Old Fellow

Old Fellow Overview

Created by Stakelogic and cocreator Hurricane Games, Old Fellow is a mining themed slot with a regular set of reels and a few interesting features. The name is quite odd as it doesn't have much to do with mining or indeed any mainstream theme in the slots book.

The only connection we can find is that the main character looks like any older gentleman with a ginger beard. As with many of the popular mining themes available these days, players will be on the lookout for gems and multicoloured crystals rather than conventional elements such as silver or gold. Besides these elements, there isn't much in the way of innovation to be found in this game.

The features included in this game start with the free spin bonus. You need to land 2, 3, 4 or 5 scatter symbols somewhere in view on the playing board to trigger this feature. You will then be given an initial reward proportionate to the number of scatters you landed. This reward is followed by 12 free spins, in which wilds become sticky when they fall onto the reels. These wilds are also liable to fall with an attached multiplier to help boost your wins. The other features in this game include a gamble feature and, finally, a bonus buy feature that allows you to buy your way into the free spins game.

Theme and Symbols

You are taken to a mine in the epicentre of the California gold rush, where folks from all over the USA are congregating in a few locations on the west coast to find their fortune. We assume that this game is in the US because of the cowboy looking characters, the arid Californian landscape and the font used across the game, which connotes the old American west. There have been plenty of slots similar to this as this particular theme is well-loved by designers as it has all the elements of a good slot game wrapped up in it—these are elements of chance, great riches and a sense of adventure.

The background for this slot is an image of what we assume to be the Californian highlands in which the mine for this game is located. To the right of the reels is a steely looking iguana that is native to the Americas. However, they are more likely to be seen in Southern states.

Florida has a particular problem with them at the moment, in fact. However, there is no reason why a population would not be able to make it to the west coast. To the left of the reels is a mining cart fully loaded with gems of all different shapes, sizes and colours. The blue sky overhead and searing heat reinforce the idea of this spot being a desert.
The playing board is a wooden construction that looks like the gateway to an old western mining town, making exact sense for this game.

The symbols in Old Fellow are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols; the low-paying symbols are the 10, J, Q, K and A in playing card royals in different colours. The top payout for the Ace, King and Queen is 5x the stake. On the other hand, the more valuable symbols comprise the various gems that you will see on the reels. These start with the small blue one, then the turquoise, followed by yellow, purple and finally red. The red one is the most valuable, paying out at 37.5x the stake. The specials for this game are the racoon wild, and the golden mining cart scatter.

Game Play

Old Fellow is played on a 5-reel, 4-row machine with 20 fixed pay lines. To win combinations, players must land three or more matching symbols on pay lines moving from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel.
The betting range for Old Fellow is 20p to £20per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stake up and down using the tool located at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.

Further information, including a short tutorial and a display of the paytable, can be found via the menu button in the right-hand corner of the screen. The spin and auto spin buttons are located in the centre of the screen.
Volatility for this slot is rated in the high range. The return to player percentage for Old Fellow is 95.56%, which is below average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 50,000x your stake.

Features

The main feature in this game is the free spins bonus, triggered when players land 2, 3, 4 or 5 scatter symbols in view simultaneously. Landing the symbols will then result in an initial payout in proportion to the number of scatters landed to trigger the bonus. The more scatters, the larger the payout. The maximum players can achieve is 500x the stake. This pay out is then followed by 12 free spins. The bonus can be retriggered by landing additional sets of scatters from within the game.

In the free spins round, wilds are also sticky, remaining stuck to their position for the duration of the free spins. These wilds may also come with multiplier attachments which help to boost any wins that use the symbol in their makeup. The size of the multiplier is determined by the number of wilds that is present on the same reel. If a wild lands on every reel in the game, then an extra five spins are added to your tally. However, this specific dynamic can only occur once per game.

The other feature in this game is the gamble feature. After any win in the game, this allows players to gamble their winnings to see if they can improve upon them. This means the normal card game of 50/50 chance and a double or nothing offer. Win, and you'll double your winnings but lose, and everything for that win will be taken. Finally, a bonus buy feature lets players buy their way into the free spins bonus for 100x the stake.

Conclusion

Despite maybe being a little unoriginal, we really enjoyed this game. It has all the fun and excitement of a fast-paced digital slot game with a decent array of features and a fun theme. The big worry here is the very poor RTP which suggests payouts are infrequent at the best of times. Then again, the top prize is sizeable. This game could still offer some potential if you're after big bucks. Just don't be surprised if you have to persevere for some time.