Software developers can’t resist using jokers, even if they’ve been done so many times in slots. Another Pragmatic Play game with a cute rogue. Joker Blast Bonanza is a clone of the studio’s mythology-themed slot Sword of Ares, so players can expect repeats of features like a Multiplier Collection bonus with multipliers up to x500 and free spins.
Players get a happy, waving, bell-hatted clown in a plush red area instead of a buff deity in his heavenly splendor. Thematically, Joker Blast Bonanza is aimed towards a different demographic than Sword of Ares and comes off as generic. Joker Blast Bonanza, a clone, didn’t distinguish out in a market full with joker slot machines. Pragmatic Play didn’t seem to strive too hard.
Default RTP is 96.4% or 96.39% when buying the free spins bonus round according to the identical metrics as the previous game. Players may bet 20 p/c to £/€100 each spin on a highly volatile math model rated 5 out of 5 by the studio. The front of Joker Blast Bonanza has 6 reels with 5 symbols each.
Joker Blast Bonanza is a scatter-paying slot without lines or win evaluations. A win occurs when at least 8 similar symbols are visible anywhere on the grid. The pay table has lemons, plums, strawberries, grapes, cherries, oranges, bells, 7s, and diamonds from low to high. A 12-30 OAK scatter win pays 1 to 20 times the stake, while an 8-9 OAK scatter win pays 0.25 to 4 times the wager. It may not feature wild symbols, but Joker Blast Bonanza has other unusual symbols that add excitement.
Joker Blast Bonanza Slot Features
Joker Blast Bonanza’s tumble feature eliminates winning symbols from the reels. Symbols from above fill gaps left by the remaining symbols falling as low as possible on the reels. The tumble sequence terminates and the total win is awarded when no cluster wins occur.
Features Multiplier Collection
A meter above the reels shows 3 multipliers in basic game and 6 in free spins. Multipliers lock before each spin. Collecting winning or exploded symbols via tumbles. Unlock multipliers at various stages. After a tumble sequence, the highest unlocked multiplier multiplies the winning sum. The base game goes:
Collect 20 symbols to unlock the first multiplier, maybe x2, x3, or x4.
The second multiplier, maybe x5, x6, x7, or x8, unlocks after 50 symbols.
Third multiplier, perhaps x9, x10, x11, x12, x13, x14, or x15, unlocks with 100 symbols.
Bombs
Bomb symbols appear everywhere in base and free spins. Bombs continue on the reels until there are no more winning scatters. Explosions remove symbols from the board in a horizontal, vertical, cross, or X pattern, displaying the direction. Multipliers collect removed symbols and drop fresh symbols from above. In the default game, bombs only explode after one fall.
Free Spins
Players receive 15 free spins for 4 or more scatters in the base game. How the multiplier meter behaves in free spins:
Collect 15 symbols to unlock the first multiplier, maybe x2, x3, or x4.
The second multiplier, maybe x5, x6, x7, or x8, unlocks after 30 symbols.
Third multiplier, perhaps x9, x10, x11, x12, x13, x14, or x15, unlocks with 45 symbols.
When 60 symbols are collected, fourth multiplier may be x16, x18, x20, x22, x25, x30, or x32.
Fifth multiplier—x35, x38, x40, x45, x50, x60, or x100—unlocks after 100 symbols.
Sixth multiplier—x150, x200, x300, or x500—unlocks after 225 symbols.
If you need free spins quickly, you may buy them for 100x the stake. Both paid and biologically generated free spins cannot be retriggered.
Slot verdict: Joker Blast Bonanza
If you’ve played Sword of Ares, Joker Blast Bonanza needs little introduction. Technically, nothing has changed but the topic swap. However, it lives up to its name with jokers, explosions, and a jackpot if it all comes together. From an optimistic perspective, Joker Blast Bonanza fits a niche for scatter wins slots with a cheeky harlequin façade.
Playing Joker Blast Bonanza was tedious. It was hard to get excited when testing Joker Blast Bonanza with a generic cover and a rehashed game engine. It offers similar thrills to its predecessor and enjoyment to Gates of Olympus and associated slots. Scatter win slots keep rising, and Joker Blast Bonanza’s winning system, tumbles, bomb clearances, multiplier values, and 10,000x win cap mean it can sound all kinds of harlequin hat bells.
The Pragmatic Play manufacturing line continues, using clones to help meet output quotas. Not a horrible game, but the bland theme, recycled engine, and same old elements make it easy to ignore if you’re not a Joker Blast Bonanza fan.