Big Brother Online Slot Machine Review
Game show tie-ins are a specialty of slot software house Endemol – and big brother combines a lot of the elements which make their games entertaining. Based on the awful, though hugely popular reality TV franchise which spread all over the world – this slot has two unique feature bonus rounds and very distinctive styling. Much of the appeal of the original shows was the dynamic between different contestants. The slot game is of course more generic, making up for the lack of specific characters with some quirks in play. I recommend taking this one for a spin just to see what happens when you hit two of the arguing heads in the blue star on the reels.
The graphics and animations in the main reels of this slot are on the simple side. While the play is very smooth and fast, the symbols sit on a plain background and are nothing special in terms of design. There is a camera, lens, keyhole, heart and star (signifying a row and love between housemates) a Jacuzzi with bikini items and a newspaper- in addition to the logo and bonus symbols. The graphics for the Find Housemates bonus are much better; you will select rooms from a 3D map. There are some animations and sounds on the reels, though these are basic (camera’s clicking for example).
While there are two bonus rounds (which are awarded randomly when you hit 3 scatters), this game does not include the common expanding wilds feature which Endemol use in many of their games. There are bronze, silver and gold jackpots noted in the pay-table for this game – though there is no sign of these on the reels themselves.
Setup and Play for Big Brother
Endemol use standard 5x3 grids for their games – with 20 selectable win lines. You can choose from 1p per line, up to £10 – giving you a 20 line range of 20p through to £200. You can choose auto play for up to 25 spins at a time, this can be stopped at any point by clicking the big spin button below the reels (which says ‘stop’ during automatic play).
You’ll want to see the colourful Big Brother eye on the reels. This is the wild symbol and also has the biggest prize attached. You’ll get 2000 coins for 5 on a line, in addition to any other line combinations which the wild completes. The 1000 for 4 is also very generous compared to the other wins available.
Of the non-wild symbols, the love heart is best, paying 1000 coins for 5. Next is the ‘row’ with the keyhole, lens and camera coming next. The crowd, Jacuzzi and newspaper are the other unique symbols with playing cards ace down to jack making up the smaller wins.
There is a scatter symbol, in the form of the eye. This triggers one of the bonuses with 3+ and also pays up to 50x your total spin amount with 5.
Big Brother Slot – Bonus Games
There are two bonus games. Both are triggered in the same way (getting 3+ eyes) and assigned at random.
One is a free spins round. This starts with a pick-em game based on a very detailed 3D model of a house. To me it looks like a modern architecture drawing. You have 3 picks, and choose different rooms. When you select one, blue and pink people will light up. These are for free spins and for multipliers on wins. For example you might get 5 free spins with a 10x multiplier, or some other combination. After your picks, you go to the reels and wiz through those spins. There is nothing different happening on the reels during this bonus round.
The ‘Housemates Tasks’ round is probably the least interactive bonus I have seen from Endemol. Here you have a 3x3 grid, each containing an envelope. You choose 3 of them by hitting a select button once. Each has a task and gives you a pay-out – which is totalled. I get that this is in keeping with the original show, though – really – there were so many opportunities to do better than this.
Big Brother Slot – Conclusion
I’m not a fan of the TV shows, though I do enjoy online slots. Usually, Endemol tie-ins are playable and entertaining even if you are not very familiar with the theme. This one is not very entertaining at all. There is a basic free spins game, a pick-em round and a couple of simple yet amusing animations on the reels – and that is your lot.
There is no real feeling that this really tried to recreate the TV show idea at all. The general game-play is solid enough, and the slot is slick and professional. If you are looking for real entertainment, there are better options out there.
