Halloween

The 1978 horror classic Halloween has inspired countless nightmares, successor films, and is remembered as one of the peak achievements of the genre. Now, it’s inspired a new slot by the online game design giant Microgaming. Featuring wandering reels, containing jumbo blocks and spinning as one, as well as a trick or treat gaming wheel, free spins, and a Boogeyman Bonus feature, this slot also features images from the original film.

Theme

The reels are set on the porch of the Myers House, the site of the crime that set all of this

Gaming symbols include four the film’s leading characters – Laurie, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Loomis, played by Donald Pleasence, Annie, played by Nancy Kyes, and P.J. Soles as Lynda – as well as pistols, knives, clown masks, telephones, knitting materials, and matchbooks. The Halloween slasher symbol acts as wild, while the bonus wheel symbol acts as scatter, the gateway to special features. Eerie music, reminiscent of the movie, set the tone.

Betting Options, Functions, and Features

Microgaming is an old hand at the business of making slots, and it should come as no surprise that the fine points of this game are well looked-after. There is a notable innovative feature to this game, however, which makes the basics of gaming structure a bit different than most: the wandering reels. This is a five-reel slot, but unlike most of its competition, two of those reels have three columns, while three of the reels have four. What’s more, the shape of the reels is continuously changing, as the set of four columns “wanders” from a left, to right, to center position. The wandering reels spin as one, occasionally revealing super three-by-three gaming symbols, which can lead to monster payouts when appearing on a winning payline.

There are 50 paylines no matter what shape the wandering reels take, though the shape of those paylines is variable. The bet is set simply, with coins-per-payline adjustable from one to eight and coin value adjustable from 0.01 to 0.50; this yields an overall per-spin bet range of 0.50–200.00 times the betting currency. Autoplay is available for up to 100 spins at a time. Information regarding the overall theoretical return to player ratio is, unfortunately, not available.

Trick or treat wheel bonus, which is triggered by three of the scattered bonus symbols on the reels. This giant spinning wheel awards cash prizes up to ten times the bet size, until either free spins, or the Boogeyman Bonus are triggered. In the latter feature, players turn over leaves in the yard to collect the many cash prizes. Unless players discover the knives that protect them from the villain, uncovering the boogeyman ends the feature with a small, final cash bonus. Free spins are awarded in sets of nine, with one movie character gaming symbol taking the place of the other three, greatly increasing the chances of big paydays.

Our Take

Microgaming is at the top of the online slot industry, and with slots like Halloween, the reason is plain to see. This slot offers a winning theme, top-tier bonuses, exciting base play, and, in the wandering reels feature, an innovative gaming feature that players won’t find elsewhere. Fans of the film will delight in this slot, but it’s likely to be popular among players who are brand new to the material as well.