Vending Machine

Vending Machine: Slot Overview

Up for some gambling and chill? Then here's a slot that may suit. Titled Vending Machine, it comes from software provider Hacksaw Gaming and does indeed lean towards a chiller side of things than the studio often does. Not passing judgement here, by the way, but the paytable starts with the lines, 'Vibe check! Feeling good? Great! Then kick back and relax with us for a while.' It sounds like part of a job advertisement for a young, hip tech company looking for young hip coders to join them as they spread their web of cool across the global community. Sorry, again, not judging, so why don't we join Vending Machine and see what sort of effect it has on our vibe?

One of the first things that stood out in Vending Machine was an unusual scene depicting a young person casually hanging out with a book under their arm and a mobile phone in the other. It's night time when players take on Vending Machine, a crescent moon in one corner hanging above the peaceful urban scene. Vending Machine presents a picture you don't really come across in slots, and it was hard to know what to make of it or what segment of the market it may be aimed at. Hip Millennials, Gen-Zers? Hard to say. Best to just answer the paytable call to action and kick back, relax and see where we end up.

Plastered on the side of the in-game vending machine is a 5x5 grid matrix with 35 paylines built in for evaluating wins along. Wins must start from the leftmost reel, and they come at a theoretical frequency of 43.64%. This is the hit rate on the default 96.28% RTP version, keeping in mind that three other return models are available. No matter the model, Vending Machine is a medium-high volatile slot taking bets of 10 p/c to $/€100.

The symbols involved in a win disappear from the reels when they land, and any spaces they create are filled by symbols falling in from above them. When no new wins are created, a cascade sequence ends and players are paid out. The reward value of a 5 OAK win containing the low pays - bread, Chews, candy, and a lollipop is 2 times the bet. This increases to 6 to 20 times the stake when hitting 5 ice blocks, soda cans, juice boxes, or drink symbols. Helping pull those food items into winning lines is Vending Machine's popcorn wild which can replace any regular pay symbol.

Vending Machine: Slot Features

Vending Machine being a Hacksaw Gaming production, it's no surprise to see a multiplier system rammed in there somewhere. Here it's called Multiplier Lights and is available in the base game and in both bonus rounds – Lo-Fi Spins, as well as the Spin and Chill bonus feature.

Multiplier Lights

Each row of the grid has an inactive multiplier displayed on the left-hand side. At the start of each spin, these multipliers get values of x2 to x10. When a winning combination hits, the multiplier on each row with a winning symbol is increased by the number of winning symbols on that row. Each symbol increases the multiplier by +1. When a Lightning Bolt scatter lands, it activates the multiplier on its row.

When at least 1 symbol on an activated row is part of a winning combo, that row multiplier is applied to the win. If more than 1 row is included, the multiplier values are added together first. A row's multiplier cannot be applied more than once, even if more than one win is in a row. When Multiplier Boost symbols land, the multiplier value on its row is multiplied by 2. If the Epic Multiplier Boost symbol hits, all values are increased by x2. Not so good is the Blackout Skull symbol. Land one of these and the multiplier on its row is deactivated.

Remove & Cascade

When no more winning combinations occur on a spin, there is a chance this feature triggers, causing an extra cascade with all low-pay symbols removed.

LO-FI Spins

Landing 3 FS symbols in the base game triggers this feature. It begins with 3 activated rows of Multiplier Lights and ends when all row multipliers have been deactivated.

Spin and Chill

Hitting 4 FS symbols in the base game activates this feature. It begins with 5 active rows of multipliers and ends when no more are activated.

Bonus Buy

Vending Machine lets players pick from these three choices at the feature buy menu; all are highly volatile:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins – 3x the bet where each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a bonus game. 96.22% is the highest RTP.
• Lo-Fi Spins – 100x the bet, 96.18% is the highest RTP.
• Spin and Chill – 200x the bet, 96.25% is the highest RTP.

Vending Machine: Slot Verdict

Have to say Hacksaw Gaming has pitched Vending Machine pretty much about right. Compared to a lot of what the studio drops like big ol' volatile bombs, Vending Machine is a relatively chill slot, really. Thematically speaking, that is, as Vending Machine's gameplay isn't always the online slot equivalent of a cosy flat white with a splash of milk in the middle. If we're reaching for food metaphors, Vending Machine is closer to salmiak-style liquorice, a confectionery technically, but with a certain sting in its tail as well.

The sting, in part, came from the Blackout Skull, which did its best to shut down active multipliers. What might up the hurt factor is the way deactivated rows can still increase their multiplier when winning symbols land on them. It's not all doom and gloom, though, because rows can be re/activated when Lightning Bolt scatters land - in the free spins round, too, which initially had a slight question mark over until it occurred during the test session. A magnanimous inclusion that came as a pleasant surprise. So the battle between Blackout Skulls switching active reels off and Lighting Bolt scatters switching them on may lead to swingy sessions. The most positive outcome is hitting Vending Machine's 5,000x the bet top prize, possible only in the two bonus rounds the game info makes clear.

With a back-and-forth nature, it's hard to call Vending Machine a completely chilled experience, but compared to a lot of what Hacksaw Gaming has released (Hand of Anubis, Chaos Crew 2, Wanted Dead or a Wild etc.), the game is pretty low key. More of a palate cleanser than a Hacksaw Gaming rager, but gamblers within Vending Machines sights might find its particular attitude refreshing.