Hotline Slot Review
Just when you thought NetEnt was done with the 80s-themed slots, Hotline Slot popped up. This is probably one of the most retro-themed slots we have played in a while too; the design is fantastic, anyone who remembers the original Miami Vice in the 1980s will love this game thanks to the design and soundtrack.
How to Play Hotline Slot
The Hotline Slot was first released in March 2018. It is a 5-reel, 30 pay line slot machine. The minimum bet per spin is 15p. The maximum is £450, which makes it one of the more expensive NetEnt slots to play when it comes to the upper level, but the minimum bet is perfectly accessible.
This game is retro. Very retro. You got neon signs. Dudes decked out in sunglasses. Jewellery, sunsets, and all that jazz. Honestly, Hotline looks good. The images are well-drawn and it makes a chance to get a new slot from NetEnt which does not go overboard with the fancy graphics and the like. We have no real complaints on the theming level. This is yet another game which just shows how fantastic NetEnt is when it comes to the design of their games. We believe that the game is based on Miami Vice or perhaps the pc game "Hotline Miami" as it certainly has all the hallmarks of all that, although NetEnt is never going to say that. They do not wish to pay the licensing fees most like, but none of that matters because the theming is spot on.
While there are a few features loaded into the Hotline slot machine, there is nothing here that is going to be particularly tricky to understand. Well, at least there shouldn’t be. This is a slot which seems to be made for both beginners and experienced players alike. After playing it for a few hours, we certainly had a ton of fun.
Hotline Slot Game Features
There are several features to be found in the Hotline slot, and a few of them are unique enough to make this slot easily one of the best slots to play. This means you should find plenty of interesting and exciting twists and turns as you play.
| Feature Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Hotline Bonus Bet | Requires additional funds to activate one or all three lines for the bonus bet. Activating more hotlines increases the chances of expanding wilds and re-spins. Worth the extra cost, in our opinion. |
| Expanding Wilds | Wilds can appear anywhere and expand to cover an entire reel if they land on an activated hotline. This triggers a respin, with the wild remaining sticky on the reels. Activating more hotlines increases the chances of winning and receiving free respins. |
| Hotline Free Spins | Triggered by landing 3 sunset scatter symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 simultaneously. Awards 7 free spins. During free spins, any wild landing on an activated hotline will expand and remain in place until the end of the feature. Potentially leads to a screen full of wilds for maximum payout. |
Hotline Slot RTP%, Variance & Winning Combinations
Maximum Wins: To land the maximum payout for this game you’d need to fill a screen full of wild symbols. This would ultimately result in maximum wins of 400x your stake on every spin/re-spin/free spin you make. For example, if you managed to fill the reels with wilds on your first free spin within the free spins feature, then this would result in you getting a whopping 2,800 times your stake (400 x stake for 7 free spins).
Hotline Slot RTP% & Variance: The game is set with a nice 97.40% RTP which is higher than most other Netent slots and other slots from alternative providers, making it one of the highest paying slots out there. As mentioned, this game is built for the beginner and advanced player in mind.
Hotline slot is considered a medium variance game. You can choose your stake size and see how many expanded, sticky wilds you play with. We found that playing with 3 Hotlines was the best option, but it will set you back between 45p and £450 per spin. Also, the more ‘Hotlines’ that you play with, the higher the potential return is (RTP%). One Hotline = 96.13% RTP, 2 Hotlines = 96.70% RTP and 3 Hotlines = 97.04% RTP.
Hotline Mobile Slot
Since Hotline is a NetEnt slot, you can expect the mobile version of this game to be impeccable. While we have not had much of a chance to play about with the mobile version of the Hotline Slot (we spend most of our time playing with the desktop version when we review games), the hour or so that we spent with it indicates that this game is going to be amazing for those who mostly play on mobile devices. The colour scheme of the retro 80s really comes into its own on the smaller screen too. Highly recommended for those who prefer to play mobile slots.
Our Verdict
We know that the bonus bet on Hotline slot is going to put some people off. Nobody is ever really a fan of slots that ask you to pay a little bit more for a higher chance of winning. However, trust us on this one. When you play an online slot like Hotline, you are going to want to pay that extra cash. It is worth it. The higher chance of winning is actually a massively higher chance of winning because if you do, the RTP% does theoretically shoot up to 97.06%! There are also plenty of other features too, which keeps this game exciting as they regularly pop up.