Gold Train

Classic slots are often thought of as the lesser cousin of their five-reel counterparts, but Pragmatic Play has shown with the Gold Train slot that this isn't necessarily the case. This game has just as much action as many video slots, and it actually uses an innovative mechanic for its bonus feature that we haven't ever seen before. This is definitely a game that players will want to check out, even if they aren't normally a fan of games with this format, because it plays more like the more popular video slots in the industry.

Slot Layout

The typical classic slot layout with three reels and three rows is used here. There are three paylines, and they each travel horizontally across the reels on the first, second and third row. Betting is set up in a way that you can wager up to 10 coins on each of these paylines for a betting range of three to 30 coins, and the coins themselves can be set to values ranging from $0.01 to $0.50 apiece. Penny players will be very happy with the $0.03 minimum bet size, and the wagers go up to $15 on the upper end as well.

Wild Train Symbol

In a move that makes perfect sense, Pragmatic Play has made the Gold Train itself the wild symbol in this game. This symbol shows up on each of the three reels, and as you'll see by the structure of the pay table, it's responsible for a tremendous amount of value, especially when it shows up on the first or second reel.

Two of a kind of this symbol gets a win of 5x. However, if those two line up on a payline in a way that it would give you a three of a kind payout of a different symbol with a higher win, then you get the larger prize instead. Three of a kind of the wild train gives players the jackpot payout in this game, which is worth 500x.

Scatters and Free Spins

The free spins bonus feature in this game is a little complicated, but once you understand how it works, you'll see that it fits perfectly with the theme of the game. First off, you can trigger the free spins with three or more of the scattered silver ticket symbols. These show up on each reel, and they can appear anywhere on the game's reels in any position to help trigger this feature.

From there, you're guaranteed to get at least 10 free spins. However, your actual number of free spins is initially determined by how many of the golden ticket symbols had appeared on the third reel during your regular play. Each ticket is collected and will give you between four and 10 free turns. This builds as a progressive feature, and all of your earned free spins are then "cashed in" when you line up the scatters and initiate the feature.

During these free spins, you can still get golden tickets on the third reel. These will add between four and 10 free spins to your current total that are played out before you finished the feature.

Paytable Wins

Three of the lucky red sevens gets you 30x, and three of the conductor's hat earns 24x. You can pick up 20x for three of the red and green flags, and it's 15x for three of the bell. The triple bar train track symbols get 10x for three of a kind, and three of the double bar track symbols are worth 8x. Finally, three of the single bar track symbols get you 5x.

It's worth pointing out that all symbols except the single and double bars also have payouts for just two of a kind, which is why the wild symbols pack so much value on the first and second reels in particular in this game.

Our Thoughts

The Gold Train slot has about as much action in it as you can pack into three reels. Pragmatic Play has done an excellent job of making the theme work for all parts of the game itself, but they've also brought a style of gameplay that gives you a high hit-rate and a value-packed bonus feature. This game plays more like a video slot as a result, so even if you are the type of player who tends to avoid slots with only three reels, we think you should give it a try anyway because you're likely to be surprised.