Hellcatraz is a hell of a name! Setting a game in prison is an interesting thing too (Abolish the prison industrial complex, obviously).
This is no real prison though, it’s an 8-bit retro game inspired by video games of our past.
The Hellcatraz slot game is a prison adventure, set on the island of Hellcatraz (a take on Alcatraz, the notorious prison in San Francisco Bay), and taking in themes of prison gangs, escapes, and sea peril.
There are lots of bonuses here: cascading wins, mode choice, feature buys, and free spins delivered via a symbol collection function.
The game plays with tumbling blocks rather than reels, and on a 6 by 6 grid, so there’s a lot of novelty here too. It’s a high volatility game with a big top prize.
The overall feel will be familiar to those of a certain age though, with pixel-heavy graphics (nicely done for the 21st century), and a noisy, bleepy soundtrack.
No-one wants to go to prison, but do you want to join this break-out?
Let’s have a look!
Play Hellcatraz Slot
Hellcatraz Slot Q&A
What slots provider is behind Hellcatraz slot?
This game is from Relax Gaming, who are just outside the top 50 providers in the UK. The company largely makes slots, with just a few casino games on their books too. They like games like this, with their other recent hit Marching Legions also having a retro video game feel. Relax were founded in 2010 and has bases in the Nordic countries. The company also makes casino platforms. Their games are widely available and easy to find.
When was Hellcatraz slot released?
This game was released on 5th May 2020, so it’s a very new game.
What is the Hellcatraz RTP?
The theoretical return to player is 96.46%. This is a good figure in the current market, equating to a house edge of 3.54%. RTP is a long-term measure that is created by spinning a machine a billion times in a simulation. However, it doesn’t mean your experience will follow this figure when you play the game.
How many reels and pay lines does Hellcatraz have?
This game is played out on a 6 by 6 grid, and there are 46,656 ways to win rather than standard pay lines.
What theme is used in Hellcatraz slot?
The game is themed on retro video games, 8-bit games, prisons, crime, and adventure.
Can I play Hellcatraz slot on mobile?
You can play this game on any device that supports JavaScript and HTML5.
What is the Hellcatraz slot variance?
The variance (or volatility) on this game is High. High variance games have a likelihood to pay bigger than average prizes, but to pay them out slightly less often. This is not a prediction either. The game has a hit rate of just under 20, which means that around 20% of spins should produce a winning combo – so 1 in 5.
What is the minimum bet and the maximum win in Hellcatraz slot?
The minimum stake is 0.2 coins (usually 20p in UK sites) and the top stake is £20. The top prizes are 51,840 coins, which is very generous.
Does Hellcatraz have free spins and bonus rounds?
Yes, there is a bonus round triggered with symbol collection. You can buy-in the feature. The free spins round has extra mystery symbols.
Is there anything else I should know about Hellcatraz slot?
You can choose between two modes of play at the start of the game, which set the volatility and gameplay of the subsequent game.
The Game
There’s a great, mobile-friendly set up to this game’s controls. To the right of the reels, a set of diagrammatic buttons reads from the top: turbo spin, bet controls, spin button, auto spin (with stops on max wins and max losses), and a menu button at the bottom.
The pay table starts with card symbols, paying up to 0.4-times stake for a set of six. Handcuffs pay 0.6-times for a full set. Guard’s badges pay 0.8-times for a full house. Sharks pay 1-times stake for six. The prisoner pays 1.2-times stake for a full set. The prison officer pays double stake for a set of six.
There’s a wild that subs in for everything. Cascading wins follow wins, stopping when the wins stop. There are mystery reveals in the base game: numbered symbols drop-in, and if you get the corresponding number of cascades on a win you unlock these as a matching new symbol to trigger new winning combos.
Free spins are triggered via a meter that collects golden keys that appear on the reels.
The mode choice is best explained by experiencing it, ideally in demo mode, but the choice alters the numbers of mystery symbols in the base game and the free spins round. Lockdown mode is more volatile.
You can buy the free spins game for 200-times stake.
The Verdict
This is an interesting and exciting game that has really brought something different to the UK slots market this summer.
You don’t need to love old video games to enjoy this title, which has deep playability and good value stats.
Relax Gaming haven’t put all their eggs in one basket here, coming up with a good theme and great graphics and leaving it there. No, they’ve really invested in their gameplay here and have a load of features for players.
Game modes offer two completely different gaming experience. The cascades are becoming standard issue in the industry now, but this is a nice feature and has a load of interest thanks to the mystery symbols. The buy feature option is something some players will like, particularly those with deep pockets, which are the likeliest players of high volatility games.
It may take a while to trigger the free spins round thanks to the Meter feature, but if you do it should pay dividends.
This game has quite a lot going on, and it’s one we would recommend you try on demo mode.