Slot Stacked — Game Review
Stack ‘Em
Hacksaw Gaming have established their approach towards slots in a clear and direct way from the start, offering high volatility, with high reward. By their own admission, they offer “disruptive gaming”, with “mobile friendly, innovative concepts and strong themes.” Beginning with Scratch Cards, Hacksaw made their move into online slots with the release of Stick ‘Em in 2019, the prequel to this month’s release, Stack ‘Em. Considering both slots side by side, it’s clear to see the leap Hacksaw Gaming have made both in design and execution. Stack ‘Em brings players an immaculately designed user experience, packing a huge punch with potential, and turning those volatility levels up even higher that we have come to expect.
Canny the Can makes his comeback for Stack ‘Em, sitting alongside the grid, but this time bringing his friend Mona the Mouse along for the ride. Visually, this new release can best be described as an antique, yet unique, early 1900s Disney-esque feel. RTP is a fair 96.20%, and the maximum win sits at a generous 10,000x, similar to other popular Hacksaw editions like Chaos Crew, and the more recently released Frutz.
Stack ‘Em takes place on a 5×6 grid, waving goodbye to the simplistic design of Stick ‘Em, instead treating players to a host of unexpected, yet brilliantly eccentric symbols. Adopting the cluster pays mechanic, wins are formed by connecting 5 or more adjacent symbols horizontally or vertically. At the lower end of the pay table, A, G, E, R and T symbols pay out between 0.1x for clusters of 5 or 6, up to 25x for 25+. Clusters of leaves, birds, skulls or snakes trigger wins between 0.25x and 100x bet, and thumbs up symbols rewards players up to 200x bet for clusters of 25 or more. Finally, a W wild symbol is in play to help facilitate wins, substituting for all symbols except the Free Spins symbol.
Stack ‘Em Base Features
High volatility takes on a whole new meaning within Stack ‘Em, and players should be prepared for extended periods of play with not only no big wins, but potentially no wins at all. That said, when clusters are formed to make a win within the base game, there’s a chance to form some pretty huge wins with the cascade style mechanic in play, offering players the chance to Stack Your Wins! When a cluster win is formed, all non-winning symbols are removed from the board, winning symbols drop to the bottom, and new symbols fall in place from the top, thus giving a chance for the cluster win to become bigger.
During this process, multipliers will show underneath the reels containing winning symbols. The multiplier correlates to the amount of winning symbols on the column above, meaning if 3 winning symbols are in view on reel 4, the multiplier below reel 4 will be x3. After the cascade in which no more winning symbols fall into place, the multipliers underneath the respective reels will be added together, and the cluster win will be multiplied by this amount. With a 5×6 grid, multipliers of up to x6 are available under each reel, giving the potential for a total multiplier of up to x30.
Stack ‘Em Bonus
3 FS Free Spins symbols triggers free spins, where players begin with 5 hearts above the grid, indicating 5 lives, and a x1 multiplier. Operating much the same way as the base game, clusters of 5 or more symbols are required to form wins during the free spins feature. When winning clusters are formed, the multiplier at the top of the grid is increased by the same number as the number of symbols involved in winning combinations on the reels. This means one cluster win of 5 symbols will increase the win multiplier by 5. During free spins, the “stack your wins” feature is not in play, and non-winning symbols will not be removed from the grid to allow for more wins.
Two new symbols are in play during free spins, which helps us to understand the multiplier available:
- ? Symbol: A “mystery” symbol, offering extra free spins, or an increase to the multiplier. The following outcomes are possible:
- 2-5 additional lives (spins)
- Adds 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 or 50 to the total multiplier
- Multiplies the total multiplier by 2, 3, 4 or 5.
Free spins continue until no more hearts remain, and regardless of how many hearts you can have boosted, you can never have more than 5 spins at any one time. This, naturally, can be frustrating if you have 4 hearts and are given 5 extra from the ? symbol, as you will only make use of one of them.
For players in jurisdictions which allow feature buys, Stack ‘Em offers a feature buy at a cost of 129x, the same price as we have witnessed before in Chaos Crew, another popular Hacksaw Gaming release. RTP remains 96.20% during the feature buy, where players can continue to try their luck for wins of up to 10,000x.
First Impression
Hacksaw Gaming are becoming pros at releasing original games, not like anything we’ve seen before, and Stack ‘Em is no different. Of course, it is the natural follow-on from Stick ‘Em, but remains unlike anything we’ve seen on offer from any other provider, whilst offering wins nearly 5 times as lucrative as it’s predecessor – a clear insight into how this provider continues to grow and transform. The addition of the total multiplier in Free Spins being activated by the X symbol is reminiscent of the multiplier symbol available in Chaos Crew, and players will know all too well that landing just one symbol can take the bonus from a measly 40-50x to a whopping hit, far beyond anything expected.
It is always a mark of bravery to continue to produce unique games, especially with such interesting styling, in particular when you don’t have too large a catalogue of games under your belt. Hacksaw Gaming seem to be setting themselves apart as a provider with little to no interest in continuing to produce the same “quick” games available elsewhere, and that in itself gets a huge tick from us. With an RTP of 96.20%, and a maximum win of 10,000x, Stack ‘Em will inevitably produce impressive wins for players of all stakes, even though it may take a few spins to fully understand.
*The screenshots taken of games reviewed on this site are taken from Demo Play, as reviews are often written before games are released for real play.
Stacks of Riches Slot Review
Stacks of Riches is a video slot, which uses 5 reels, 3 rows, and boasts 10 paylines. Although this is one of STHLMGAMING’s very first offerings, the gaming studio has undoubtedly boiled the ocean to present slot mavens with a novel rendition of the classic one-armed bandits they are more than conversant with.
Although Stacks of Riches is reminiscent of the classic fruit machines to the bone, its look is certainly brought up to date, thus making the game even more easy on the eye. It impresses with its fresh feel and look, because of the nice fusion of colors. Stacks of Riches provides slot lovers with a simple, yet fast-paced gameplay, no matter whether they are playing through a desktop or handheld device.
Stacks of Riches Slot Summary Provider STHLMGAMING Paylines 10 fixed paylines RTP 95.91% Minimum Bet $0,10 Maximum Bet $100 Wild Symbol Symbol Labeled Wild Scatter Symbol N/A Bonus Features Stack Duplication Bonus Feature Jackpot N/A Symbols and Winning Combinations of Stacks of Riches Slot
Stacks of Riches is certainly much more than a classic slot as it impresses with its eye-pleasing color scheme. The grid of reels is set against a backdrop, which blends purple and blue. The reels themselves are boxed off using several slightly blurred beams. The animations are styled with great dexterity as players will immediately notice the bling, which is added to the standard symbols.
In fact, each of the symbols you will come across when you set the reels in motion comes with an opulent golden edging and looks like it has just been burnished. The game also stands out with a nice soundtrack, which will make you plunge into the gameplay straight off.
While reveling in Stacks of Riches, the lowest awards are given when you see any of the fruit icons. The plums and the grapes award 25 coins for five of a kind, while the lemons and watermelons will bring you 40 coins for five of a kind. The expensive-looking cherries are a bit more rewarding as slot lovers will snatch 50 coins when five such symbols appear at the same time.
More lavish rewards are given as soon as you see a bell as getting five such symbols at once will bring you 60 coins. The costly-looking red 7 also promises to boost your bankroll as it can bring you up to 125 coins. The diamond is the most precious of the three high-paying symbols in the game as it promises to bring your stake back 300x.
The only special symbol you can benefit from while availing yourself in Stacks of Riches is the wild one. It has the faculty to supersede all symbols we already mentioned.
Bonus Features of Stacks of Riches Slot
Stacks of Riches is extremely fun to play also because of the special features, which are attached to it. As mentioned above, the wild symbol will allow you to form winning combinations without an effort as it can replace all other symbols.
Still, the lodestone of the game remains the Stack Duplication Feature. This special feature is activated as soon as the same stack symbols appear on reels 1 and 3 or reels 3 and 5. When this comes about, the reel between these two reels will be duplicated, thus bringing about even more bountiful prizes.
Slot mavens should be aware that while playing Stacks or Riches, they will receive payouts from the leftmost to the rightmost reel and vice versa, which means that their chances to scoop better rewards will be further enhanced.
Verdict
Stacks of Riches is a diverting video slot, which is by courtesy of STHLMGAMING. The game is likely to fit perfectly in the preferences of players who have a liking for classic-themed slots. Each time you set the reels in motion, you will have the chance to activate the Stack Duplication Feature, thanks to which you can pocket some really nice rewards.
Quick Links
- Symbols and Combinations
- Bonus Features
- Verdict
Stack ‘Em
If you’re looking for a simple yet exhilarating game, Stack ‘Em by Hacksaw Gaming has all the most important traits of a modern slot that will keep you glued to the screen. Canny The Can and Mona The Mouse are back for another exciting adventure on the high-powered reels. Those who join them can expect fun gameplay with rewarding hitting as much as 10,000x the bet.
Betting Options & Winning Potential
Hacksaw Gaming is behind some of the trendiest video slots on the iGaming market thanks to its ingenious streak. However, although their products have been modernized, the studio has managed to keep gameplays immersive and highly entertaining but not overwhelming. The success of its Pocketz series is the true testament to that motto!
Stack ‘Em slot follows this formula with its colorful and sharp design and dynamic playing sessions. One might say it features a classic Hacksaw look — simple yet unique and satisfying. Rated as highly volatile, spinning these reels is a true rollercoaster of an experience where you can reach amazing highs but also touch some really bad lows. But that’s the beauty of playing games that pack highly volatile reels, isn’t it?!
In terms of betting options, players have at their disposal a pretty big betting range that starts at £/€ 0.20 and ends at £/€100 per spin. The RTP is set at 96.2% which is within what is thought of as an industry standard.
Instead of paylinees, the slot incorporates the cluster pay mechanics and cascading feature. The highest prizes come by creating a cluster of 25+ matching symbols. Depending on the symbols forming a cluster, a player can win up to 200x the stake. To help players in building these winning combos, there is a Wild that substitutes for all regular symbols.
Once you connect at least 5 matching symbols, they are locked to the reels while the non-winning symbols disappear to be replaced by the new ones. This will repeat for as long as new symbols are being added to the winning cluster. Also, there is a multiplier assigned to each reel that correlates with the number of winning symbols. This multiplier can reach 6x per reel and significantly boost the player’s balance.
Aside from all these perks in the base game, there is a thrilling bonus round that’s triggered by landing at least 3 Free Spins symbols. Five spins are awarded and there is a win multiplier above the grid that’s being increased with every new winning symbol. The bonus game also has an X and ? symbols that can add up to 5 lives, increase win multiplier by 50 or multiply the current multiplier value by 2, 3, 4, or 5.
Roshtein’s Take
Well, this one definitely deserves 5 stars! Given the superb game design, entertainment level and the uniqueness of the gameplay as well as the winning potential of 10,000x, Stack ‘Em is the shining example of how to satisfy the needs of the modern slot player. The bonus round is a special treat as it can go on indefinitely, allowing you to build that potential and land a massive hit!
