Bankin’ More Bacon: Slot Overview
Bankin’ More Bacon enters the scene as Blueprint Gaming’s latest addition to its porcine-themed slot saga, following the success of Bankin’ Bacon. In an industry where the motto often seems to be “more is better,” Blueprint Gaming has decided to up the ante, metaphorically speaking, by enhancing its slot portfolio with an abundance of features familiar to fans of their previous work, albeit with a fresh twist. This time, the enhancements are symbolically represented by an added dose of bacon, adding a touch of whimsy to the finance-themed gaming experience.
Set against the backdrop of a sleek, modern cityscape, Bankin’ More Bacon’s setting evokes thoughts of the financial world’s complexities, where fortunes are made and lost on the turn of a card or the click of a button. The game’s urban environment mirrors the high-stakes atmosphere of financial markets, a place where the pursuit of profit often overshadows the risks involved, leading to situations where speculative ventures can implode, leaving taxpayers to pick up the pieces.
This reflection on the financial sector’s less savory aspects was inspired in part by Geert Mak’s “The Dream of Europe,” painting a less-than-flattering picture of the industry’s role in society. However, it’s important to remember that Bankin’ More Bacon, as a slot game, merely draws thematic inspiration from the world of finance and is not a commentary on economic policies or practices. Despite the serious backdrop against which these thoughts emerge, Bankin’ More Bacon aims to offer players an entertaining escape into a world where whimsical pigs navigate the complexities of wealth and chance.
Bankin’ More Bacon operates within a dynamic 6-reel, 4-row format, offering players an impressive 4,096 ways to achieve victory. Wins are calculated from left to right, initiating from the leftmost reel and spanning across adjacent reels, creating a broad canvas for potential winning combinations. At the core of this slot is a highly volatile mathematical model, churning out a standard Return to Player (RTP) of 96%, ensuring a thrilling gaming experience where the balance between risk and reward is finely poised.
This game does not feature a bonus buy option, setting the stage for players to select bets ranging from 10 cents to $/€10 per spin, engaging in the classic slot experience of anticipation and luck in pursuit of significant payouts.
The paytable is a mix of banking motifs and traditional card symbols, where the 9 to A card ranks represent lower-value symbols, yielding wins from 1 to 1.5 times the stake for a six-of-a-kind (OAK) combination. Higher-value symbols are themed around the opulence of finance—purses, banknotes, scales, tills, and gold bars—offering rewards from 2 to 5 times the bet for landing six matching symbols. Wild symbols play a crucial role in bridging gaps between winning combinations, substituting for any regular pay symbol, although they do not appear on the leftmost reel, enhancing the strategic aspect of the game.
Bankin’ More Bacon: Slot Features
Fans of Blueprint Gaming will recognize that the features of Bankin’ More Bacon are not entirely new but rather a culmination of elements seen in previous slots. Among these, the game highlights include the Piggy Collect feature and the enriched free spins round, where Collect symbols not only pave the way for additional free spins but also introduce multipliers to boost winnings.
Piggy Collect Feature: This feature is central to the gameplay, with Cash symbols appearing on all reels, including Cashpot money symbols that represent Mini, Major, or Mega pots worth 20x, 200x, or 2,500x the bet, respectively. The catch is that these pots are claimable when accompanied by a Piggy Collect symbol, initially only appearing on the rightmost reel. The simultaneous appearance of Cash symbols and a Piggy Collect symbol triggers the collection mechanism, wherein the Piggy Collect symbol expands to cover the entire reel, scooping up values from Cash symbols after regular wins are tallied. Through gameplay progression, new Piggy Collect symbols can be unlocked, enhancing the feature with variants like Dual Collect, Lock & Spin, Cash Boost, and the Golden Safe, each adding a layer of strategy and potential rewards.
Piggy Free Spins: The free spins round is activated by landing three or more scatter symbols, offering 10 free spins with the possibility of a cash payout for triggering the round with 4, 5, or 6 scatters. During free spins, collecting Piggy Collect symbols can extend the session with additional spins and multipliers, significantly amplifying the payout potential from collected Cash symbols.
Bankin’ More Bacon, by integrating familiar features with a fresh twist, ensures a gameplay experience that is both engaging and potentially lucrative. The strategic depth offered by the Piggy Collect feature, alongside the prospect of multiplying wins during free spins, positions this slot as a compelling addition to Blueprint Gaming’s portfolio, promising a blend of classic slot fun with innovative mechanics.
Bankin’ More Bacon: Slot Verdict
While Bankin’ More Bacon marks a departure from its predecessor, Bankin’ Bacon, it arguably doesn’t venture far from the thematic and mechanical blueprints laid out by other slots in Blueprint Gaming’s portfolio, such as The Goonies Hey You Guys, D10S Maradona, Funky Buddha, and particularly King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas. This familiarity breeds a sense of déjà vu that can dull the excitement for seasoned players, casting Bankin’ More Bacon into what might feel like a “muddied trough of low-effort mediocrity.” The thematic execution, focusing yet again on pigs in a financial setting, does little to invigorate the well-trodden path of anthropomorphized animals in slots.
However, setting aside a critical perspective for a moment, it’s clear that Bankin’ More Bacon possesses the elements likely to appeal to a specific audience enamored with Money symbol collection mechanics. The game employs a variety of Collect symbols that unlock throughout gameplay, mirroring successful formulas seen in other slots like Big Bass Bonanza. This approach to free spins, complemented by a Collect symbol system that introduces extra spins and multipliers, is a tested recipe for engagement, albeit not a groundbreaking innovation.
Bankin’ More Bacon, therefore, finds its strength in its capacity to entertain those who appreciate the predictability and familiarity of its gameplay mechanics. Blueprint Gaming’s longstanding presence in the industry is a testament to its understanding of what keeps players engaged, suggesting that despite any criticisms regarding originality, there remains a place for such titles. For enthusiasts of the genre and fans of porcine-themed slots, Bankin’ More Bacon offers a solid experience, boasting a potential max win of 10,000x the bet. As the cycle of gaming trends continues, it’s conceivable that this title, like others before it, will find its audience until the next iteration, perhaps jokingly referred to as Bankin’ Even More Bigger Bacon, emerges to renew the cycle.