Captain Stack Slot Review

Nobody in their right mind can say no to pirates – the open waves, the smell of the sea and the wind in your hair, not to mention all that booty, makes for one fine tale to tell your friends. It’s no wonder that many land lovers opt to play Captain Stack, in an attempt to relish a day in a life of a rogue; to go where others can’t, and dare to do what others won’t.

This 5-reels and 10 winlines slot machine is from Merkur, a name renowned within the slots industry. They’ve created a medium variance game with substantial volatility, but with ample cash prizes to keep the challenge worthwhile. Captain Stack probably won’t be the biggest real cash slot you’ve played, but it’ll be one of the better.

Step aboard and breathe in that sea air, for we’re about to go pirating!

Down in the Depths

In a stark contrast to our pirate themed titles you may have come across, here the design is very much shipwrecked and Davy Jones’ locker, rather than up above the waves and plain sailing. We like that it has a darker edge because it makes for a more exciting aesthetic to engage with, and helps it to stand out from its peers.

What is more, it has a cartoony quality that keeps the details light hearted and playful, rather than serious, making it ideal for times when you need something light and airy to take your mind off of things. There may be ghostly captains, but there’s colourful parrots and chests filled with gold as well; think of it as a child friendly Pirates of the Caribbean.

Kooky Skulls

As we’ve just touched upon, the element of fun here can’t be denied, even despite a harder hitting design overall, which is probably why the free games symbol is such a comedic image: a googly eyed skull upon a wheel.

Even though the icon isn’t referred to as the scatter symbol in game, that’s essentially what it is, for it rewards you a certain number of free games, depending on how many matches you make. Merkur have been most generous with their rounds here, for the maximum you can bag yourself in any one go is 100 spins, which is a high volume of free games to be given – most brands have a limit around the 50 mark. Moreover, even if you don’t manage a five of a kind match, the three of a kind gets you 10 games, which is still good going.

No credits are awarded in addition to the spins, as you’re likely to get several successes when you’re playing on the house. This is a common practice for gaming companies, if not one that’s always utilised by a brand; here the decision seems fair.

Mind Your Footing

Betting can have a deep impact on a title or virtually none at all, with Captain Stack it’s the former – here, what you bet very much alters the outcomes of your winning lines. Thankfully, the maximum bet is no more than 20 credits, which as fees go, is a low sum of money; the lowest you have to pay is just 0.10.

As is customary with Merkur games, the value of your stake is measured by both a number and a coin image, e.g if you bet the smallest amount, the coin is a bronze colour, but wager the max and it turns gold. It’s a great way of helping to identify the worth and size of your stake.

In addition to having a simple means of changing the cost, users have up to 100 automatic rounds to instigate, if they so wish. The means to do this is underneath the main body of the control panel, on the lower left hand side, and therefore can be hard to spot. It’s one of the game’s greatest design flaws. We feel that a control such as this should be displayed more obviously, to avoid any stress when playing.

A Ghostly Tale

Captain Stack is an all rounder of a slot machine, there’s drama, good looks, variety and a low pay-in. To make the entertainment value even more appealing, you have the knowledge that this is how Merkur approaches all its games, thus ensuring that if you like one slot, you’re bound to like their others. A job well done.