Sticky Bandits Unchained

Sticky Bandits Unchained: Slot Overview

Living up to its name, Quickspin's Sticky Bandits range of slots is well and truly an adhesive one, with Sticky Bandits Unchained being the fifth release in a series that began in 2017. It's a range that has dipped and dived with the times, altering its look, features, and vibe as suited the Quickspin team at the time. For Sticky Bandits Unchained, the studio has stuck to the grittier, darker, more menacing mood started by Sticky Bandits: Trail of Blood, upped the winning potential and brought back big symbols. Could this be the stickiest of the lot?

The Sticky Bandits series has undergone several personality shifts over the years, including a tonal shift from the bright early games to the darker mood of the last release. Hard to say if this shift is an improvement over the past, but it does put Sticky Bandits Unchained in good company, as many of the 'heavier' Western slots on the market (Tombstone RIP, Wanted Dead or a Wild or Dead or Alive 2), let's say, tend to offer a grimmer view of life on the frontier. You might have heard of Deadwood, but Sticky Bandits Unchained is held in a place called Dustwood, a middle-of-nowhere 'town ruled by chaos' where players can join the Sticky Bandits. Whilst not the most captivating Western slot you might lay eyes on, the grim nature of Dustwood is apparent, this being a place that looks like folk might be quick to reach for their six-shooters.

To take part, bets of 20 c to $/€100 may be placed with three bonus buys being available. Sticky Bandits Unchained is highly volatile, something to consider, and is variable in several RTP configurations - 96.09% being the default value. On all models the hit rate is 34.51%, and is played utilizing an active gaming area consisting of 5-reels and 3-rows, equipped with 10 paylines for landing winning combinations on.

Bolted steel J to A card royals are Sticky Bandits Unchained's low pays, while its highs (called by the payable Mediums) are a horse, a chap crafting a RIP embossed cross, a lady fanning herself, and a mean-looking dude. When hitting a line of 5 low pays, the rewards are 2 to 5 times the bet, or when 5 matching high pays form a winning line, the payout is 10 to 25 times the stake.

Sticky Bandits Unchained: Slot Features

Wilds are one of the most important parts of Sticky Bandits Unchained. For one thing, wilds substitute any pay symbols and are worth 75x the bet for a 5 wild winning line. In addition, when at least 3 wild symbols hit in the base, one of them transforms into a sticky 2x2 Colossal Wild, and one of the free spins rounds is triggered. The 2x2 Colossal Wild remains sticky for the remainder of the respective feature.

Wild West Free Spins

This feature is triggered when 3 wild symbols hit, awarding 10 free spins. Any wilds landing during the round become sticky until the feature ends.

Peacemaker Bonus

The Peacemaker Bonus is triggered when 4 wild symbols land. It does not have a set number of free spins but ends when a Cylinder symbol lands. The Cylinder symbol in this round has 5 chambers. Four chambers have an x2 multiplier; the fifth chamber has a multiplier of x3, x5, or x10, which is applied to any wins on the final spin.

Peacemaker Bonus Fully Loaded

Landing 5 wilds in the base game launches the Peacemaker Bonus Fully Loaded. The rules are the same as the Peacemaker Bonus, with exceptions. When the Cylinder symbol lands, it has 6 chambers. Three chambers have an x2 multiplier; the other 3 chambers can have multipliers of x20, x50, or x500, which is applied to any wins on the final spin.

Buy Feature

From the buy feature, players can get a spin with 3+ wilds for 80x the bet (RTP 96.6%), a spin with 4+ wilds for 160x the bet (96.62%), or a spin with 5 wilds for 750x the bet (RTP 96.82%).

Sticky Bandits Unchained: Slot Verdict

Sticky Bandits Unchained blows into town like a deranged gunslinger looking to start a ruckus. Quickspin has positioned it to take on the heavier slots in the Western market by sticking with the grimmer mood of Sticky Bandits: Trail of Blood and upping the winning potential. A sticky factor remains, it kind of hard to, but the reintroduction of big symbols, which were dropped in the previous slot, should also be a highlight for fans. The Colossal Wild isn't as big as its predecessors were but it is no less capable of combining with Sticky Bandits Unchained's other parts to fire off a thrilling result.

Maybe more than one thrilling result, too, since Colossal Wilds are sticky in all of the bonus rounds. Stickiness is one of the series' selling points, and it is alive and kicking here. How helpful Colossal Wilds may be might depend where on the reel they are placed, with as far to the right being less desirable than far to the left. Bonus rounds were roller coasters during the test session, some up, some down, some all over the place.

One key to the Peacemaker Bonus and the Peacemaker Bonus Fully Loaded rounds, besides sticky wild proliferation, was the appearance of the Cylinder symbol. It's something you don't want to see too soon since it ends the feature, while, on the other hand, it fires a multiplier at any wins on the final spin. Like the rest of Sticky Bandits Unchained, the effects of the Cylinder symbols may vary widely and at times the game can come across as frustratingly rigged. It's also hard not to regard the game as a one trick pony of sorts, with the chamber feature being that one trick.

When Sticky Bandits Unchained is charging with both guns firing, however, it's able to sticky its way up to a 30,000x the bet win cap. Although it's not massively innovative, the high potential, combined with the return of big symbols, sticky wilds, and the game's quick-or-the-dead attitude, should be enough to put it on the radar of grizzled gamblers with Western-themed gaming on their minds.