Das xBoot Free Play in Demo Mode by Nolimit City

Das xBoot review

Theme and Storyline

Das xBoot is a slot that bases itself around the classic 1981 movie, Das Boot. Although careful to avoid infringing Bavaria Film’s copyright, Das xBoot borrows the WW2 submarine setting from the movie as well as much of its atmosphere.

Everything – from the bonus game design to the ambient sound – has been put together to make the player feel like they are in the claustrophobic confines of a U-boat. The reels sport characters ranging from the chief cook to the vessel’s captain.

Fans of the movie, this period of history, or just the diesel-punk feel submarine warfare will find plenty to like in this game.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

The graphics of Das xBoot have an unusual cell-shaded look, reminiscent of graphic novels or the Borderland games. The animations are simple though, and this couples nicely with the more serious soundscape of the slot.

If you leave the "music" track on, you’d be serenaded by a rich blend of subtle musical cues, groaning metal, pinging sonar, and the deep sea rumble of engines muffled by water.

It’s an atmospheric slot, though the slow paced nature of submarine warfare does occasionally lead to clashes between the sedate graphics, sounds, animations and the more rapid gameplay elements.

Gameplay

Das xBoot has an unusual 2-3-4-4-3-2 format for its reels. Wins are formed by matching symbols anywhere on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel. As a result, there are effectively 576 ways to win.

A range of special symbols and a pair of bonus features (see below) provide some variety. However, due to the high volatility of the game, most of your gameplay is likely to be spent in the basic game with rare moments of excitement.

In this regard, it is very like submarine warfare – long stretches of boring repetition spiced up with sudden moments of explosive excitement.

Wilds, Bonuses and Free Spins

There are several special symbols in this game and two bonus features.

The Wild symbol comes in two forms – the xNudge and Bomb symbols – which substitute for all other symbols except the Bonus symbol.

xNudge is a column of four Wild symbols. If it does not fill the reel it lands on, then it will remain on the reels for each subsequent spin, moving one space each spin until it fills the reel. Once it fills the reel, then it will be removed from the reel in time for the next spin. Each time it moves, the Wild multiplier will increase by one.

The Bomb symbol destroys all other symbols on the reel (except for other Wilds and the Bonus symbol). Then, new symbols drop down from above to fill the reels back up.

Three Bonus symbols on one spin will trigger the Wolf Pack Bonus. Four symbols trigger the Silent Hunter Bonus. Both bonuses consist of 8 free spins.

During the Wolf Pack Bonus, a Torpedo Counter appears below rows 2-5. Torpedo Wilds can land on any of these reels. When a Torpedo Wild lands on a reel, an xWays symbol is added to the Torpedo counter for that row. When the Torpedo counter is full, the xWays symbols are added to each reel. The more Torpedo Wilds that are collected on the counter, the greater the multipliers and splits that are applied to the xWays symbols.

Bonus symbols add +2 Wolf Pack spins and increase the multiplier applied to all wins.

During the Silent Hunter Bonus, reel three grows to take eight symbols on each spin. If a Wild is part of a win on reel three, then the Wild has a chance to expand to the top of the reel and then proceeds to nudge down the reels.

Bomb symbols add one to the multiplier that is applied to all wins during the free spins.

These bonuses seem dry and complex when described, but in practice are fast paced and fairly easy to follow thanks to Das xBoot’s excellent UI.

Bet Sizes, RTP and Variance

The return to player of Das xBoot game is 96.03%, right around 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 Das xBoot is high, which makes it a good slot to use with our preferred slot machine strategies. High volatility coupled with a higher RTP would be nice, but at 96.03%, the RTP is not too bad to preclude the slot from strategic use.

Conclusion

Das xBoot has a limited appeal thanks to its unusual setting. However, for anyone who likes the idea of an undersea adventure in a WW2 submarine, it does the job well.

The sense of atmosphere is unimpeachable and the gameplay is entertaining, with two bonus features and a slew of special symbols that all contribute to an engaging slot-experience.

The high volatility is excellent, even if it is paired with a very average RTP.

You can’t have everything, but if you like U-boats, then this slot comes close.