Monopoly
- Monopoly Slot
- Overall Score: 4.5 /5
- Graphics:
- Sounds:
- Engagement:
- Overall rating:
Ah, “Monopoly”… While originally it was created as a parody of capitalism, over the years this famous board game has evolved into a pretty accurate representation of the very thing that it was trying to mock. And, just like real capitalism, it is incredibly frustrating if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing… But if everyone playing knows what they’re doing, the game can easily last for multiple hours. Rumour has it there’s a game of “Monopoly” somewhere that’s still going on to this very day! Solely responsible for ruining numerous friendships, “Monopoly” for some reason continues to be played around the globe on floors, tables, computers and mobile devices everywhere. There are Star Wars versions, Disney versions, Legend of Zelda versions, and I’m fairly certain that someone somewhere has probably made a Monopoly Serial Killer Edition or whatever. Whoops, you fell on Ted Bundy Boulevard – time to pay some money, unless you want to exchange it for Jack the Ripper Street! Anyway, my point is that with so many versions of Monopoly around, is it really a surprise that we also got a slot edition?
Basic Features
Keep in mind that until very recently there used to be tons of Monopoly slots on various platforms, at least 3-4. But then the angry licensing gods struck their hammer down, and, alas, we’re only left with the “Big Event” version, developed by WMS… Which, in all honesty, is fine by me, since it’s definitely the best one out of all I’ve played. It stays true to the spirit of the board game while providing us with a genuinely new and fresh slot experience, which is actually very commendable. It’s very obvious that a whole lot of effort and creativity went into the creation of this slot.
| Monopoly Slot | ||||||
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Software: | WMS | Double option: | No | ||
| RTP: | 96.00% | Mobile version: | Yes | |||
| Progressive: | No | Coin value: | £0.01-£25 | |||
| Autoplay: | Yes | Bet value: | £0.20 – £500 | |||
| Quick spin: | Yes | Max. bet: | £500.00 | |||
| Reels: | 5 | Free spins: | Yes | |||
| Paylines: | 20 | Bonus round: | Yes | |||
I do need to say that the graphics, while not particularly “good” in the traditional sense, stay very true to the core game and use many of the same images as the board version, including everyone’s favourite player piece – the dog. If anyone tells you that they don’t immediately go for the dog when playing Monopoly they’re dirty liars, but I digress. Stat-wise, Monopoly, while not out of the norm, is definitely very adequate. It’s got an RTP of 96%, which is really good, and the bets can go as low as 20p or as high as £500, which presents a really nice range to players.
Paytable
Admittedly, if Monopoly has one flaw (if you can even call it that), it’s that the wins tend to be on the lower side. This is obviously one of those slots which aim to provide a very fun experience for you and save the big rewards for the bonus games while compensating for it by making all regular earnings lower than average. That’s not to say that they’re insignificant since most of the time when you win you’re going to be making more than what you bet, but don’t quit your day job.
The largest win that you can score in the game is merely 2 000 times your wager, which isn’t really all that large – if you bet on all paylines you’re only going to be getting about 200 times your gamble, which is lower than other slots which offer between 5 000 and 10 000 times your bet as the highest reward possible. On the other hand, though, there’s only one win that’s below 20 times your bet, which means that even if you’re betting on all paylines it’ll be extremely hard to win and not get more than you invested. But thankfully, there’s a way to sweeten the deal even more…
Bonus Rounds/Free Spins
And that way is called “Big Bet”. Regardless of what the name says, the bet isn’t really that big, though of course that can be rather subjective. At any point in the game, if you so choose, you may bet either £20 or £30. £20 gives you a guaranteed 5 free spins, with a multiplier that goes up with each spin, and if I’m to be perfectly honest, I won more often than I lost, which makes this a pretty nice deal. On the other hand, £30 give you the chance to get either the 5 spins + multiplier that the £20 bet offers, or 5 “epic spins” which all have a x5 multiplier, or an increased rate of Wilds.
But the biggest bonus that Monopoly offers is the titular “Big Event”, which is really, really cool. If you manage to get three or more Scatter symbols (which contain the slot’s logo), you trigger the “Big Event” bonus which has two stages. In the first, you need to pick from two sets of cards, one of which contains bonuses (multipliers, free spins and guaranteed wins), while the other contains houses, hotels and dice. You draw one card from the bonuses deck, whichever one you choose, and the bonus on it is applied to your free spins. After that you draw a buildings card, and then another bonus. This goes on until you’ve drawn 3 buildings of the same type, which give you a particular bonus on top of everything (for example, locked Wilds or randomly appearing expanding Wilds). Thanks to the guaranteed wins, which spin on a separate reel and ALWAYS make you money no matter what, you’re guaranteed to get a nice sum at the end of the bonus round.
Experience of Playing the Slot and Other Recommended Games
Monopoly is a really, really great slot. Considering the fact that licensing issues are keeping it the only “Monopoly”-themed slot around, it would’ve been so easy for WMS to just make whatever they wanted without a care in the world. Even if it was the worst slot ever made, people would’ve still played it because, well, what other “Monopoly” slot is there? But it wasn’t, and WMS deserve nothing but praise for crafting one of the most fun, engaging slots I’ve ever played in my life. While the winnings aren’t super high, that’s hardly a reason not to check out a slot that does almost everything right, from the smooth animation through the incredibly fun bonus game to the innovative (and, quite frankly, unique) “big bet” system. Even if you’re not really a fan of “Monopoly” and think that the idea of adapting a board game into a slot machine is, frankly, ridiculous (for which I wouldn’t blame you), you should still give Monopoly a chance, as I’m confident that you’re going to love the hell out of it! It truly stands among the likes of South Park and Gonzo’s Quest as a pillar of greatness.