The Godfather

The Godfather: Slot Overview

Software provider Atlantic Digital gets all gangster in a branded slot linked to one of the most infamous mobster movies of all time. The Godfather, based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, was released in 1972 and has appeared on numerous best-movie lists ever since. It starred household names like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Basically, if you're in the mood for a mobster movie par excellence, The Godfather is pretty much it.

Kinda strange, kinda not strange then, that The Godfather has been converted into an online slot, though this is not the first time the movie has appeared on the reels. This game is held in Don Vito Corleone's home office, one of the most iconic locations in the movie; all decked out with plush seating, mood lighting, and a substantial desk from where a Don can run an empire. The recognisable puppet string logo is prominently displayed up top, though apart from one pay symbol, no other characters from the film really appear. Shame because the scene does look a little bare, and the game as a whole feels strangely lonely. Perhaps this was done on purpose as a statement about the loneliness of being the head of a powerful crime syndicate; perhaps it was because Atlantic Digital wasn't allowed to put other actors' faces in the game. The mystery continues.

So The Godfather might have been more fun if it had extra characters in it. It definitely would have been more fun if the studio had seen fit to raise the RTP from the paltry 93.94% value it possesses. The return value rises ever so slightly to 93.95% when buying the bonus for 100x the bet, but still, ouchy wowchy. Hovering in the middle of the Don's room is the gaming panel, possessing 5 reels, 3 rows of symbols and 10 fixed paylines.

Onto The Godfather's paytable, which displays 9 regular paying symbols. The lower value group are 10-A card ranks worth 10 to 15 times the bet for a 5-of-a-kind winning line, while the higher value group are a liquor glass and cigar, a can of olive oil, a horse, and Don Vito. The 4 premiums award 75 to 500 times the bet when a 5-symbol winning line hits.

The Godfather: Slot Features

Interestingly, it turns out The Godfather is like a 'book of' slot in disguise, but one with a significantly expanded bonus round. Funnily enough, the book symbol is The Godfather's wild and bonus symbol. As the wild, it can substitute for any regular pay symbol. As the bonus symbol, landing 3 or more awards the bonus round, like so.

• 3 bonus symbols award 8 free spins, 1 expanding symbol, and the hold & win bonus.
• 4 bonus symbols award 10 free spins, 1 expanding symbol, and the hold & win bonus.
• 5 bonus symbols award 12 free spins, 1 expanding symbol, and the hold & win bonus.

The Hold & Win

When triggered, all symbols except the triggering bonus symbols are removed from the reels. Only bonus symbols may land during the round, which starts with 3 respins. If a new bonus symbol lands, the respin counter returns to 3. Each bonus symbol that lands awards a bet multiplier of 1x to 10x, 1 additional expanding symbol, or 1 extra free spin. The round ends when spins go to 0 or all positions are filled. Then, the bet multipliers are tallied up, as are any additional free spins and expanding symbols.

Free Spins

It is possible to win up to an extra 2 expanding symbols from the hold & win round, and the expanding symbols are randomly selected before free spins begin. Any expanding symbols that can create a win during free spins expand to cover all positions on their reel. Expanded symbols pay all lines from any position. Regular wins are paid before any expanding symbols expand. During the free spins round, landing 3, 4, or 5 bonus symbols awards 8, 10, or 12 extra free spins, respectively, as well as the hold & win bonus. Additional free spins may be won from the hold & win as well as expanding symbols, but up to a maximum of 3 expanding symbols can be active in total. Also, up to 10 retriggers are possible.

The Godfather: Slot Verdict

The Godfather was a bit of an odd one that sent us on a roller coaster of emotions. First off came the intrigue of playing a Godfather-themed slot, then came a slight disappointment over the underrepresentation of the film's characters. Those feelings of disappointment were further cemented by the dismal RTP. Perhaps the return value was axed as part of the branding fee? Either way, the low value puts The Godfather on the back foot before a single reel is even spun, meaning it has to work extra hard to get back to baseline.

Then there was the pay table inspection, where it eventually dawned on us that The Godfather is, at heart, a 'book of' slot game, albeit one with a significant bonus round alteration. One of the larger alterations to be seen in a 'book game' for some time. We are talking about the hold & win part of the bonus round, which you don't see a lot in a game like this, if ever. Not a bad extra, really, since it can result in extra free spins, more expanding symbols, and some cash thrown into the bargain. For players (who don't bet too big) looking for a larger potential 'book' slot, there is further good news. All of those possibly added free spins, extra expanding symbols, and multiple retriggers have had a beneficial effect on The Godfather's winning potential. Where 'book of' slots usually bow out at 5,000x the bet, The Godfather peps this up ever so slightly to 5,664x the bet, though keep in mind the maximum payout is €50,000.

The Godfather is certainly not without one or two pressing concerns. Its RTP pretty much sucks, and it wouldn't have been the worst thing if the studio had injected a bit more life into the game in the form of extra characters. Doing so might have amplified the drama and tension, though there are probably good reasons why the studio didn't do so. Look past these sorts of issues, and you've got a game that might thrill hardcore fans of the film or 'book' slot completists but may struggle to raise much interest amongst players not dedicated to those two groups.