Quick Facts

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Supplier

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Reels

5
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Rows

4
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Paylines

12
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Released

2022
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RTP

96.21%
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Max Win

5,000x
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Volatility

High
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Theme

Fishing
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Multipliers

Yes
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Bonus Buy

No
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Progressive

No

Honest Boat Bonanza Pokie Review

Fishing comes in many shapes and sizes. The idea most people have involves hanging out on a small boat with friends and family. However, this pokie is based on big-game fishing, where people on motorboats compete to catch the most fish. This is reflected in the game’s visuals, with two boats moving around trying to outdo each other.

Higher-value symbols follow the theme, featuring fishing equipment or things you’d see out at sea, like buoys. However, the less valuable icons are plain playing card royals with no decorations. A fishing boat is the Scatter symbol, while various Catch Icons award cash prizes or add multipliers under the right circumstances.

Boat Bonanza Symbols & Graphics

Play’n GO’s slot takes clear inspiration from Bigger Bass Bonanza’s graphics, especially the backdrops. The developer does put its own spin on things, but it’s clear they’ve taken a few pages out of Pragmatic Play’s book.

In both titles, most of the backdrop is beneath the waves and doesn’t look all that spectacular. Meanwhile, the above-water sections show the skyline of a nearby city and its pristine coastline. Boat Bonanza opts for a bright and sunny day instead of the neon-lit Miami evening you get in the other pokie. It also has visual elements unique to its bonus features, such as the moving boats.

Every more valuable symbol in this game is somehow related to fishing. You’ll come across buoys, fishing reels, seagulls, and crab traps in the playing area, which are attractive and fit well with the theme.

If you’re willing to give both slots a fair go, you’ll find they’re not nearly as similar as they first seem. I can’t deny that Play’n GO borrowed a few elements. That said, the team went out of its way to provide Boat Bonanza with a distinct identity.

Boat Bonanza Gameplay

The game uses a 5×4 grid and 12 fixed paylines. It has a high variance, which is great news for experienced players and jackpot chasers.

The honour of being the most valuable icon belongs to the buoy, awarding up to 200x. Next up is the fishing reel, granting up to 100x. The seagull and crab trap icons share the same payout of 50x your stake.

You can bet between $0.20 and $50 per spin every round. It’s an acceptable betting range, though I wish the maximum bet was a little higher.

The pokie comes with an RTP of 96.21%, slightly better than average. The 5,000x jackpot is also decent but difficult to achieve, thanks to the steep volatility. During my test run, I was never able to break past the 50x barrier, so don’t expect big wins to just fall into your lap!

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Features in Boat Bonanza

Boat Bonanza wisely decided not to overcomplicate its bonus features. Thanks to that, the slot remains approachable without sacrificing the fun factor that’s essential to casino games.

Catch Symbols

Alongside regular icons, players will also see Catch symbols landing on the reels. These icons have visible rewards on their tile, but you do not get them automatically. Only Catch symbols that appear on the same reel as one of two fishing boats will have their rewards added to your balance. The two ships change position every spin to keep things fair and exciting.

I immensely enjoyed the addition of this bonus feature. It kept me on my toes, as each spin had a chance to provide thrilling rewards.

  • Catch Icons can land on any position
  • You only receive a prize if the Catch Symbol stops on a reel marked with a boat

Free Spins

When 3, 4, or 5 Scatters appear on the reels, 10, 15, or 20 free spins are activated. The two ships now have attached multipliers that boost prizes awarded by Catch icons. Each catch also grants a respin, during which only other Catch symbols can land on the reels.

Alongside existing Catch icons, Boat Bonanza introduces two new symbols, which add extra free spins or increase the boat multiplier. If any bonus feature will get you close to the promised 5,000x jackpot, this is it. However, I found the Free Spins feature a rare treat, only triggering every so often.

  • Activated when 3 or more Scatters appear
  • Boats with multipliers boost the payouts delivered by Catch icons

Mega Catch

The last bonus feature this pokie provides is Mega Catch. It occurs when two boats are active above the same reel and results in all Catch symbols getting caught. Boat multipliers are combined whenever the Mega Catch feature triggers. It’s not all that exciting, but the prizes you can win make it worthwhile.

  • Mega Catch unlocks when two boats stop on the same reel
  • All Catch icons on the screen award their payouts and special effects

Bottom Line: To Play or Not to Play Boat Bonanza

Kiwis hunting for the next big fishing slot should give Boat Bonanza a shot. While its visuals borrow plenty from Pragmatic Play’s competitor, the team did a great job in making the gameplay feel distinct.

The presence of Catch symbols outside of bonus features goes a long way in spicing up basic gameplay. I greatly enjoyed seeing my spins interrupted with a minor win from this bonus feature. Adding Mega Catch and Free Spins features on top of that kept me stuck to my seat for hours.

That said, there are some areas where this pokie could be better. Considering its high variance, I expected a higher jackpot. A 5,000x the stake is still very good, but not quite at the same level as payouts in the best slots.

Because of that, I’m giving Boat Bonanza a rating of 8.2 out of 10.

Pros

  • imgAttractive backdrop and symbols
  • imgRewarding bonus features
  • imgSolid payouts during base game
  • imgAbove-average RTP

Cons

  • imgTop prize could be better
  • imgBig wins are quite elusive

POKIE PROVIDED BY:

PLAY'N GO POKIE SITES
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8.2/10 EXCELLENT

Author

If you want to know the ins and outs of online casinos, then Filip is your guy. As our resident casino reviewer, he’s all about those pesky details that operators hope to sneak past players. His keen eye is what ensures our casino reviews are as in-depth and informative as they are.

Filip Hristov

That said, his contributions to the Pokie Machines project don’t stop there. He occasionally writes for the site blog, usually diving into game mechanics or highlighting which games will give you the best bang for your buck.

He’s also a massive fan of Pragmatic Play pokies, religiously trying each new slot to come out of the studio. His current favourite game is Star Bounty, though that’s subject to change on a monthly or even weekly basis! If a pokie has fun features and an above-average RTP, you can count on him to give it a whirl.

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