WGS Gaming Technologies released Down the Drain slot at the tail end of 2019. The plumbing themed game has a 243 winning ways system that comes with several bonus features. Eight free spins can be triggered whenever three Scatter free spins icons appear on reels 1, 3 and 5. During the free spins round, any additional free spin symbol that appears on any reel adds free spin. You receive a free Re-Spin when a scatter symbol appears anywhere on Reel 3. Last, but not least is the Pipefitters bonus feature activated with bonus symbols, anywhere on the reels. Simply select the tools, connect the pipes, stop the leak and win the prize! Under the sink fun in this 5-reel video slot game with the Wild symbol, Free-Spins, Re-Spin Scatter and a bonus feature with guaranteed cash prizes! Released in 2019 by WGS, Down the Drain is all about those uncomfortable moments when there are leaking pipes and panic starts. The slot game has plenty going for it from an all easy pays system without predefined pay lines serving up no less than 243 winning combinations! You can land any winning symbols that run from left to right to earn a payout. You get less a few almost moments and many successful results! When you first load up the game for the first time, you will discover that isn't the case. It is about leaky pipes, plumbing and is a very imaginative subject for a slot game. It's not the first time plumbers and plumbing become part of the gaming industry, Super Mario was a plumber after all, but it is the first I have seen for a little while. How does the 5x3 reel slot with its massive 243 Ways to Win shape up? Will it spring a leak and let you down? Or will this plumber on the job deliver what is asked in time and at the right price?
Pipe-Drain Theme
The presentation of the Down the Drain is engaging; however, it lacks a bit of that wow factor. The game graphics are cartoon style and have a humorous element to them, and the builders bum Scatter being my favourite. However, the rest of the slot is not as dynamic. Animations are barely used much, and the game sits there with little to keep players interested. Nevertheless, the music is a cheery tune, not like a usual soundtrack, and the game grabs you and makes you want to play
Pipe Fitter Bonuses & ReSpin Scatter
The plumber is the Wild, and that symbol does not act as a standard symbol in that it has a payout amount that is attached to it. Instead, it serves only as a substitute symbol, replacing any of the other icons to help you land a better value win. The more Wild images you get on the reels, the more chance you have to win better value base game wins. The leading Free Spin bonus round of the Down the Drain game is triggered whenever you land the three builders bum Scatters on the first to fifth reels with the same spin. You win 8 Free Spins initially, although during the bonus round, any time you land an additional Scatter on your reels, you will receive an extra Free Spin added to your total. Other than that there are no other additions besides the Free Spins round and they play at the same rate, on the same reels as the ones during the base game. There is another outstanding bonus available on this slot machine, which is the Respin feature. The Respin image lands on the 3rd reel only, and any time that you land it on the reel, you receive a free Respin which can see you land a win, or maybe even an extra win if you landed success with the Respin symbol on the first spin. The other main feature is the Pipe Fitter Bonus game, which is a simple but enjoyable game where you have to choose which tools you prefer to use for the task of connecting the pipes to fix the lead. If you choose the right tools for the job and can stop the leak by using them by joining the pipes, then you will win the cash prize available in the bonus. That is a straightforward, puzzle-type game which offers a mix of awards but links in superbly with the theme of the slot game.
Betting Options and Coin Values
Down the Drain has a layout of 5-reel and an all ways pays system. There are multiple coin values including $0.01, $0.02, $0.03, $0.04, $0.05, $0.10, $0.20, $0.15, $0.25, $0.50, $0.75, $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5 is the highest coin value. The top bet limit reaches an incredible $200 each spin. You can wager from $0.40 to up to $200 a spin!
Game Symbols
The slot has many unusual symbols and card icons. They include Ace, Jack, King, Nine, Queen and Ten. Also a Plumber, a Plunge, a Shower, a Toilet Bowl, a Water Tap, and work Wrenches. The high-value symbols that can land on your reels include a colourful collection. They offer a broad range of winning options. The top-paying ones are worth a lot more when you land 5 of the tap symbols. That gives you a 1,000 coin jackpot-winning any way across your reels. The Plumber is the Wild that can substitute all the other symbols on the five reels. The Free Spins symbol will trigger at least eight free spins whenever it lands on reels 1, 3 as well as 5.
During the free spins round, any Free Spins symbol appearing on any of the reels adds an extra free spin. They can add up to turn the original eight your receives into many more free spins. The ReSpin Scatter symbol appears on the third reel and generates an automatic ReSpin of the current game. Three pipe-wrench bonus icons landing anywhere on reels 1, 3 and 5 will activate the PIpe Fitter Bonus round. You need to fix the broken and leaking pipes by choosing a selection of wrenches. Once you stop the leaks, you win a brilliant cash award.
Best Slot Features
There are mostly three main bonus features included in Down the Drain slots. It is unsurprisingly that the Free Spins bonus offers the best value payouts. The Wild can be useful for those crucial base game wins, and the Respin bonus round is hit and miss. Nevertheless, it gives out more consistent winning returns when you trigger the Free Spins bonus round.
Conclusion
There is one thing that the game seems to lack, a sense of dynamism. The slot is safe and steady and with fun cartoon graphics. It does not seem to come alive whenever you click on the reels and is somewhat reserved. The brilliant animation should have been used a bit more. Leaks are springing out of those pesky pipes around the outside of your game reels, and little additions like that would have enhanced the game even more. Down the Drain slot machine is a decent enough slot, it has some excellent touches and some superb bonus features, but it all feels a little safe from WGS. The presentation is somewhat lacking in ambition and scope. The plumber blinking is not the most exciting animation of the game. However, in terms of playing a regular medium volatility slot machine that offers a right mix of wins, this is not a bad game at all, it just isn't quite as exciting as it could have been.
