Riverboat Gambler Introduction
Riverboat Gambler from Realistic is a 5-reel, 20-payline pokie available for online, tablet or mobile play. This game is a pokie-within-a-pokie, using perspective graphics to create a real-feel casino experience. This game works great as a free online pokies, but for more experienced players, the cash version is also a pleasure cruise worth taking.
How to Play
When the game starts up, players get a view of the whole casino before zooming into the game, where the pokie’s reels are fitted inside of the workings of an old steam engine riverboat. The controls are very lifelike. As you hit the “stake for lines” and “line in play” buttons on the machine in front of you, the world seems to go a little skew-whiff. Before you know it, it’s second nature.
Then you just need to hit “start” and spin those reels. The game features the usual basic playing card symbols from 9 to Ace. In the next level, you’ll find the riverboat traveller, the beautiful woman, the bell and the lifesaver. Depending on the level, players either need to make a two-of-a-kind and up or three-of-a-kind and up. Check out the pay table under the “info” button for more details.
Bonus Features
The wild in this game is a golden tile. As always, it substitutes for all of the regular symbols, but not the scatter. When it is used to make a combination, the wild also acts as a multiplier. Use one wild and the prize is multiplied by 2, use two and it is multiplied by 3, all the way up to a 5x multiplier. Aside from this, it is also the highest-paying symbol if you’re looking to make a combination.
The scatter is the riverboat menu. These symbols award 15 free spins at your current bet level if you get three or more anywhere across the reels. This is a nice feature as you don’t need to play all the lines to be in with a chance of winning. Free spins can also be retriggered if you land three more scatters. The scatters also pay out for a scattered combination of up to 500x your bet for five.
The Look and Feel
One thing you’ll notice if you play the online and the mobile versions is that these two platforms are pretty much identical. That’s probably because the actual reels are relatively small in comparison to the whole screen. While the surrounding environment of the casino is incredibly well detailed, the action inside the pokies machine is a little edgy.
However, this probably helps the illusion of playing on a real pokies. The rag-time piano soundtrack also adds to the ambiance of the riverboat and is quite catchy.
Overall
Players who are looking for something straightforward with a touch of realism about the spinning would probably enjoy this game. There are no cutaway bonus rounds to look out for and no characters jumping out of the reels. Simply put, this game is easy living, riverboat style.