Bat Stax Slots
Are you ready for another Halloween-themed slot? The team at online casino giant Novomatic certainly are. Check out our review of the Bat Stax online slot, and see if this is a worthy addition to a crowded Halloween-themed games market.
Of course, with Novomatic online slots you can expect easy gameplay, lots of bonuses, and some interesting jackpots. And as you’ll find out in our Bat Stax online slot review, Novomatic has given players yet another hit in the making. Let's don our witch's outfit and take a closer look.
Slick 5-Reel Online Gambling by Novomatic
Every online slot developer seems to have its own Halloween game these days. Not all are of the quality of Playtech's Full Moon Fortunes or Microgaming's Immortal Romance, of course, but the theme lends itself to images of witches, warlocks, and potions.
As the name suggests, the free Bat Stax slot machine makes full use of the spooky black bat. The creature of the night makes regular appearances on the reels, and the bat symbol can appear stacked too. The slot is played on a set of 3x5 reels, and there are 20 fixed paylines to play. Coins begin at just 0.01, but there is a full range of betting options available for the gambler.
Like most Novomatic slots, the Bat Stax video slot works well on your desktop as well as on a range of mobile devices. While compiling our review, we found the mobile-optimized version to be more user-friendly than the desktop one. Just remember to ensure that you have a recent version of Google Chrome running on your machine before you begin playing.
Land Witch Hat Wilds for a 5-Figure Jackpot
Online casinos are packed with Halloween-themed video slots these days. Most sites boast at least one game with a witch, black cat, or magic potion lurking on the reels. The bonus features usually reflect the Fall celebration, too.
European slot giant Novomatic has already got plenty of Halloween slots in its arsenal. But none of these games have so far featured a symbol as generous as the stacked bat, one that appears quite regularly in this latest release.
The bat symbols overlay regular icons on the screen of the Bat Stax online slot. If five bats appear, you will win a jackpot worth 100x the line bet. Four bats will earn you a relatively poor 10x, and three bats will pay 5x.
Here's where things get interesting. If you land three overlaid bats, these will transform reels 1, 2, and 3 into stacks of bats. Hit four overlaid bats, and reels 1 to 4 turn stacked. Finally, if you hit five overlaid bats on the reels, all five reels will turn into stacked bat symbols.
The regular symbols include the 10, J, Q, K and A, which pay 5x to 100x for three to five of a kind, in addition to some classic Halloween creatures. The spider pays 3-200x for three to five of a kind, as does the cat. The owl pays 5-500x, and you only need to land two of a kind to earn a real cash prize.
Enjoy the Wilds, but Aim for the Free Spins
While writing our Bat Stax slot review, we found that the stacked bat symbols tend to be the most lucrative way of making extra cash. But don't dismiss the wild symbols when you play.
The purple witch's hat acts as the wild in the free Bat Stax slot machine. It will substitute for all regular symbols in the game. You will also win a cash prize worth 5x for two wilds, 40x for three, 400x your line bet for four wilds, and 1000x for five wild symbols on an active win line.
Look out for the pumpkin scatter. This symbol pays out regardless of where it lands on the reels. In addition to earning big cash prizes for hitting scatters, you can trigger free spins. You will win 10, 15, or 25 spins for hitting 3, 4, or 5 scatters anywhere. During free spins, the 'bat stax' are held in place when they appear. You get to earn a respin, and you’ll keep doing so until no more stacks are present on the screen.
During the free games, you can also hit prize-winning stacks by landing just two overlaid bat symbols on the reels in any position.
Hit the Stacks in the Autumn Queen Slot
No Bat Stax slot review would be complete without a look at some other stacked Novomatic releases. Although it has more paylines and rows, Novomatic's animal-themed Autumn Queen slot features stacked symbols that can improve your regular payouts. The game also boasts a generous free spins bonus for the players. The 40-payline structure can be a drain on your bankroll, however.
For something a little simpler, check out another Novomatic slot with wilds and scatters: Asian Diamonds. This is a 3x5 reel slot with an Asian theme and a stacked scatter symbol as the game’s highlight. This can appear on reels 2, 3, and 4 to give the player some big real cash wins.
While playing Asian Diamonds, you can also trigger a nice free spins bonus feature if you land enough scatters. Seven scatters will get you 8 free spins, eight scatters will see you win 16 games, while 32 free spins are yours if you land 9 scatter symbols.
But there's more: during the free spins feature, 'Xtra Stax' symbols can appear at any time. These are represented by one of the regular pay table symbols, chosen at random. The stacks can appear across all reels at the same time, improving your chances of hitting five of a kind.
Brave the Nights and Bring Home Stax of Cash
Our Bat Stax online slot review reveals a game full of interesting bonus features. The highlight is definitely the stacked symbol that can lead you to some really decent rewards. And in reality, you will be relying heavily on those stacks to bring home the bacon, as we found the free spins feature to be pretty ungenerous overall.
If you love new online slots and games by Novomatic, Bat Stax is a welcome addition to the European developer's portfolio. It's definitely a game for low-to-medium-stakes gamblers to get their fangs into. So, celebrate Halloween in style any time of the year, and give the slot a play for free today.
