Here’s how to play the Wild Bounty Showdown slot game
Wild Bounty Showdown debuted in 2022 and heralded the return of the Western-themed slots we’ve been missing.
The slot takes the traditional Wild West theme that so many slot providers have tried their hand at and takes it to the next level. It’s now considered PG Soft’s classic, and it makes sense why. With high volatility and simple but memorable animations, symbols, and visuals, the slot has stood the test of time.
Multiple notable slots followed suit, from Dead or Alive to Duel at Dawn, and more recently True Grit Redemption 2. Much like a Western movie or video game, each brings its own take on the genre but PG Soft’s classic has set the standard.
If you are looking for how to play Wild Bounty, then this review of the game is the ideal way to get to grips with all the features — and we have even included a free play demo below.
How to play Wild Bounty Showdown
The Wild Bounty Showdown slot has some real depth to it, but it’s still easy enough to play once players get the hang of it.
Made by PG Soft, the same developer as Symbols of Egypt and Fortune Rabbit, Wild Bounty Showdown borrows a lot from typical Wild West slots and their established themes. Whether it’s taking place in a lawless town filled with outlaws or showcasing high-stakes duels, this slot game has much of what players might expect. We love the distinctive six-reel 3-4-5-5-4-3 layout, while the game may initially look confusing and frankly overwhelming at first, but learning its fundamentals can help clear things up.
Playing the Wild Bounty Showdown slot – Image source: PG Soft
Wild Bounty Showdown has an RTP of 96.75% and is highly volatile, which means that players should expect big swings and potentially big wins if their luck strikes true. The maximum win is set at 5,000 times the base bet amount, with a bet range that goes from a minimum of $0.20 to a maximum of $100. The game’s symbols are understandably based on identifiable Western features, including bandits, cowboy hats, and whiskey bottles.
This game stands out for its flexibility – there are 3600 ways to win on this slot. While some symbols can help players quickly rack up their returns, Wild Bounty Showdown also has some comparatively low-paying symbols that are easier to discover. This contrast helps ensure that every spin has a chance of giving a return, even if it’s not always the biggest total that pays out.
Wild Bounty Showdown free play
Below is a full version of the Wild Bounty Showdown demo that you can experience for yourself. It is free and allows you to get to grips with the plentiful features using virtual funds.
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BOO
3
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merciCat
6
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CaptFail
1
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kkHuh
6
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KEKLEO
25
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EZ
12
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WeSmart
6
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KEKW
30
How does Wild Bounty Showdown have 3,600 ways to win?
Learning that a slot has as many as 3,600 ways to win may sound good, but that doesn’t matter if you don’t understand ways-to-win slots. These ways come from the unusual reel arrangement. The six reels expand toward the middle and then contract again, which essentially creates a diamond-like pattern. This gives symbols more room to find winning combinations when luck is on the player’s side.
Matching symbols need to appear on consecutive reels from left to right, starting from the first reel; the number of matching symbols on each reel is then multiplied together. This is how the number of ways involved in the wins is determined. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that a single player can find 3,600 winning combinations in a single spin.
Wild Bounty Showdown bonus features
Wild Bounty Showdown features see it heavily rely on cascading reels, where winning symbols fall off and are replaced by new ones to increase winning chances.
Gold symbols turn into wilds when they’re included in a win on the third and fourth reels, further increasing winning chances. Wild Bounty Showdown also features a progressive multiplier, through which the initial 1x multiplier continues to double with each cascade. As long as the minimum number of matching symbols is achieved on the reels for winning combinations, players could theoretically hit the max slot multiplier of 1,024x.
Getting free spins in Wild Bounty Showdown – Image Source: PG Soft
Those chasing the max slot multiplier have their work cut out for them. The first win will be multiplied by 1x, while the second cascade will be multiplied by 2x. This number will continue to multiply until the multiplier finally caps at 1,024x on the eleventh cascade.
Landing a minimum of three gold symbols anywhere triggers the free spins feature, giving players 10 free spins to work with straight away. During this bonus opportunity, the multiplier starts at 8x. It continues to double with each and every cascading win, making it more than possible to comfortably hit the multiplier cap as long as you continue to find more winning symbols.
Pair this with the fact that any extra scatter symbol rolled during this free spin event gives two further free spins, and there’s potential for some insane winnings.
Finally, there’s the feature buy option in the Wild Bounty Showdown slot, which lets players purchase a ticket to the bonus round. The cost for this is 75 times the amount of the player’s base bet, and the final payout still utilizes the base bet when calculating the max win potential. It’s a nice option for those who don’t want to leave getting the free spins to chance, but Wild Bounty Showdown already gives players plenty of chances to roll big even without the more expensive buy option.
Is the Wild Bounty Showdown bonus buy worth it?
As mentioned before, the bonus buy on the Wild Bounty Showdown slot requires players to pay 75x the current bet. The upside is that it gives instant access to the free spins feature without having to get lucky by rolling scatter symbols.
There are a bunch of advantages here. In addition to the time players save and the money that could have been spent chasing bonus game requirements, players enter the free spins with an 8x starting multiplier. This already increases the chances of players walking away with a decent win, especially if their luck lets them benefit from the cascading symbols feature.
Those who are chasing big wins, or even the max win, will likely find the bonus buy appealing, and this is usually the route that top casino streamers go down. Despite the added cost, it lets players filter through many of the uneventful spins that would have occurred when chasing three scatter symbols. However, there’s never a guarantee that the player will walk away with a win, which is why playing the demo first is always advisable.
Wild Bounty Showdown is fairly volatile, so even an expensive bonus buy could result in a small payout. The 75x payout could very well go to waste if the RNG is against you, so being able to buy the bonus buy more than once is the safest way to go. This is also the trick that most casino streamers use, since one failed bonus buy doesn’t stop them from just paying the additional cost again.
The future of the franchise and Wild Bounty Showdown casinos
Wild Bounty Showdown in the Stake lobby. Image credit: Stake
Wild Bounty Showdown is undoubtedly the crown jewel in the PG Soft games portfolio and it has had remarkable success and longevity since its 2022 release. It is still enjoyed by players on a daily basis and has also rewarded streamers with major wins over the years.
That is why we wouldn’t be surprised to see a sequel released at some point, with some fans requesting a Wild Bounty Showdown Megaways edition. While nothing has been confirmed yet, we will keep our ears to the ground and report any movement in this area.
In the meantime, plenty of crypto casinos offer the original in all its glory, with Stake just one recommended site.
FAQs
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Feature image source: PG Soft
Hannan Mundia is a lifelong gamer. Don’t believe us? Just ask him. But don’t ask how many hours he’s spent playing. He’s been gaming since the age of three, and much of his life revolves around video games and the streaming industry. Whether it’s a classic Legend of Zelda game from Nintendo, the newest Bethesda RPG, or something else entirely, you can bet that Hannan is ready and willing to play it.
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