Time for revival
While most developers chase the latest cascade or cluster trends, a Hacksaw Gaming subsidiary is blazing a new trail by going back to basics and reinventing some of the most underrated ideas in slot design.
Not content with spinning new mechanics magic out of circa 2010’s synced reel feature in the just-dropped Gearlab Genius, Bullshark Games is at it again with Behind Bars: Masterplan.
Bullshark’s medium volatility prison break slot combines independent reel multipliers on a 6×5 scatter pays grid – a rare and refreshing fusion that creates serious win-building momentum with every cascade.
The HacksawOpenRGS arm took to X on Wednesday with a preview of the cartoon styled slot that feels like a lighter take on San Quentin:
Don’t let the Pixar-like cuteness of the inmates fool you, however, because beneath the surface lurks those growing reel multipliers. The enhanced mechanic works like a dream with the slot’s cinematic quality prison escape theme, giving players a real sense that a life-changing payout is just one calculated move away.
Let’s take a closer look at how the reel multiplier feature makes Behind Bars: Masterplan a standout cascading all-scatter game.
Times and times again
A multiplier field sits atop each reel, with every spin assigning it random values from x1 to x100. Wins are formed by matching eight or more identical symbols, so if winning symbols land on reels assigned a multiplier value, that multiplier applies to the win.
This means if multiple winning reels have a boosted value sitting over them, Behind Bars: Masterplan adds them together, which can radically raise cascade returns.
After a win is calculated at this stage, be prepared for another twist, because when the symbols are cleared from the grid, one or two random reels receive a multiplier boost.
Possible additive values range from 1x, to 100x, while possible multiplicative values go from 2x up to 10x. As an example, a reel with a 5x multiplier receiving an additive boost of 20x will give you a total of x25.
A reel with a 5x multiplier receiving a 10x multiplicative boost will give you a total of 50x, meaning that getting the multiplicative gee-up is the key to hitting the maximum reel multiplier win of 24,000x.
Considering Behind Bars: Masterplan’s 12,000x max win potential, max bet per spin of $75, medium volatility, and solid 96.29% RTP, the reel multiplier reinvention gives the slot a genuine risk upside for serious players, especially during bonus rounds with stacked multipliers and Instant Win symbols.
Bonus games
In the base game, landing three Scatters – which resemble the rolled-up breakout plan the long-haired “mastermind” of the inmate trio often consults off grid – triggers the Escape Plan bonus round. Players get three spins. Each new non-blank symbol landing resets the counter, which gives the bonus stage the feel of an ongoing sense of momentum, as every useful symbol landing keeps the slot’s escape attempt alive.
Instant Win symbols bring awards of 0.5x to 100x, which are then multiplied by the reel value. Symbols to desire in this round include the Epic Adder in the form of a cellphone, which adds 1x to 100x to all reel multipliers, and the Epic Multiplier, which looks like the switch for the electric chair, and multiplies all reel multipliers by 2x up to 10x.
Landing four Scatters triggers The Great Escape bonus round, which uses the same mechanic as the previous free game, with a few twists. In this round, three random reels start you off with boosted multipliers from 2x to 10x, which gives you an earlier, stronger momentum than Escape Plan and raises the value of Instant Win symbols when they come.
Ultimately, Behind Bars: Masterplan nails the prison break theme with crisp artwork, sharp comic book-like characters, and a lockdown look that thankfully never gets too bleak. The star of the show is the hybrid reel multipliers/scatter pays mechanic, which keeps the progression of the cascading all-scatter game flowing, with escalating action that bonus hunters will relish.
