Sticky Joker

Sticky Joker Slot: Overview

It appears that Play’n GO's Joker Series of Vegas-style slots is still alive and kicking. Not only does the original, Fire Joker, remain one of the studio's most popular slots to date, but it also kicked off the series which is now on its sixth incarnation. So far we've had the original, followed by Inferno Joker, Chronos Joker, Xmas Joker (yes, we skipped reviewing that one), and Star Joker doing their pared-back, simplistic thing. The latest is Sticky Joker, and the title should come with a spoiler alert, because sticky jokers make up most of what the game is all about. Fans of the series will no doubt be fired up over the latest release; others might be wondering whether the gambling world really needed one more of these. Well, consumerism is all about choice, so they say, so let's put Sticky Joker through its paces and see if it's a viable one.

The first impressions don't disappoint. If you're expecting a big bright, basic slot, then Sticky Joker is all that and less. Play’n GO have gone for a classic 3 by 3 set up, with a fading blue constellation thing going on in the background. Peripheral effects feel like an afterthought though, as the focus is on the reels and the 9 huge symbols they hold. The symbols used are also everything you hoped or dreaded they would be. The paytable containing a bunch of fruit such as cherries, lemons, grapes, and plums - almost your five a day right there, followed by bars, stars, and lucky sevens. Sevens are the most valuable regular symbol with 3 of a kind paying out 5 times the stake. There are only 5 paylines in play which only allows you to land combos of three of a kind.

Low and high rollers will appreciate the range of betting options Sticky Joker has on tap. As a homage to its fruit slot DNA, bets start at just 5 p/c per spin, but can be raised to $/€100. Ticking away in the background, Sticky Joker’s math model is far from being a high thrills beast. Play’n GO has rated the volatility at 6/10, or a medium setting in other words. The other key stat is RTP and the game ships with adjustable rates which can be set by the provider. The best-case scenario is a generous 96.74% RTP, but you can find it a lot lower, so make sure to check the paytable to ensure you play the right one. The game's overall potential is hardly inspirational, but high RTP figures like that should help boost its appeal amongst the casual fruit crowd.

Sticky Joker Slot: Features

Play’n GO has kept the learning curve low throughout and this goes for features as well. Two accompany the base game, and are the only ways of getting anything close to significant returns. The star of the show is the Joker symbol which is wild and is worth 8 times the stake for three of a kind. The joker can appear in any position, and when one or more land, they are locked in place and trigger a Respin. If another wild lands during the respin, it is also locked and triggers another respin. This respin feature continues to run until no more wilds land, or the grid is covered in them.

If 4 or more wilds are in view at the end of a respin, then the Wheel of Multipliers is activated. This wheel is split into 12 segments, each with a multiplier of x2, x3, x4, x5, or x10 on it. When it stops spinning, the selected multiplier is applied to the total win accumulated during the respins feature. A bit like Fire Joker in other words.

Sticky Joker Slot: Verdict

Well what can you say? Without free spins, or anything particularly new, there's not much to Sticky Joker. If you are not into the genre, it for sure won't do anything to win your heart, or your coins. Occasionally, a developer injects something super original, compelling, or high stakes into a Vegas slot to tempt the naysayers in for a spin or two. Sticky Joker isn't one of those games. Instead, it sticks to the basics and does what it says on a tin, is unashamedly bright and fruity, and carries about its business at a reasonable pace.

Fans will probably be able to squeeze out a dose of entertainment value. Its quick, it's easy, and collecting four or more jokers and a multiplier to go with them can be fun. A quick mental calculation comes up with a best-case scenario where a grid of joker wilds and an x10 multiplier is worth a quick fire 400 times the stake. Expanding on that figure, the official maximum exposure is 1,650 times the max bet which is pretty so-so for this type of game. If you consider that potential arose during just 100 million spins compared to billions often found elsewhere, it provides a tick in Sticky Joker’s favour.

All told, Sticky Joker is never going to do enough to change minds. Like most slots in this category, fans have something to keep them busy, for like, five minutes, before the next one is dropped. On the other side, those that feel like the world is already drowning in a sea of annoying fruit slots will automatically swipe left.