Have fresh batteries ready in your headlamps, because we’re going mining for some ore to gamble on, courtesy of Pragmatic Play’s gaming software. In case that introduction seemed a bit confusing, we’d like to introduce you to Drill That Gold, a game designed for aficionados of the slot machine genre who also happen to be interested in gold mining. There must be a sizable audience for mining-themed video games, as there is a constant stream of releases. It’s not a bad idea to dive into this pool of competition so long as the spot in question has something to set it apart from the rest. Is There Gold Down There?
Not immediately, as the vista shown to players is quite mundane. There’s a miner off to the right, some shiny rocks behind him, and a 5×3 game panel surrounded by wood. We shouldn’t be too quick to criticize, though, because there are more mechanically oriented items on display than normal, such as a fascinating apparatus on top of the reels. Let’s just say that Drill That Gold walks a fine line between fresh and stale for the time being.
In such situation, certain characteristics will be what makes a purchase final. But before we get to them, let’s talk briefly about the engine that drives the game. The default RTP for Drill That Gold is two levels, and the volatility is set rather high. The theoretical return to player (RTP) is 96.49% at stakes ranging from 20 pence to £/€125 per spin. The Ante Bet Option raises the stake by 25%, but reduces the RTP to 96.45%, thus this figure is really a bit higher.
Along with the drilling action, you’ll have access to ten different pay symbols and twenty different fixed paylines. Tiles with a card rank of 10 through Ace pay the least (0.8 to 2x the wager) for a line of 5, up to 3.2 times the wager for a full house of five. The set of ordinary icons is completed by a wild that appears across all reels and stands in for any other icon except the bonus.
Strike It Rich! Slot Machine Bonuses
Drills play a significant role in Drill That Gold’s supplementary features, which also include a Spin Modifier, Gold Spins, and an Ante Bet.
Function Drilling
A silver drilling icon appears when a stack of miners is struck. The drilling symbol then grows in size and goes wild, potentially revealing a payout of up to one hundred times the initial wager.
Modifiers of Spin
A modifier can change a losing spin into a victory worth at least 10 times the stake on any spin. It might also generate enough bonus symbols to launch the Gold Spins bonus game.
Golden Reel Option
Three, four, or five bonus symbols will activate this feature and offer 6, 8, or 10 free games, accordingly. A new golden drill might show up in free spins, joining the silver one already there. Similar to the silver drill, the golden variant grows in size, but its payout is fixed at 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, 500, or 1,000 times the initial wager. To be clear, this is not something that can be guaranteed by using a silver drill. Additionally, during free spins, the miner symbol will nudge up or down to show a full stack of miners, which will result in either a silver or gold drill. Finally, during the bonus round, 2, 3, 4, or 5 bonus symbols will provide an additional 4, 6, 8, or 10 free games, respectively.
Prior Bet
As was mentioned before, the drill symbol in the regular game will always be a golden one while the Ante Bet function is engaged.
The Slots Have Spoken: Drilling for Gold
The paydirt reached by Drill That Gold goes above the pyrite level. A lot of drilling is taking place, which is unusual for a slot machine. TNT Tumble by Relax Gaming is an alternative that might be considered, as it has more of a drilling emphasis and a subterranean mining feel. Although TNT Tumble is the more original title, we may reasonably anticipate more daring experimentation from Relax Gaming than from Pragmatic Play. While there is lots of drilling activity in Drill That Gold, the drills themselves are only a visual disguise for growing wilds (though any financial awards they may award are always welcome).
Drill That Gold is a fully functional mining slot, albeit it doesn’t do anything groundbreaking to the genre like Fire in the Hole xBomb. Visually, it’s on par with other Pragmatic Play slots, and its numbers are decent if you can get your hands on the version with the highest return to player percentage. Technically, the game is difficult to fault, and the overarching notion of digging and extending a natural environment makes perfect sense. Players seeking a slot machine with a mining theme won’t be let down with Drill That Gold. The potential isn’t awful, with 5,000 times your initial wager available at the correct rock. By the way, this number serves as a hard win cap, putting a halt to bonus rounds before they may spiral out of control.
Drill That Gold, despite its polished production, is not likely to leave a lasting impact. It accomplishes its goals in a professional manner and has some novel concepts, but it has more in common with tried-and-true design than with bold exploration of uncharted depths.