Blockbusters Slot

Blockbusters Slot

Blockbusters was a UK daytime TV show targeted towards a younger audience. Contestants of college age attempted to solve word clues by guessing letters, with a board made of hexagons revealing the first letter of the correct answer. This peaked in popularity during the 1980s and remained successful for many years. Although host Bob Holnes is no longer with us, the game lives on in the form of this online slot game from Fremantle. Notable features include a ‘gold run’ bonus game and expanding wild symbols capable of filling multiple reels simultaneously.

Upon first encountering the reels, you might question how this game operates. The grid consists of a 5-reel, 3-line structure made up of hexagons, causing the symbols not to align smoothly. This is remedied by the use of 15 win-lines that follow the ‘kinks’ where the hexagons meet.

Instead of a mix of letters, most hexagons display playing card symbol letters. Additionally, there are wilds, mini-slot board symbols, Blockbusters logos, and two different colored symbols bearing ‘BB.’ When the reels spin, the familiar theme tune plays loudly. While this works well during regular play, I did notice that in (fast) auto-play, there is a jarring moment where the first few notes repeat when no win occurs. This is a minor annoyance and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the slot.

The gold run bonus is a pick-em game featuring a different board view with more letters. In the original game, questions were asked to move from left to right, but in the slot, questions are skipped, and players simply click each symbol with the mouse.

Setup and Play for Blockbusters.

You can select how many of the 15 win lines to activate. Given the feature of expanding wilds, playing the full amount is recommended. Betting per line ranges from 2p (in British Pounds) to 50p, resulting in a betting range between 30p and £7.50p. The auto-spin feature allows you to choose up to 50 games to play automatically; notably, this is much faster compared to other slot makers’ auto-spin options.

This game offers numerous smaller wins rather than a few larger ones. The highest prize comes from the Blockbusters logo, awarding 250 coins for 5, 100 for 4, and 50 for 3. Next is the board symbol (150 for 5), followed by the white ‘BB’ symbol (100) and the blue one (55). The playing card symbols, designed to resemble the letters from the original gameshow, contribute to the smaller wins in this game.

Wild symbols can appear on reels 2, 3, 4, or 5, substituting for any regular symbol (excluding the gold-run symbol). When a wild is part of a winning combination, which is often the case, the expanding wild feature is triggered. This causes the wild to cover all three symbols in its row, often leading to additional wins. It’s possible for wilds in rows 2 through 5 to expand simultaneously, ensuring 15x 5-of-a-kind wins.

The last symbol, labeled ‘Gold Run,’ features a green edge that contrasts with the blues and yellows found throughout the game. Landing three of these symbols awards a prize equal to the total stake for that spin and triggers the gold-run bonus game.

Blockbusters Slot – Bonus Game

The gold run bonus game is presented on a separate screen; however, the hexagon layout remains consistent with the main game. Each symbol is replaced with two or three letters. In the main game, these letters would have provided clues to more challenging questions. The objective is to progress from right to left across the board. By selecting a symbol on the left with the mouse, a prize is revealed. Subsequent symbols that can be selected are highlighted, and the process continues. The game concludes when you reach the right side or land on a symbol hiding a ‘collect bonus’ prize. Successfully reaching the right side doubles your prize.

Blockbusters Slot – Can you Go on a Gold Run?

This game offers more than just a nostalgic experience; it features solid gameplay and the potential for significant wins. The expanding wild appears frequently, adding wins with each appearance. While the gold run occurs infrequently, it presents the opportunity for substantial prizes. The dramatic music enhances the reminiscence of the TV show while playing. I recommend this game to all who are old enough to remember the show, and if not, why not try out this enjoyable slot game regardless.

Jesse Miller iGaming Writer

Last Updated: December 17, 2024