Boat Bonanza

Boat Bonanza Slot Review

NOTE: Screenshots on this page were taken whilst we played this game for real money at Casumo Casino

Game Scorecard

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Overall Score

7.0

A fun slot whose slow-ish base game is redeemed by a re-spins and multiplier frenzy in the bonus round.

Game Information

  • Name: Boat Bonanza
  • Game Suppplier: Play n Go
  • Release Date: October 2022
  • Theme: Fishing
  • RTP: 96.21%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 5,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 12
  • Features: Free Spins, Multipliers, Re-Spins, Catch Symbols

About Boat Bonanza

Boat Bonanza is another fishing-themed online slot joining the likes of Fishin’ Frenzy, Golden Catch, Lobstermania and Big Bass Bonanza in an already crowded genre. For this one, Play n Go have set the action on a 5×4 reel set that floats beneath the water. With a split-screen effect, above the surface, two boats float on the waves and become critical in unlocking bigger wins, and in the background a typical British seaside town can be seen with big wheel, pier and sandy beach. The graphics are as simple as the gameplay, but to anyone who enjoys a good fishing slot, the visuals are generally pleasing on the eye.

Boat Bonanza is due for release at slot sites on October 13th 2022.

What We Liked

  • Re-spins with multipliers for free spins
  • High value Catch Symbols up to 1,000x
  • High value premiums up to 200x

What We Didn't like

  • Simplistic gameplay
  • No wild symbols
  • Only mid range top payout

About The Developer

  • Name: Play n Go
  • Established: 1997
  • UK License: Remote 021725-R-304911-020
  • Total Games: 200 +
  • Known For: Grid slots, high variance slots, huge range of themes, styles and maths models
  • Popular Slots: Book of Dead, Reactoonz 1 and 2, Troll Hunters 2, Rise of Olympus

RTP and Variance 8/10

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Boat Bonanza’s basic-exterior masks a quite high variance maths model. Here are the important numbers from the game info sheet:

  • Boat Bonanza is a high variance game rated 8/10 on Play n Go’s own scale.
  • The top advertised win is 5,000x.
  • The RTP of Boat Bonanza is a standard 96.25%.
  • You can play from 20p per spin.

Paytable 7/10

The paytable here is made up of some basic fish-themed graphics. There are some tasty values however which can work to give you some big wins when combined with multipliers in the bonus round.

Here are the highlights of the paytable.

  • Boat Bonansa is a 5 reel by 4 row slot with 12 active paylines in play at all times except the bonus round.
  • Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols on a payline from left to right.
  • As an exception, the highest value premium symbol pays out for just TWO on a payline.
  • Low payers are the cards, 10 through to Ace. The Ace pays out at 10x for five on a payline.
  • The premiums are represented by the lobster pots, seagulls, fishing reels and boat buoys. The top-payer, the boat buoys, pay out at 200x for five on a payline.
  • There is no Wild Symbol in this game.
  • The important Catch Symbol pays out 40x for five on a payline as well as offering instant wins of up to 1,000x as we explain in the bonus round.
  • Look out as well for the Scatter symbol, required to unlock the bonus round.

Gameplay & Features 7/10

The key to bigger wins in this slot is unlocking the free spins round. But before we get there, check out the main feature of the base game, the Catch Symbols, carrying prizes of up to 1,000x.

Catch Symbols 

  • Catch Symbols are special symbols that appear in the base game and bonus round as a fish in a yellow box with a cash prize value of up to 1,000x.
  • Catch Symbols wins are triggered by boats that float above the reels. Boats are either inactive (greyed out) or active (in color). If an active boat appears above a row with Catch Symbol(s) in it, then the Catch Symbol(s) are collected.
  • If two active boats appear above a reel with Catch Symbols on them, then the Mega Catch is activated and ALL Catch Symbols appearing on the reels are collected.

Free Spins Bonus Round

  • 3, 4 or 5 scatters gets you 10, 15 or 20 free spins.
  • Above the reels in the bonus round float the same boats, but this time with multipliers attached.
  • Alongside the standard Catch Symbols, there are now also Free Spins Catch Symbols and Multiplier Catch Symbols that do just what they say. They can be collected in the boats to boost your free spins tally or increase the win multipliers.
  • If two boats appear above a reel for a Catch they their multipliers are combined for the Mega Catch round.

Re-Spins Feature

  • There is an additional re-spin feature here too – whenever a Catch Symbol is collected, then a re-spin is awarded. Now … only Catch Symbols appear and there are NO paylines.
  • Re-spins continue until no more Catch Symbols are collected.

More Games Like Boat Bonanza

How does Boat Bonanza compare to other fishing slots? Here are two other recent fishing-themed releases worth checking out.

Golden Catch by Big Time Gaming – runs at a higher variance with a greater RTP (96.53%) and much higher top prize (31,430x). This is a Megaways™ slot with expanding reels that uses a symbol ‘collect’ mechanic where boats floating above the reels pick up fish symbols with instant win values. Free spins come with UNLIMITED multipliers. Golden Catch is a much more volatile beast and a game that high variance enthusiast would prefer to Boat Bonanza.

Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play – also has a higher variance at 96.71% and a greater RTP (96.71%) but a disappointing max win of just 2,100x. Like Boat Bonanza, this is a simple game, where all the action happens in the free spins round where landing fisherman and fish on the same spin collects the instant win prizes associated with the fish. If you like games with Wilds you’ll prefer Big Bass Bonanza, it has lots of them, and many multipliers too – up to 10x – that are collected when wild symbols land in the bonus round.

Where to Play Boat Bonanza – Further Recommendations

If you are looking for a new slot site to try Boat Bonanza at, here are two more recommendations:

Duelz Casinothis casino from SuprPlay, also home to Voodoo Dreams, currently offers a 100% match up to £100 and 100 Book of Dead spins. It also has a huge slots catalogue of more than 1000 games. They are trusted and licensed in both the UK and Malta. 

Spin RioWe also recommend Spin Rio, a samba-themed casino from Aspire Global Ltd, which only opened in 2021. You can claim 100 free spins on NetEnt slots when you join and enjoy over 700 slots. Spin Rio is also licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

Our Verdict 7.0/10

For a high variance slot, Boat Bonanza has a quite calming feel in the base game with fairly regular wins triggered along the paylines. What you are really after though is the Catch Symbols. We picked up a few during our testing, though their values were disappointingly small – never greater than 20x, though the paytable shows potential for 1,000x.

The real good stuff is saved back for the bonus round however, where a good win sequence is made possible by the re-spin feature that takes Boat Bonanza to another level. Here, if you can collect some good multipliers, and keep adding to your spins total, there is some really good potential and getting close to that 5,000x max payout may be a possibility. Keep in mind though that this will be a rare occurrence as this is a highly volatile game and in reality any win over 1,000x is going to be a tough ask.

In summary, with some interesting features and a mid-range top payout, Boat Bonanza offers enough to set it apart from other fishing-themed games to make it worth a spin this autumn.