Bubblin’ Riches: Slot Overview
Sometimes you’re playing a slot and the feeling of having done this before, but can’t quite remember where, similar to those moments of waking up in the morning and forgetting the details of a particularly delightful yet fading dream. In the case of Play’n GO‘s fishy slot Bubblin’ Riches, it took a wee while to form mental links to the Egyptian-themed Tomb of Gold 2. Whilst the numbers and features are the same, polar opposite subject matter and presentation do their best to throw players off the scent. Where Tomb of Gold 2 was a moodily baroque Egyptian game, Bubblin’ Riches is a light, breezy sea slot, though that’s about it as far as differences go.
Like Yggdrasil Gaming‘s Golden Fish Tank slots, Bubblin’ Riches is a super cheerful-looking game, as if the makers of Finding Nemo decided to make an online slot. An eyeball-friendly blue colour predominates the screen, helping players pretend they are snorkelling around a Caribbean island (or another exotic warm sea destination of their choice) and are watching bubbles lazily drift towards the water surface after exhaling a lungful of air. Pleasant is the vibe, as if these cutesy wootsy critters of the sea would never dream of fleecing gamblers of their cash. Of course, not that anyone needs reminding, but Bubblin’ Riches is a slot, so it means business, no matter how charming its aquatic setting may be.
See-through, like a goldfish bowl sitting on the telly, is Bubblin’ Riches’ gaming area made up of 6 reels, 4 rows, and 4,096 ways to win. Math model volatility has been classed as high, and the maximum RTP is the Play’n GO-to figure of 96.2%, with four lower models also available. Stakes of 10c to $/€100 may be placed per base game round.
Nine pay symbols bubble their way through the game. They are 10-A card ranks, then blue, green, purple, and yellow fish. Royal wins, 6 OAK in size, are worth 1x to 1.4x the bet, while fish symbols pay 3x to 5x for 6 OAK. Wilds are present on each reel, substituting for any regular pay symbol, and awarding 6x for a winning combination made up of 6 wilds.
Bubblin’ Riches: Slot Features
Features are repeat viewing and include Coin symbol prizes, a Lock’n Gold round, and free spins with a rising multiplier.
Goldfish
If 5 or fewer Coin symbols land on the reels, they are collected by the Goldfish above the grid. When 1 or more Coins are collected, the Goldfish has a chance to trigger the Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand prize worth 20x, 50x, 100x, or 1,000x the bet, respectively. The size of the Goldfish is purely cosmetic and does not affect the likelihood of the feature triggering.
Lock’n Gold
If 4 or 5 Coins hit, the reels without Coins on them respin. Landing 6 Coins triggers the Lock’n Gold feature. where 3 respins are awarded and Coin symbols stick on each spin. Respins reset when at least 1 Coin lands. Getting a full screen of Coins awards a total of 500x regardless of the value of the Coins landed.
Reward Spins Bonus
Hitting 3 or more scatters triggers the Wheel Bonus. Depending on how many scatters trigger the feature, the wheel displays different segments of rewards. When triggered by 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters, players may win 10-30, 15-30, 20-30, or 25-30 free spins, respectively. A starting multiplier of x1 to x5 is also awarded. During free spins, x1, x2 and x3 wilds may land. When they do, they add +1, +2, or +3 to the multiplier counter, which affects all wins in Reward Spins. Each landed scatter grants +1 free spin, but Coins do not appear during the round.
Bubblin’ Riches: Slot Verdict
At the very least, Bubblin’ Riches is a fish slot that doesn’t copy the Big Basses and the Fishin’ Frenzies out there. It’s questionable whether this was one of Play’n GO’s priorities, though, since Bubblin’ Riches is a reskin of Tomb of Gold 2. The original wasn’t badly received; its handsome looks set an enticing Egyptian scene. Bubblin’ Riches’ atmosphere is much lighter (and a bit more generic) by comparison, and it belongs to the type of slots which depict the underwater realm as one big bubbly web of life. As if there are no predators down there, fish literally smile, and the world is actually carefree rather than ridden with stress, bills, and worries. In that sense, Bubblin’ Riches might make for a relaxing escape for the right player.
A lot of Bubblin’ Riches action, maybe activity is a better word, was collecting Coins to the crowned Goldfish above the reels, though the vast amount of time this didn’t cause anything to actually occur. Coins go up, coins trigger respins, they keep your eyes busy, even if they aren’t always doing anything to top up the balance. Occasionally, though, they might lead to something, and at the very best, this would be the Grand prize or filling the grid during the Lock’n Gold. The Grand prize is quite modest at 1,000x, but add an extra zero to that number and you’ve got Bubblin’ Riches’ 10,000x potential. Obviously, neither jackpot prizes nor hold ‘n’ win rounds are going to get the job completely done, which leaves free spins to step into the breach. Might happen, you never know, there is a rising multiplier on a 4,096 ways to win grid; stranger things have happened at sea, so they say.
By the end of the underwater adventure, Bubblin’ Riches was far less exciting than Tomb of Gold 2 on account of the less intensely gripping gaming environment, plus it is a reskin and all that. But, the laid back, carefree atmosphere might be just what some gamblers are looking for to take a break from it all, providing the gameplay suits.
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