Barcrest Review
By Alex Smith, Last Modified Apr 10, 2024
Verdict
A pioneering slot machine manufacturer with over 50 years of history.
Barcrest is a pioneering slot machine manufacturer with over 50 years of history and innovation in the gambling industry. Founded in 1968 in Manchester, England, Barcrest started out small with just two employees. It would end up growing to become one of the biggest names in British gambling – and by the 1990s, Barcrest was producing over 40,000 coin-operated video slot machines per year and started to appear on the international stage, too.
Barcrest are one of the biggest names in on, and offline gambling, and their distinctive blue and white logo can be found on many of the world’s biggest and most popular games, including the esteemed Rainbow Riches series, and Monopoly games. Their slot games are found at hundreds of online casinos, and even their Notably Cabinet slot games are still widely available.
Owned today by SG Gaming (Light & Wonder), Barcrest saw mainstream success first back in 2006, when they launched the original Rainbow Riches slot – and it wasn’t long until the game studio’s slot games were found in land-based casinos and arcades all over the UK.
While Barcrest have been a little slow to adapt to the mobile gambling scene, today, their online slot games are built using HTML5, allowing players to game from phones and tablets – and new releases are common from the game developer, although many players criticize the brand for a lack of creativity. Still, their video slots and casino games – often released under the branding of Scientific Games – are solid, and Barcrest slot games have gone done in iGaming history – rightfully so!
Barcrest Slots List Of Casinos
Brief History And Overview Of Barcrest Games
In 1998, Barcrest was acquired by casino gaming giant IGT for around $59 million. This allowed the Barcrest brand to expand worldwide both online and in land-based casinos. However, IGT wouldn’t be the last owner of Barcrest, as they were acquired, once again, in 2011 by Scientific Games for $49 million. Under new ownership, Barcrest continued producing slots for online, mobile, and brick-and-mortar casinos.
While staying true to their classic style, Barcrest also collaborated on branded games – and they also started getting more creative; they licensed Big Time Gaming’s Megaways mechanic, for example.
Over 50 years since it was first formed, Barcrest remains a well-recognized name in slots. In this Barcrest Slots review, we’ll look at some of their most popular slot games, their cutting-edge video slots, and even some of their older slot machines that you may remember from back in the day!
Barcrest’s Online Slots: The Software Platform
Any Barcrest slot you play runs on the SG Digital (Light & Wonder) platform or one of its aggregators. This means Barcrest’s high volatility slots, modern slots, classic old-schooling gaming fruit machines – they’re all hosted by their parent company. This may sound bad, but it’s actually great news; SG Digital has far more resources available to them, ensuring you spend less time running into problems or waiting for games to load, and more fun playing!
All their games are developed using HTML5, too, which means they’re all playable in instant play mode. This negates the need to install or download any special players or plugins, and it also means that most mobile devices can run the games too, although you will – more often than not – need to tilt your device into landscape mode in order for them to resize correctly.
Barcrest & Scientific Games’ Online Casino Games
Barcrest has a rich history of making games for arcades and physical establishments – which is why some were surprised to see them develop slots for land-based casinos alongside online slots. You’ll still find their games in bingo halls around the UK, but Barcrest Gaming has now penetrated the online gambling market – and they’ve managed to “port” over many of their most successful branded and non-branded games to the online world.
Most of their online slots have an abundance of action – it’s not uncommon for a minimum of three bonus features to be built into the games – and you’ll be able to enjoy old classics like Lady of Alavon, Hercules High Mighty, the Rainbow Riches series, games with comic book style graphics, and a wide variety of other exciting games. Unfortunately, no progressive jackpots – yet. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular slot games to come from Barcrest’s development labs.
Rainbow Riches
Rainbow Riches is a classic video slot that’s been a hit in both online and land-based casinos. In fact, the Rainbow Riches series has become one of the most successful slot franchises in history – and it’s not hard to see why. This Irish-themed slot game takes you on a journey to find the leprechaun’s pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. With a cheeky Leprechaun and a catchy soundtrack, the game shows its appeal from the minute you open it up!
In terms of structure, the game features a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 20 paylines. You can adjust your bets, with most Barcrest Slots casinos letting you wager as little as 20 cents per spin. While the base game can produce some semi-decent hits, it’s the bonuses that really attract players.
The game offers three main bonus rounds: Road to Riches, Wishing Well, and Pots of Gold. Each bonus round is triggered by landing specific scatter symbols, and they offer different experiences.
In the Road to Riches feature, you spin a wheel to move along a path, collecting multipliers along the way. The Wishing Well feature is a pick-me game where you choose from several wishing wells to reveal a multiplier. Lastly, the Pots of Gold feature presents you with a screen full of pots circling a leprechaun. When they stop, the arrow points to a pot, revealing your prize.
Action Bank
Action Bank is a straightforward and no-nonsense slot game that caters to players who appreciate simplicity. This slot game is all about the classic symbols, and you’ll see these reflected on the reels; look out for the lucky red 7s, bars, and Xs.
There isn’t much going on in the base game, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for the free spins feature. This is triggered by landing one of the golden scatter symbols on each of the five reels, and you will then receive between five and 25 free spins. During the bonus, symbols can have 2X multipliers attached – but the real appeal is the Big Bank Bonus.
When you trigger the free spins bonus round (or re-trigger additional spins) you get to choose from five golden vaults. Sometimes, one of these vaults will contain “BIG BANK BONUS” – and if you pick that one, you’re taken to a “Pick me Bonus” where you’re guaranteed to win a minimum of 150X!
Monopoly Big Event
Monopoly The Big Event is one of Barcrest’s most successful branded slots – and, of course, it’s inspired by the classic board game Monopoly. The game features a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 20 fixed paylines, and the minimum bet on most Barcrest casinos is just 20 cents.
It’s popularity can largely be attributed to the incredible win-potential which is found within the bonus. Hi-Roller spins add multipliers and sticky wilds into the mix, and while it can take quite a while to actually trigger the bonus, it’s often worth waiting around for, as it’s win-potential is tremendous.
The game offers a unique “Big Bet” feature, allowing you to place large bets for enhanced bonuses. This feature adds an exciting dimension to the gameplay, and it can be particularly rewarding if you’re feeling lucky – albeit frustrating if you land the blue (lowest) bonus several times on the trot!
7’s To Burn
7s to Burn is a classic 3-reel slot from Barcrest that’s old-school – but well-worth a play if you get the chance. With just 5 paylines, this retro slot keeps gameplay straightforward while offering a few ways to turn up the heat. The reels are filled with classic fruit symbols like cherries, lemons, and watermelons, along with 7 symbols, bells, stars, and bars.
Landing three matching symbols across a payline triggers payouts up to 100x your bet – and the flaming 77 wild symbol substitutes for all other symbols and is responsible for awarding the game’s maximum per-line win; 250X your bet.
While there aren’t any bonuses and features in the base game, you can play the slot in “Hi-Roller” mode. This triggers extra wild symbols during 5 bonus spins for more frequent wins – although it will cost you a minimum of $20!
Boulder Bucks
Diving into a different era, Boulder Bucks transports you back to the Jurassic age, and while it’s now quite an old game, it’s still enjoyable to play – despite its pretty low variance math model.
The game’s set in the world of cavemen, and you’ll be on a quest to trigger one of the three exciting bonus rounds on offer. This slot game boasts a unique ‘choose your own bonus’ feature, allowing you to tailor the game’s volatility to your liking. Once you land the bonus round you can choose either six, ten, or twenty free spins – each with a unique wild feature.
Additionally, there’s a scatter bonus that can award you with cash prizes or extra bonus scatter symbols when they land in view – so the base game isn’t too bad.
Cash Stax
Cash Stax is a 5-reel, 10-30 payline video slot from Barcrest. It features a classic fruit machine theme with simple red 7, bar, and X symbols. The number of active paylines depends on the amount you bet – making it quite a unique concept. For example, if you bet under $2, there will be 10 paylines active, while 20 paylines become active when you bet over $2.
If you choose to play the Big Bet mode, 30 paylines become active. As with most online slots, winning combos are formed by landing three or more matching symbols on a payline from left to right. The red 7 is the top paying symbol, awarding 50X for a five-of-a-kind combo.
The main bonus is the free spins feature. Scatter rings fill boxes above the reels – filling them triggers up to 20 free spins. Now, during the free spins, it’s much easier to land more of these scatter rings – and doing so will re-trigger more spins. If you manage to collect enough of these symbols (25 in total) a 5X multiplier will appear – applying to the remainder of our free spins winnings!
Flame of Fortune
Flame of Fortune is often dubbed as a ‘marmite’ slot, polarizing opinions yet holding a loyal player base. This game is known for its exciting bonus round where you can gamble your winnings for a chance to re-play the bonus with an enhanced reel set in play – but it’s a volatile machine, so proceed with caution!
Flame of Fortune is a 5-reel, 10-payline online slot and it’s developed around a magic theme. You’ll see a wizard, potion, and jewels representing the high-paying symbols – while playing card values, including 10, jack, queen, king, and ace represent the low-value ones.
There are multiple bonus features including a Fortune Drop feature where cascading wins occur on a 5X5 grid, along with a Big Bet mode. The Fortune Drop is triggered when a golden symbol lands on each reel, shifting the game to a separate screen. Here, matching symbols horizontally and vertically pay prizes, with each win triggering a cascade for more potential wins. The wheel at the end provides a chance to win more Fortune Drop games, multipliers, or extra wilds.
The Big Bet mode allows bigger bets for improved features like more wilds and a 98% RTP. The RTP ranges from 93.64% to 98% based on the bet – but, as is the case with all Barcrest Slots that offer the Big Bet option, the RTP is best when you do play the hi-roller spins.
Mighty Black Knight
Mighty Black Knight is a 5-reel, 10-100 payline online slot from Barcrest. It features a medieval theme with symbols like maps, rings, crowns, and kings, and it’s another “Mighty” game from the game developer, following the success of many of their other games in the series. The game features a five-reel layout, but don’t be fooled; it’s got a little twist. The game starts with 50 paylines, but thanks to its expanding reels feature, it can go all the way up to 100!
Free spins are awarded when you land three or more scatter symbols anywhere in view – and you can win up to 100 free spins if you’re willing to gamble! However, the most unique element to the game is the wilds; when they land fully in view, they expand to fill the entire reel. The first five reels are normal height – three symbols high – but the second set of five are ten symbols high. Plus, you get paid out on both reel sets!
There is also a Big Bet mode with enhanced features like more frequent Mighty Reels, removed low-value symbols, and persistent wilds. Wild symbols substitute for all but scatters. The RTP ranges from 94% to 98% – again, the higher RTP is reserved for players playing the max Big Bet game, which costs $50 for five spins.
Unique Barcrest Features At Online Casinos
Barcrest were an early pioneer in developing unique mechanics within their games – and these were all designed to keep players entertained and provide something a bit different to the norm.
One such feature is the Big Bet option, which is most well known for being featured in the Monopoly Big Event slot. This feature allows players to purchase a series of spins at a higher cost, with the benefit of enhanced features or better odds for winning. The Big Bet feature often includes options for players to adjust their stakes in return for different benefits, providing a more interactive and strategic gaming experience.
Another engaging feature found in Barcrest slots is the High Roller mode, showcased in the Ooh Aah Dracula slot. This mode, like the Big Bet feature, allows players to pay a premium for five spins that come with extra features or enhanced winning potential. The Hi Roller mode often comes with a strategy indicator helping players make informed decisions based on the game’s current conditions.
What’s more, Barcrest slots stand out with their colossal reel set, as seen in Hercules High & Mighty and Mighty Black Knight The colossal reel set comprises two sets of reels – a standard set and a colossal set, creating more winning opportunities and engaging gameplay. This feature significantly enlarges the reel grid, offering players more chances to form winning combinations across the expanded set of reels.
Pros and Cons
Barcrest slots have long been a staple in the gaming scene, making a name for themselves through years of quality game releases. They’re known for their simplicity and traditional feel, which can be a comforting experience for players who appreciate a no-frills approach to slot gaming.
On the positive side, Barcrest slots often come with a straightforward gameplay that is easy to grasp. You won’t need to wade through complex rules or flashy graphics to get to the heart of the game. This is a breath of fresh air especially for newcomers who might find modern slots with all their bells and whistles a bit overwhelming.
Moreover, Barcrest tends to include a solid RTP (Return to Player) percentage in their games, especially when compared to other game developers today – many of whom offer varying RTP scales.
However, on the flip side, the simplicity that is the hallmark of Barcrest slots can also be seen as a downside for some players. The graphic and sound design of Barcrest slots often lag behind when compared to the modern, more visually appealing slots developed by some other companies.
They lack the cinematic quality and immersive experience that many modern slots offer. Additionally, the range of themes and bonus features in Barcrest slots is often found to be narrower than what’s available in the portfolios of other leading slot developers. The limited variety could potentially be seen as limiting, especially if you’re the kind of player who likes bright, modern, flashy games.
Pros
Looks like they like to smoke weed
Take US players
Cons
Too many bong hits
Don't pay US players
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