The Bandit and the Baron

The Bandit and the Baron Slot Review

Slot Provider: Just For The Win

RTP: 96.09% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 25,000x

Our Score: 8.0

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About The Bandit and the Baron

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 16th November 2021

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Microgaming partners, Just for the Win, have a mixed catalogue of games to their name spanning the usual range of themes from Irish luck in Emerald Gold to Egyptian history in Temple of Tut. Although they have few truly outstanding slots amongst their releases, from time to time they push out something a little bit different. And so it is with The Bandit and the Baron, a game that draws from the deep well of inspiration for slots developers that is the Wild West. From Dead or Alive to Deadwood, this period of US history with its association with bandits, the gold rush and general outlaw mayhem makes it ripe for high variance action.

In this instance we are looking at the very typical Western backdrop of an outback town, all wooden frames and dusty streets with saloon bards and a 5×5 grid taking centre stage. The action moves in the bonus round into a bank with torches either side of the grid, gold bars to the side of the screen and locks on the symbols for added affect. The Baron character and the female bandit make for an intriguing pair although it is unclear what their roles are here. Presumably she is looking to rob the vaults of his hard-earned wealth. Which is what this game is all about – cracking that free spins round where the safes unlock and thanks to three modifiers, including useful upgrades, its possible to push towards a 25,000x top payout.

The Bandit and the Baron Game Information

  • RTP: 96.09%, 94.15%, 92.11%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 25,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 5
  • Paylines: 25
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Wild West
  • Features: Re-Spins, Wilds, Free Spins and Multipilers

The Bandit and the Baron Review Scores

  • Gameplay and Features 8
  • Maximum Win 9
  • Theme and Design 8
  • Paytable 8
  • RTP and Variance 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A fun if generic wild west slot with fun high variance action in the free spins round with lots of multipliers and locking icons."

Our Score: 8.0

The Bandit and the Baron Pros and Cons

What We Liked

  • Cool Wild West and bank robbery theme
  • Expanding Wilds. in base game
  • Respins with Locked Symbols
  • Free Spins with multipliers
  • High top payout - 25,000x

What We Didn't like

  • Unfulfilled storyline potential

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.

Just for the Win aren’t a slot studio necessarily known for high volatility, but in this instance we are looking at a particularly vertiginous maths model. This game is most definitely suited to high rollers and those who enjoy a high level of risk in their slot play. The RTP is set at 96.09%, which is around average, while the minimum bet is 20p, which is where we recommend you start when playing this game as it can pick your pockets in no time thanks to its high volatility. The good news is that the top potential is 25,000x which gives you an idea of the kind of prizes you can take if you are lucky enough to hit the magic mix of upgrades and free spins.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

To score wins in the base game you will need to land three or more identical symbols across a payline from left to right. There are 25 active paylines in play at all times.

The symbols in The Bandit and the Baron include the bandit, the baron, gold bars, gold coins, silver coins, bank notes, safes and the four standard card suits. The safe symbols are the best paying and can award from 3 to 20x stake for 5 of a kind. There are also Baron Wild symbols which can expand to fill the reel, while the Bandit Bonus symbols can trigger the special features.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 8

The features are simple – the base game is all about re-spins and expanding wilds. But it is the bonus where things get interesting as the gameplay moves to a different grid style.

Bandit Respins

Landing 2 Bandit symbols on reels 1, 3 or 5 will trigger the bandit Respins round. The reels containing the Bandit Bonus symbols are locked into position and the other reels respin. This gives you another free chance to hit the Bandit Bonus Free Spins round.

Expanding Wilds

The Baron is the Wild symbol in the game. When this symbol lands on the screen, it expands to fill the reel. The Wild can substitute for all other symbols in the game, while it also pays the same as the top premium symbol, awarding 20x stake for hitting 5 of a kind.

Bandit Bonus

Landing Bandit symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5 triggers the Bandit Bonus feature. This awards 3 Free Spins, which are played within a bank vault. The initial screen features 13 unlocked symbols laid out in a 1,3,5,3,1 formation. The other positions are locked. New symbol types appear on the reels during the 3 Free Spins. These are cash symbols worth 1x to 25x stake, key symbols which can unlock the locked tiles and activate the reward contained within, and upgrade symbols which multiply cash symbols by 2x, 3x, 5x or 10x.

The bonus round will keep playing until you either run out of spins, you hit the top payout threshold, or all positions on the grid are filled with symbols.

Bonus Buy

The Bonus Buy option, only available OUTSIDE the UK, allows you to buy your way into the bonus features. The cost of this is 100x stake and when you take advantage of the Bonus Buy option, you will guarantee 3 Bandit symbols on the next spin to trigger a feature.

The Final Verdict

Our Score 8.0

The Bandit and the Baron is yet another Wild West slot, which is one of those classic themes that has been worked time and again in the online slot world. However, Just for the Win have at least made this one feel a bit different by creating the baron and the female bandit character who are a bit different from your standard male Wild West shooters. It’s just a shame that there is no backstory to these characters – it’s up to the player to fill in the blanks on who these people are. This feels like an opportunity missed to create a game with more depth and engagement, drawing you into the bank robbery theme.

In terms of visuals and gameplay, the 5×5 grid screen keeps things fresh by making the most of money-related symbols instead of guns and more obvious cowboy-themed icons. And whilst expander wilds and re-spins are nothing new, the bonus round is worth playing for. Cash symbols granting an instant 25x when they land are a treat and the symbol upgrades can score you the bigger wins if a higher value cash icon reacts with a higher value multiplier of 10x. That’s where the big wins are!

In summary, due to the high variance it will always be a hard slog to land bigger wins in a game like this but nevertheless, this is a moderately good game from Just for the Win, and despite the lack of depth in the story telling, one that Western slot fans and high risk enthusiasts will enjoy. Check it out at any of the new casino sites we recommend today.

Who Made The Bandit and the Baron?

  • Name: Just For The Win
  • Established: 2016
  • UK License: Via Microgaming
  • Total Games: 45 +
  • Known For: Partnerships with Microgaming, high variance games
  • Popular Slots: Western Gold, Bandit and the Baron, Diamond Sands, Wolf Howl
Find More Just For The Win

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