Stick ‘Em

Stick ‘Em is the first slot from Hacksaw Gaming who are best known as makers of scratch card and it would be fair to say that this is an excellent effort for their foray into the world of slots. Hacksaw Gaming have chosen to model the slot in my opinion on the classic cartoons that were all the rage in 1930s. As a company Hacksaw Gaming already have a following and reputation as a quirky game developer and are keen to put their own stamp on the slots they choose to offer.

Overview of Stick 'Em slot

Stick ‘Em has obvious drawn some of their techniques from other games such as the Cuphead video game, and they use the rubber hose style of animation which is in itself a nostalgic nod to the animation created in the good old days and as such will appeal to a huge variety of players. The music and sound effects used in this slot are completely infectious and you could find yourself still singing the tune hours after you have finished playing and the upbeat tune makes spinning these reels a real treat. Obviously, you are not going to part with your money on the strength of an infectious sound track, fortunately due to this slot being combined with the charming visuals the result is a fine slot indeed.

Stick'Em Symbols

When it comes to the symbols you can see the rubber hose inspiration in Canny who is the cheerful mascot of this slot. You can expect to come across symbols which have all been designed to match this type of stylisation. Starting with the lower valued symbols you can expect to come across a pair of dice, a star, some cards, a jug of moonshine, a thumbs up, and crossbones. The higher paying symbols are a diamond, stack of money, a swag bag, and some gold coins. The slot also has a free spin symbol which represents an explosion of pop-art and the bonus symbol that is depicted by a wheel. Although the symbols are simple, they help to create a united slot that brings everything together perfectly.

Game Play

This Stick ‘Em slot plays out over a 5x5 reel with a colossal 1,024 pay lines and if you are after a slot that will give you plenty of chances to land wins then this slot will certainly meet the criteria. Although you may not be overawed when you first load the slot you should take heed to the saying to not judge a book by the cover and just give the slot the chance to change your mind. To land wins all you need to do is land three of the same symbol anywhere on your reels working from left to right, and you are a winner! Yes, this set up is simple, but this is exactly what is needed for this slot which will provide you with some relaxed but fun and rewarding gaming.

Stick ‘Em Features

In keeping with the quirkiness of this slot there are various features that possess an original twist. The first is the thumbs up symbol (after all thumbs up is always a good thing) and if you land three of these symbols they will stick to your grid whilst the rest of your reel’s re-spin. This continues all the time you land at least one thumbs up on your re-spin. During this you can still land winning combinations which will get added to your running total. If you manage to fill all your reels with thumbs up symbols then you will win a substantial amount of 2,048x your total bet in this feature that is referred to as the Sticky Win Spin feature.

There is no doubt that the free spins feature sits at the top of every player’s list and the free spins symbols are what activates this bonus. Land two and you will be shown some spectacular animation on your 5th reel and this does really add some tension to the proceedings. You will be rewarded with the following:

• Landing 3 scatters will reward you with 5 free spins,
• 4 scatters have a reward of 10 free spins, 
• 5 scatter symbols provides 15 free spins.

The free spins are played out automatically and unfortunately there are no bonus game symbols that can show up during this part of the features.

Hacksaw Gaming has put one final feature in for players and this is the Bonus Game symbols. If you get lucky and land three of these very elusive symbols you will launch the bonus wheel where there are winnings of up to 1,000x your stake up for grabs. Therefore, although the individual winning symbol combinations may be a little on the low side there are some great extras that you can stand to win in the menu of features that this slot has to offer.

Conclusion

As first time slots go Stick ‘Em is an excellent debut from the developers at Hacksaw Gaming. The slot is clean, has good mechanics and provides all players with a good chance to land a win or two. The potential is certainly there for the developers to release a more ambitious slot in the future and I really hope that they do. However, if you are looking for a slot that is simple and fun then Stick’ Em should be at the top of your list.

Ok, so this may not be the flashiest slot that is available right now but you must not lose sight that this is the first ever slot from Hacksaw Gaming and if they can offer this it is definitely worth keeping you eye out for any of their future releases. Personally, I enjoyed this slot, it was relaxing and made me appreciate the simplicity that is often lost in the creation of some of the better-known slots from experienced developers. I would mark this as a solid 7/10 which is a high mark considering this is the first offering, I urge you to give this a spin or two and I think that you will not regret it.