Gunpowder

Gunpowder Slot Review

Slot Provider: Peter and Sons

RTP: 96.2% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 7.2

Play at Barz Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Testing Notes | Tips For Players | About The Developer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Gunpowder

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 18th April 2024

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.

Gunpowder is a pirate-themed online slot from Peter and Sons, with 5 reels and 10 paylines. A Phantom Power feature sees ghost-ship wilds do battle with adjacent symbols to turn them wild and trigger re-spins with sticky wilds. And the free spins round gets you up to 15 plays with more sticky wilds. This simple, high variance slot has a maximum win of 10,000x. Spins start at 20p per play.

Gunpowder Game Information

  • Release Date: 09.05.24
  • RTP: 96.2% | 94.2% | 90.5% | 86%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Pirates
  • Features: Wilds, Sticky Wilds, Re-Spins, Multipliers

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Gunpowder

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

I played 250 spins on Gunpowder on Peter and Son’s test server prior to release to test the game. This is what happened.

  • Stake Size: 1
  • Start balance: 10,000
  • End balance: 9,883.30
  • Win Rate: 16% (40 winning spins in 250)
  • Biggest Win: 14x
  • Free Spins Round: 0

I really enjoyed this game. The animations accompanying the gun battles are brilliant and although the win rate wasn’t great in my short session it still felt like there was a lot going on which is important in these very simple high variance games that are low on feature action and can dish out some frustrating spells where it seems like you’re churning through cash. If you decide to play then you should be looking out for the Phantom Power feature where ghost ship wilds do battle with other ships and hopefully turn them wild. That only happened 6 times over 250 spins for me which is not a lot, though it did eventually produce my best win of just 14x.

Gunpowder Gun Battle
A gun battle where wilds take on the ships around them

Overall the balance took quite a hit and I never got a sniff of the free spins round. So beware, this does feel like a very volatile game.

What We Liked

  • Superb gun battles where wilds attack surrounding ships to turn them wild
  • Wild Multipliers of 2x and 3x in the free spins round
  • Excellent 3d cartoon animations
  • Simple gameplay is easy to follow
  • Nice 10,000x max win available

What We Didn't like

  • Low RTP at some slot sites - watch out!
  • Can be a tough play due to high variance

Gunpowder Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 8
  • RTP and Variance 7
  • Maximum Win 7
  • Symbols and Paytable 7
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"An awesome pirate ship slot with very simple gameplay, brought to life though Peter and Sons' amazing creative work! Top class!"

Overall Score: 7.2

Theme & Design

Our Score 8

Slick, 3-D Cartoon Animation Style For This Pirate Slot

Peter and Son’s games are notable for their distinctive 3-d cartoon design style and that’s just what you get in Gunpowder. We’re looking down on the port of a tropical island with little boats floating on the waves, a lighthouse, palm trees and a few shipwrecks for good measure. The story is about pirate ships and gun battles and the paytable is filled with cannon-toting vessels, whilst an epic orchestral score completes the pirate-movie atmosphere. Every time you land a win the guns above the reels go off and the whole grid shakes. And there is a great battle feature where ghost ships battle others on the reels. Its an excellent production, quirky as you would expect, and very different to most pirate slots which is no bad thing.

Gunpowder by Peter and Sons
Gunpowder – showcasing Peter and Son’s unique design style

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

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.

Gunpowder comes with four RTP rates for your slot site to choose from. They are 96.2%, 94.2%, 90.5% and 86%. Some casinos in the UK will run the game at the lower rates to improve their house edge. So watch out for that. You can check the RTP wherever you play by hitting the hamburger button in the bottom left of the game area then clicking on Game Rules. Scroll down until you see Return to Player.

I recommend trying Casumo (Independent) or Barz Casino (White Hat Gaming) both of which regularly run Peter and Sons slots at high RTP rates.

This is also a high variance slot so it will potentially be a tough play with uneven win distribution and all the frustrations that come with that. But of course it can go off in a big way too when those wilds and multipliers work their magic.

Maximum Win

Our Score 7

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

The top payout is a solid 10,000x which means you can win up to £10,000 with a £1 bet. Not bad, but if you are looking for better potential you could check out our list of the highest max win slots with much higher prizes of 10,000x or more.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 7

The game plays on a straight forward 5 reel, 3 row grid with 10 paylines. You’ll need to land 3 or more identical symbols on a line from left to right, starting at the left most reel, to trigger a win.

Gunpowder Paytable
The paytable with 20x for 5 yellow ships

There are 10 pay symbols in the table. The low value ones are the cards, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These are valued at from 0.6x for 3 10s up to 5x for 5 Aces. Premium symbols are the 5 ships in pink, purple, blue, green and yellow. These are valued at from 1.5x for 3 pink ships up to 20x for 5 yellow ones.

There are wilds too, represented by the Phantom Power yellow ship. These will substitute for any pay symbol to complete a payline.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

This really is a simple game where re-spins, multipliers and free spins are your only extra features. Here is how it works.

Phantom Power Re-Spins With Sticky Wilds 

Keep your eyes out for that elusive Phantom Power wild which is the ghost-ship in yellow. Not only is it wild, but when it lands it also trigger a re-spin where it is sticky on the reels. At the same time, this ghost ship will battle those in adjacent positions. And if it wins, it turns them wild too, triggering a further re-spin.

Free Spins With Multiplier Wilds

The scatter symbol here is represented by the buried treasure chest. Landing 3, 4 or 5 will earn you 10, 12 or 15 free spins. During the round all your wilds are sticky, and IF you can reach a point where every reel has a wild on it, then you’ll earn yourself 5 extra spins.

Also, the Phantom Power feature is active during free spins too, so wilds may turn other ships into wilds if they win their battles. And … wilds may have 2x or 3x multipliers with them during free spins too!

The Final Verdict

What makes this game worth playing is the creative work that has gone into it. If you’re going to make a game with very few features then you have to have a fun production style to keep your punters interested, and that’s how it is with Gunpowder. It’s great work from Peter and Sons. As our test session showed, the variance is most definitely high, so prepare yourself for that. But whatever the outcome of your spins, enjoy the show, because its worth it!

Useful Tips When Playing Gunpowder

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Set A Sensible Stake To Start

This is a game with a volatile engine so be ready because it can burn your balance fast. Use bankroll management and set your stake to a low level to absorb those tricky runs.

2. Look Out For The Phantom Power

Adding wilds to the grid through the Phantom Power feature is a great way to score bigger wins. Randomly the ghost wild ships engage with surrounding symbols and if they win, turn them wild. That gives you a better chance of completing win lines.

3. Play With The Sound On

To get the best out of this game I recommend playing with the sound on to take in the dramatic music and the boom of the guns every time you land a win. It really adds to the drama!

4. Play At Recommended Slot Sites

Choose from the slot sites we have picked for you on this page. Each one scored high in our reviews and is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. That means they offer only fair, safe and secure slots play. Never play at unlicensed sites.

Who Made Gunpowder?

  • Name: Peter and Sons
  • Established: 2019
  • UK License: 37462
  • Total Games: 30 +
  • Known For: Cartoon and fairytale style slots with mega blocks
  • Popular Slots: Dugeon Tower, Ghost Father, Voodoo Hex
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