Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's another piggy bank game full of hogs and stacks of banknotes. Bear with us, though, because Piggy Bank Bills from Pragmatic Play plays out in a way you probably aren't used to. Mechanically speaking, it's different, but don't worry, there are plenty of pigs and cash if that's what you want to see in these sorts of games. The way you win is done in a unique way which involves matching the two halves of the same banknote to score coins. The main feature is a round of free spins where random multipliers overlay symbols to potentially aid your chances of raiding the bank.
One of the first things that stands out about Piggy Bank Bills is music which sounds like it's escaped from a Mariachi party or a BBQ on a Caribbean beach. Wherever it came from, the lively soundtrack lightens the atmosphere and gets you in the mood to match banknotes. Visually, the game is bright as well, most of the screen space occupied by the 6-reel, 9-payline game grid bearing all manner of banknotes, some whole, most in halves. Around the reels lie piles of cash, glowing with a strange green and gold light. Is this an attempt to give the dough a mystical connotation, perhaps? That or it's radioactive - players' choice. As the song goes, some say the best things in life are free; some say you can give them to the birds and bees.
The cash grab is possible on any device, allowing bets from 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin. Piggy Bank Bill's doesn't make it easy, though, and its high volatility (rated 5 out of 5) might be a little out of odds with the party vibe it gives off. How players win in Piggy Bank Bills is unusual, as it does not involve forming combinations of left to right matching symbols. Instead, the game grid is divided into 6 reels and 3 rows, where each cell displays half of a banknote. If the banknotes opposite each other on reels 1 and 2, or 3 and 4, or 5 and 6 match, the prize value they display is awarded. Simple as that.
There are 10 values you can win - 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, or 1,000 times the bet. Wild halves can land in any position as well, substituting for all symbols except the scatter. When a wild lands opposite any paying banknote, it completes it for a payout of the value. If two wild halves land opposite each other, they join into one bill that takes a random value.
Piggy Bank Bills' features are pretty straightforward where you'll come across 3 minor piggy based features and free spins. The 3 Piggy features are:
Free spins are triggered when 2 free spin symbol halves land facing each other, then join into a whole scatter bill to award 8 free spins. If 2 or 3 scatter bills hit, then you get 8 free spins, plus the lowest 1 or 2 paying bills are removed from the reels, respectively.
During free spins, random 2x or 3x multipliers may appear over the symbols. If a winning bill is formed, any multiplier on top of it applies to the prize value. If there are 2 multipliers on the same winning bill, they multiply each other. Also, during the bonus round, at random on any spin, the lowest paying symbol remaining on the reels may be removed.
Some say banknotes are on the way out as we shift over to a cashless society of debit cards, credit cards, e-wallets, crypto, smartphone payments, etc. It's unlikely Piggy Bank Bills will reverse this alleged trend in any noticeable way, but it is an enjoyable return to the dollar, pound, or Euro bill. And for many, there is something immensely more satisfying about having a wallet full of notes as opposed to just carrying a card around in your pocket.
Get lucky, and Piggy Bank Bills might well add to the wad of notes in your pocket. Get those 1,000x halves lining up, maybe throw in a multiplier or two, and it is possible to win up to 5,000 times your stake from the game. Attempting to do so is fairly entertaining too, and there's a novelty factor to the way wins are formed, making a quirky diversion from the standard way of playing slots.
One positive thing about the way wins are formed is even if you get nothing on the first two reels, something can still hit on reels 3-4 or reels 5-6, squeezing the maximum amount of tension out of every spin. There's almost a scratch card quality about this system, as you can remain hopeful until the very last symbol has been revealed. In addition, the way the game is presented helps boost optimism as well due to the mountain of banknotes, the happy, smiling cashed-up pigs, but especially the upbeat music, which makes the experience a real capitalistic free for all.
As always, when a studio tries something new, it won't suit everyone's tastes. However, the matching symbols system is an interesting concept, making Piggy Bank Bills worth checking out if you are either into the evolution of online slots or entertained by the piggy/money motif in general. In both cases, Piggy Bank Bills offers something new you don't really see in this genre or any other.
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