Western Gold slot offers massive wins in the Scatter Pays bonus

It is fair to say that when I heard Just For The Win's latest release would be a western-themed slot, I wasn't overly excited to try it out. However, it goes to show how wrong you can be at times as the 5x4 reel, Western Gold slot offers fantastic high variance gaming and a couple of really enticing bonus features, not to mention a 10,000x jackpot prize to aim for.

Now that did get those in the saloon talking, so I strapped on my ten gallon hat, leapt onto the horse and set off into the sunset to see what this Western Gold slot was like, and here is what I found out.

Overview

• Game: Western Gold
• Developer: Just For The Win
• Reels: 5x4
• Pay Lines: 40 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.20
• Maximum Bet: 25.00
• Jackpot: 10,000x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: High

Presentation

The presentation of the Western Gold slot is very nicely done. For once, the reels are actually rather small and don't dominate the whole screen, so what you are given is a full appreciation of a real Midwest 'big sky' panorama, with soaring cliff faces on either side of a desert valley. Indeed, all we are missing is just a couple of cacti and the image would be complete.

The soundtrack is a typical mid-western soundtrack that is not altogether unpleasant on the ear and it is a tune that you will happily tap your foot along to while you play. The reels are located in the middle of the screen with the main controls to the right of them.

At the top of the reels is the Scatter Pays reel, which will move to the corresponding section once a win has been achieved. This is a nice looking slot that looks as good on mobile as it does on a desktop device or tablet.

What is on the reels?

I am really delighted to see that Just For The Win decided to get rid of the playing card lows for this slot and instead, for the lower value symbols we have a number of different cowboy themed accoutrements such as a bullwhip, a pair of riding boots with spurs, a ten gallon hat and a pair of pistols. These are the lower value symbols on the reels.

The mid value symbols are the three different Bar symbols, single, double and treble. You can win decent amounts landing the same of each type of bar across the reels, or you can put together different types of Bar symbols in a win that offers a smaller value payout.

At the top of the tree are the two higher value symbols both of which offer the same payout value, the first of these is the Wild symbol (which we will explore more about below) and the other is the Treble 7 symbol which offers wins ranging from 0.3x your bet up to 30x your bet.

Alongside the Wild there are two other symbols on the reels, the Free Spins trigger and the Scatter Symbol which we will also explore more about below.

Wild features

The W symbol is the in game Wild and this can appear in all positions across the reels. It serves as a substitute most often, helping you to land wins with other symbols, but if you can land three or more on a pay line from left to right then the Wild pays out at the same value as the highest value standard symbol (up to 30x your bet). The Wild can only substitute for the standard symbols, not the Scatter or Free Spins symbols.

Free Spins features

The Sheriff's Badge is the Free Spins bonus feature and this only appears on the middle three reels of the slot. When you can land all three of these symbols during the base game, then you will trigger the Free Spins bonus game.

Initially, you are only given three Free Spins of the wheels, which seems a little low, but each time you land a Horseshoe Scatter during Free Spins you can collect the Scatter and when you collect a Scatter, the number of Free Respins you have will reset back to three. You can collect up to 12 Scatters in this part of the game offering you the chance to claim a lot more Free Spins than the three you are initially awarded.

The other bonus to look out for in the Western Gold slot is the Scatter Pays bonus. Unlike other slots, the Scatter symbol, a horseshoe, only offers a payout through this bonus in Western Gold and does not play a part in Free Spins until you have already triggered the Free Spins bonus (as outlined above).

During the base game, when you land at least four Scatters, or more, during a spin, you will trigger a Scatter Pays bonus win. Scatter pays range from 1x your total bet for landing four Scatters up to the maximum prize of 10,000x your initial bet.

Best feature of the Western Gold slot

Just For The Win have tried hard with the Western Gold slot to offer players a higher variance game and they have done well to that end. This is a slot which doesn't tend to pay out too many wins, but the potential for a massive win is there with the Scatter Pays bonus. Free Spins offers the best route to a decent win and although it a decent bonus, I think the fact that the Scatter Pays bonus is available throughout the game, although it is utilised slightly differently in Free Spins, does make this the most exciting aspect of the slot.

Conclusion

Just For The Win had aimed to give players a higher variance game than most of their other releases and they have achieved that with Western Gold. Despite that, it is still a hugely playable slot that has some very enticing features and a decent sized jackpot to aim for too. It is a game that an easily eat into a bankroll if not given enough respect but with quality presentation and engaging game-play, it is also a game that I think many people will enjoy a great deal.