Cash Noire: Overview

Say the word Noire and it’s almost impossible not to picture crime, shady streets, and dames—an atmosphere where nothing is quite as it appears. At the center is the world-weary, cynical detective who inevitably gets a slap from the dame, just before she ends up falling for him. That’s the backdrop for Cash Noire, the crime-soaked slot from Swedish developer NetEnt, where players get the chance to unravel a sinister mystery.

Potentially taking cues from the 2011 video game L.A. Noire by Rockstar Games, Cash Noire has players assisting Detective Tom Flint in solving the Green Ace murders. No need to research it—this case is entirely made up. Progress comes from collecting the correct evidence in the Crime Zone (a feature explained below). That, in turn, triggers a clue list that exposes the killer and awards a prize for doing so. Like any decent detective tale, we’ll keep the suspense going a little longer before revealing what that prize actually is.

It’s hard to deny NetEnt got the aesthetic right, placing the 5-reel, 1,024 payline play area in a shadowy room, cut through with a splash of neon. The visuals are appealing, but whether players will want to stay in this world comes down mainly to the numbers Cash Noire delivers.

This isn’t high-stakes, heart-pounding play, and it doesn’t pretend to be. With Cash Noire’s low volatility/low potential pairing, it’s a more relaxed ride than most hardcore gamblers will get excited about. The RTP should suit a broader audience, though, thanks to a respectable 96.06% RTP, plus a hit frequency of 21.87%. That’s decent, especially since every win triggers the Avalanche feature, first introduced by NetEnt in the classic Gonzo’s Quest slot.

It also accommodates a wide range of bankrolls. Bets can be set from 20 p/c, rising as high as $/€200 per spin. Cash Noire doesn’t use paylines in the traditional sense, instead running on fixed bet ways. To win, at least three matching symbols must land consecutively from the first reel. They can appear on any row, creating 1,024 ways to win.

All the familiar Noire staples show up on the paytable, beginning with detective-themed items like a magnifying glass, matches, a card (ace of spades, naturally), whisky (on the rocks, of course), a dagger, and a handgun. The premium symbols are character-based, including a dame, Detective Flint, the shady Pit Viper, and a femme fatale.

Across the board, symbol payouts are on the low side—some of the lowest we’ve seen in a while. For instance, five of the top premium symbol pays only 0.80 times the stake. There’s also no wild symbol to help stitch wins together. As a result, players will be leaning heavily on the features to make any real progress in Cash Noire.

Cash Noire: Features

Thankfully, there are several features worth watching for—Avalanches, Mystery Symbols, the Crime Zone + Clue List, and Free spins. First up is the Avalanche feature, which clears winning symbols from the reels when they hit, allowing new symbols to drop into the gaps. This can open up additional win opportunities, as Avalanches keep rolling for as long as winning combinations continue to land.

On every spin, a red pattern of hotspots lights up. Initially, this zone covers only 3 reel positions, but it expands when certain clues from the Clue List are triggered. Winning symbols that land in the Crime Zone activate items on the Clue List. Once all 13 clues on the Clue list have been activated, players receive free spins.

The bank vault acts as the Mystery Symbol, and it can appear anywhere in the game during regular or free spins. If the Mystery Symbol lands outside the Crime Zone, it transforms into a random paytable symbol. If it lands inside the Crime Zone, however, the Mystery Symbol duplicates itself across every position in the pattern. Each duplicate then changes into the same random paytable symbol, which can potentially lead to larger wins.

Free spins step things up by adding a City Chase Map with a Multiplier that begins at x1. During this mode, symbols in the Crime Zone illuminate locations on the Chase Map. For every 7 locations activated, the Multiplier increases by +1 for the next spin. If every location on the Chase Map is lit, the case is closed: the Multiplier reaches its x10 cap (1/1,111 chance), and +3 extra free spins are awarded. Free spins, on average, occur once every 238 spins.

Cash Noire: Verdict

All this case-cracking business will be a blast for some players, while others may find it a complete turn-off. If the moody, dark atmosphere doesn’t win you over, there isn’t much else here to change your mind. The game plays fairly long and lean—especially lean when it comes to payouts. Solve the case and get the 10x multiplier running, where wins of over 5,000 times the bet are possible. Just remember the 10x multiplier has a hit frequency of 1 in 1,111, so don’t start celebrating too soon, detective.

The math model and win potential also make it a tough sell for the dedicated crowd, due to the relatively low volatility and because even wins above 500x are statistically uncommon. Low symbol values and modest-paying features won’t satisfy players chasing big hits to fuel their gumshoe fantasies.

That said, it’s a polished production, easy on the eyes and packed with some genuinely interesting mechanics. Still, forget San Cayetano—the bigger mystery for some will be why NetEnt went so lite with Cash Noire. For those who prefer low variance play and enjoy dabbling as PIs, though, it should be a lot of fun.