Big Game Fishing: Slot Overview

Grab your rods, players—no, make that Big Game Fishing time, brought to you by Yggdrasil partner Reflex Gaming. For anyone curious, big game fishing (also called blue water fishing or offshore sport fishing) is usually done far out at sea, where anglers pursue trophy catches like marlin, tuna, or swordfish. That’s a different world from tossing a line off a jetty and hoping to snag anything at all—old boots included. Sticking to tradition, Big Game Fishing comes with a cash symbol collection mechanic, along with a few added touches such as a TopHit reel, symbol-to-wild conversions, multipliers, and free spins.

Even though big game fishing is typically an offshore affair, this slot doesn’t really feel like it’s set miles out at sea. It comes across more like a river or lake framed by tall pine trees. The broad sky and clear blue water do a decent job of pulling players out of everyday life and into a virtual outdoor scene where the goal is to hook Cash Fish symbols. Big Game Fishing isn’t the most striking or immersive nature-themed slot ever produced, but the visuals are serviceable and get the point across.

Using the on-screen coins button, players can set their stake from 20 c per spin up to a maximum of $/€100. That said, activating the Golden Bet makes the stake increases by 50%, and it also always nudges Fisherman and scatter symbols so they become fully stacked while it’s on. The theoretical RTP on offer—whether you play with Golden Bet, purchase free spins, or spin normally—is 94%, and the volatility is medium-high. Gameplay runs on a 5×3 matrix, with a 5-position TopHit row positioned above. Wins are assessed left to right across 20 paylines laid over the reels.

Land 5 matching 10 to A royals and the payout comes to 1 to 1.2 times the bet. Above those are Cash Fish symbols, floats, reels, tackle boxes, and boats, paying 1.6 to 5 times the bet. Wilds can show up on any reel to assist with forming combinations. They substitute for all standard paying symbols, and when wilds form their own wins, they pay the same as the boat symbol.

Big Game Fishing: Slot Features

Big Game Fishing packs in the TopHit, Cash Fish, a nudge feature, free spins, a free spins gamble, and a bonus buy.

TopHit

The TopHit reel is the extra row placed above the main reels. It can land blanks or symbols fully or partially in view. Whenever a high pay symbol lands fully visible on the TopHit reel, instances of it turn wild for that spin. If multiple copies of the same high pay symbol appear on the TopHit, the wilds they transform into get a multiplier. More matching symbols means a bigger multiplier, up to x5. If a win contains more than one multiplier, they multiply together.

Cash Fish

When Cash Fish symbols land, each one carries a cash value of 0.5x to 200x the bet. If a fully visible Fisherman lands on the TopHit reel (or gets nudged into place), all Cash Fish values currently in view are awarded.

Nudge Feature

A nudge symbol can appear on the far-right reel. When triggered, the nudge feature shifts all partially visible symbols on the special reels so they become fully visible.

Free Spins

Landing 3+ scatter symbols anywhere in the base game—including on the TopHit reel—awards 8+ free spins. During free spins, any features activated on the TopHit persist for the entire bonus. Each scatter that lands grants +1 free spin, and landing 6 or more of the same high-pay symbols on the TopHit reel also grants +1 free spin. If a Fisherman symbol lands during free spins, it catches any Cash Fish in view. Every time a Fisherman appears, a Cash Fish Multiplier increases by +1. Fish collected by Fisherman symbols have their values multiplied, after which the multiplier advances for the next spin. The largest multiplier Reflex Gaming has recorded is x22.

Free Spins Gamble

Before the free spins round starts, players can gamble for additional spins using a gamble wheel. If the needle lands in a green segment, you move on to the next level. If it lands in red, no free spins are awarded.

Bonus Buy

Paying 70 times the bet lets players purchase 8 or more (random) free spins.

Big Game Fishing: Slot Verdict

Players who can’t get enough angling-themed gameplay and want something beyond the Fishin’ Frenzies and Big Bass Bonanzas out there may feel like giving Big Game Fishing a look. Still, the market is absolutely packed with alternatives already—ranging from 4ThePlayer’s Fantastic Fish series to Big Time Gaming’s Golden Catch, plus a huge list of other sea-life-inspired titles featuring everything from crabs to lobsters. If it lives in the ocean, it often seems inevitable that a slot developer will eventually haul it onto the reels and attach cash values to it.

Reflex Gaming’s take on this well-worn slot style lands in a decent place. It includes Fisherman symbols that collect Cash Fish values, which is a core mechanic for this type of game. The higher-end cash values are respectable, and the symbol-to-wild conversions (with the possibility of multis) add extra weight to the action. The Fisherman can also build a multiplier in free spins, increasing each time a Fisherman lands, which helps keep tension high. In terms of raw stats, the max win of 5,000x the bet stacks up fairly well against parts of the competition, although the return to player figure isn’t exactly one of Big Game Fishing’s standout selling points.

Overall, Big Game Fishing ended up being fine. It’s not a must-play, but a handful of relatively distinctive additions give a slightly different twist to how these games typically play out. In the end, Big Game Fishing doesn’t quite do enough to rank among the top dogs of the genre, though dedicated fish-slot fans may still find it entertaining.