Extra Wild Free Play in Demo Mode by Merkur Gaming

Extra Wild review

Theme and Storyline

This slot is themed on an array of treasures.

The retro style symbols depict coins, gems, jewelry and safe doors. The design feels a little cheesy and clangs against a trippy blue background.

The intended vibe seems to be that of a classic slot machine, but players will need to be feeling extremely nostalgic (or charitable) to get on board with it.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

The graphics have the aesthetic of a ‘80s video game, but not in a particularly attractive way. The pixelated images feel off and unfinished, as if the animators were working with much less advanced technology.

Each symbol looks like it has been grabbed out of an outdated clipart folder. Some of the jewel symbols have an appealing sparkle, but players will need to squint to appreciate it.

Even the instruction section of this game feels as though it was put together quickly at the last minute with fonts and layout of a basic document.

The beeping soundtrack as the reels spin is consistent with an ‘80s mood. Wins are celebrated with clapping, bells and a series of percussion sounds. Overall, the music matches the visual aesthetic, but unfortunately this means it is cringingly outdated.

Gameplay

Extra Wild is a five reel, three row slot, with 10 win lines.

There are two gamble features in this game. Both are versions of a double-or-nothing game:

• The Card Gamble feature allows players to bet on the colour of the next card off an infinite deck.
• In the Ladder Gamble feature each time the player plays they move either up or down a payout ladder at random.

The player can collect their winnings at any point by clicking the Collect button.

The pace of the gameplay itself is somewhat dizzying and doesn’t feel well-calibrated.

Wilds, Bonuses and Free Spins

The Wild symbol substitutes for all symbols.

Wild symbols can also have a range of multipliers associated with them.

Any time a player wins with a Wild symbol, the win is multiplied by a corresponding multiplier.

Bet Sizes, RTP and Variance

The return to player of this game is 95.79%, a little below our yardstick for average of roughly 96%.

The range of bets on the site we tested ran from a minimum bet per spin of $/£/€0.10 up to a maximum of $/£/€100 per spin.

The volatility of this game is at the low end of medium, which makes it a poor match for our preferred slot machine strategies. Our slot strategies target the highest possible volatility.

Conclusion

We do not recommend this low RTP, low volatility gold and jewel-themed slot.

With lackluster graphics and an outdated vibe, this game doesn’t come close to overcoming its bad strategy stats. All players will likely want to steer clear of this disappointing slot.

The gameplay doesn’t offer anything special either with rather unvaried bonus options.

What could have been the redeeming quality of this slot, its retro vibe, is achieved much better by other slots. Players would do well to take their time and money elsewhere.