Wild Ride

You’ll be flying high with Wild Ride, the innovative slot from Skywind which follows the adventures of a balloonist and his canine companion. There are definite shades of Wallace and Gromit with these two cartoon characters who are clearly very happy to take to the skies. But along with all the fun and laughter, there’s also the chance to win real cash prizes with a top payout of x1000 to stick in your basket. 

You wouldn't necessarily think that slots and air balloons are natural partners, but more than a handful of games have this theme. Lots of studios have an air balloon slot, but many have more of a steampunk vibe such as Noble Sky from Neon Valley and Aeronauts from Evoplay. 

In Wild Ride, you'll be playing a slot that has a very distinctive set-up. Unlike most other games, it's not the reels that command your attention. Instead, the balloonist, his dog and the air balloon are the main focus, with the reels in secondary position at the base of the screen. The frameless reels almost merge into the background with a 5x3 layout. This includes 25 fixed paylines and a betting range of 0.25-250.00. The generous max bet and the high volatility will please high rollers, but at x1000 the top payout is fairly modest.

With Wild Ride, developers Skywind have set out to create an online slot that doesn't blend in with the crowd. And it would be very fair to say that they've succeeded. Although Wild Ride contains the same basic premise, the design and gameplay is strikingly different to the norm. Watch your balloonist climb higher as you land more wins, sending him way beyond the recommended maximum height for hot air balloons! Health and Safety won't be happy… 

At the bottom of the paytable are six brightly coloured gems; match three or more to get a win. Rise higher, and you'll find the premium symbols, which include a suitcase, telescope, compass and our two main characters.  

A cute wild symbol with wings will substitute for any of these, helping to push you higher with more matches. 

Some slots feature a small and unobtrusive meter next to the reels to help you chart the progress of a special feature. But Skywind has gone big and bold as the floating balloonist and his pet aren't just a design feature - they're your bonus meter.  

Every time you win, the basket will climb a bit higher - much to the balloonist’s obvious delight. If you manage to get at least three wins in a row, you’ll begin to collect rewards. The number of winning spins determines the reward you receive: 

●     Three - Reel 3 completely wild and one respin

●     Four - Reel 3 completely wild and three respins

●     Five - Reels 2 and 4 completely wild and two respins

●     Six - Five - Reels 2 and 4 completely wild and four respins

●     Seven - Five - Reels 2, 3 and 4 completely wild and one respin

●     Eight - Five - Reels 2, 3 and 4 completely wild and two respins

●     Nine - Prize x1000 top payout 

If you stop winning before you reach the elusive x1000 prize, you’ll hear your balloonist make a disappointed noise as he sinks back down again.  

Along with the winning streak bonus, there are also scatters on the reels. If you land at least three, you will trigger the Fire Boost feature. This will move you up to a random point on the balloon trajectory, giving you a better chance of winning a prize on your next spin.

It's more common to see bonus rounds tucked away out of sight, but with Wide Ride, everything is on display from the start. The journey of the balloonist is what this game is all about, and you'll be trying to get him to float up, up and away! Although the reels are still present, it's a fun twist on the genre and makes the game a lot of fun. You will have to be patient for prizes, but you'll be enjoying yourself so much in the process, you might not even notice the wait!