Lucky Angler

Of the game’s 10 regular symbols, 5 swimming creatures comprise the highs. The red fish is the highest paying symbol in play, awarding 2000x your line bet in coins for 5 of a kind. Next come the gold catfish, the blue fish, the lobster and a shy creature that lives in a boot. The Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 bring up the 5 lows. The golden fishing lure is the Wild. This symbol becomes encased in an ice cube when it transforms into a Sticky Wild (more about Sticky Wilds in a moment). The shoal of fish is the Scatter. The betting range starts at €0.30 and rises to €150.00 (depending on the casino you’re playing in). Lucky Angler is a medium variance slot, with a maximum possible jackpot of 205,000 coins.
Sticky Wilds are Wild symbols that hold their landing position each time they contribute to a win, spinning off only when they are no longer involved in a winning combination. These symbols appear on reels 2 and 4 in the Base Game, and on 3 of the 5 reels during Free Spins.
Free Spins
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Scatters triggers 10, 15 or 20 Free Spins respectively. As the game transitions from the daytime of the Base Game to a moonlit evening scene, the excitement ramps right up. Sticky Wilds can land on reel 2, 3 and 4 during Free Spins, with one Sticky Wild holding the centre position of reel 3 for the duration of the feature. Its location in the thick of the action ensures that it is frequently involved in wins. If 3, 4 or 5 more Scatters land during Free Spins, another 10, 15 or 20 Free Spins are awarded.
We put Lucky Angler through the usual 200 spin test we perform on games we review on Slot Catalog. Having set our stake at €1.50 per spin, we’re ready to go ice fishing!
Not much happens in the Base Game, until we land a Wild on reel 2. It is involved in a modest win, and turning into Sticky Wild, it contributes to a 5 of a kind Mega Win of €70.00 on the next spin. Niiiiice!
A few spins later, we land 3 Scatters. On entering Free Spins, we’re pleased to see the Sticky Wild that remains on reel 3 throughout the feature. On our first spin, we land a Wild that contributes to a win, followed by another one on the next spin, so we now have 3 Sticky Wilds on the reels. That’s where they remain for the rest of the feature, contributing to a succession of small wins. While a win of €44.50 is the only biggish one we manage, it’s clear that Sticky Wilds carry rich winning potential during Free Spins. In our case, our Free Spins total of 1320 coins, or €66.00, equates to 44x our triggering stake. Not bad at all. We end our 200 spin test with a superior balance to what we started with, and that’s always a good thing!
Lucky Angler provides a highly enjoyable gameplay experience. The fact that the game has become established as a perennial favourite since its release in 2012 has everything to do with Sticky Wilds. These symbols add plenty of value, especially during Free Spins. Unusually, there is no background sound in the Base Game, only the watery sounds of the reels spinning and stopping. The quietness results in an experience that is highly immersive, in every sense of the word. It really does feel like you’ve entered an underwater world.
If there’s a criticism, it’s that it isn’t easy to trigger Free Spins. Maybe we were just short on luck when conducting our research for this review, but we found that generally, triggering the feature required a lot of spins. Along with that, the console is a little cluttered for our liking. With Bet, Level and Coin Value panels, the simple act of setting your bet size becomes more complex than it needs to be. It seems NetEnt has recognised this, as evidenced by the simpler consoles seen in this provider’s more recent titles.
Pros
Cons
Release the KrakenSticking with the underwater theme, Release the Kraken from Pragmatic Play has been creating something of a stir since its release in January 2020. The game stars a mythical giant octopus and offers a bounty of bonuses. These include 4 different features in the base game alone, plus Free Spins with a progressive multiplier and sticky, roaming wilds.
Dark King: Forbidden RichesIf you enjoy NetEnt games, be sure to try Dark King: Forbidden Riches. Thematically, this brand new release could not be further removed from Lucky Angler, however, the two games are similar in terms of features and functionality. Dark King awards up to a 5x multiplier for wins with two or more Wilds, and features Sticky Wilds during Free Spins.
NarcosIf you’re one of the millions of people who couldn’t take their eyes off the Netflix series, Narcos, then you’re guaranteed to love this 2019 licensed release from NetEnt. Along with its irresistible graphics, it packs some terrific features. These include the Drive-By and Locked Up features in the Base Game, and Walking Wild feature in Base Game and Free Spins. During Free Spins, high value symbols can transform into Wilds.