Buster's Bones Online Slot: Review

With Buster's Bones, NetEnt decides to venture down familiar paths, embracing the typical Wild West setting but presenting an unconventional cast of characters: dogs instead of the usual human characters. The result is decidedly more fun, and the setting reflects what many players love: the North American prairie. The beating heart of Buster's Bones is the Cluster Pays mechanism, set in a 6x6 game grid with medium-high volatility. The RTP is 96.07%.

Buster's Bones slot machine: features

This is a slot machine inspired by the Wild West, showcasing the high-class graphic quality we've come to associate with NetEnt. The backdrop to the reels consists of canyons and prairies, with "wanted" posters hung on cacti scattered here and there. The reels, placed at the center of the screen, are made of wood, helping to create an authentic and immersive atmosphere. Regarding the symbols, we have card suits on one side and a variety of dog breeds as protagonists on the other. The latter, depicted with care and attention to detail, add a touch of originality and charm to this adventure set in the Western lands. A harmonica and banjo pleasantly accompany gaming sessions, creating an effective and perfectly themed soundtrack.

Paytable

To activate a spin, a minimum investment of €0.10 is sufficient, but you'll always have the opportunity to increase the stake up to a maximum of €200 in the same round. In terms of prizes, the rewards offered by Buster's Bones may appear rather modest. Indeed, it promises a maximum win of 973 times the bet for a single spin, a prospect that would be more appealing if the game's volatility were low. Wins are obtained with groups of symbols consisting of at least 5 icons of the same type, while the highest payout is given by groups of 15 or more identical icons.

The symbol payouts are divided into two fundamental groups: the protagonist icons all offer a maximum payout of 15x, while the minor icons pay up to 5x. Among the most important symbols are three different dogs that seem to play the roles of a sheriff, a poker enthusiast, and a bandit. The minor symbols are hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds.

Bonus features of the Buster's Bones slot

Buster's Bones: When a special Buster symbol appears on the grid along with at least one bone symbol, the bonus feature is activated. Buster will move randomly across the reels, collecting bones and transforming each into a Wild symbol, capable of substituting for all other symbols. Once all bones are collected, Buster will act as a Wild symbol. The total bones collected will create a win multiplier. When Buster runs out of energy and rests, his multiplier will be used to increase the potential win if he's part of a cluster win. After a new spin, Buster disappears but might randomly reappear in another spin to collect new bones.

Random Bonus: Random features can be activated at any time during play in the Buster's Bones slot. Bone symbols and the special Buster symbol will appear on the grid while the reels spin. If a special Buster symbol stops next to at least one bone symbol, the Buster's Bones feature activates, which means multipliers come into play, as explained previously.

Scatter and Free Spins: To activate this bonus feature in the Buster's Bones slot, you need to get two Scatter symbols and one special Buster symbol during the base game. This will grant you 8 free spins, and Buster will remain on the grid until the end, collecting bones to increase the multiplier. During the bonus round, if one or two Scatter symbols appear, you'll be awarded one or three extra free spins respectively.

Similar slots to Buster's Bones

Those wanting to discover interesting alternatives to Buster's Bones can try:

• Canine Carnage by Play'nGo;
• Karen ManEater by NoLimit City;
• The Dog House Megaways by Pragmatic Play.

Pros and cons of the Buster's Bones slot

Initially, the Buster's Bones slot appears truly exceptional, and it's impossible to criticize the graphics, which stand out as one of the game's strengths. The bonus features are also more than interesting, particularly when Buster chases after bones, increasing his multiplier. However, the major disappointment lies in the maximum winning potential, equal to 973 times the total bet. This value proves decidedly low when compared to that offered by many other slots on the market. Does the volatility compensate for this shortcoming? Not entirely. Although not particularly high, it would have been preferable to set a medium-low variance level. Overall, the gameplay is fun and the slot's details are easily understandable. If it weren't for the disappointing maximum win, the game could have certainly achieved much more success.