wilds and in particular, the Exploding Wilds that are the real stars of the show in this new slot. The fact that you can combine multipliers is always a great feature in a game and sadly, it is all to rarely used. Add that 64x multiplier to the fact you can win big on the Volatile Slot and it is easy to see why it is going to be popular with players that like these particular types of game.

Conclusion

With the Volatile Slot it is a case of it does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a volatile game and one that will appeal to players that prefer this form of gambling with fewer wins but potentially better value wins. Of course, that means it doesn't pay out that often and the pays can be very mixed, but the potential for that big win (a theoretical 2,560,000 if played at the maximum amount and landing the maximum possible win) is always going to appeal to fans of large jackpot slots.

You can play this Volatile Slot at any of the Mega Moolah casinos.