Top Spot Slot Review

BARS, 7s and Xs are the order of the day in Barcrest’s Top Spot. Taking it back to the classic slots the company know and love best, Top Spot keeps things retro, with a flat design that’s deliberately spartan.

The theatre is the setting for Top Spot, with red curtains positioned behind the reels which occupy centre stage. In electing for 5 reels rather than 3, Barcrest have mixed things up, combining the best elements of old school slots with the sort of features that are more synonymous with modern video slots.

Top Spot isn’t the prettiest slot you’ll ever lay eyes on, but then that’s not its purpose; this game is all about fun rather than form. Nevertheless, there’s an unconventional beauty about staring at flat, cleanly designed symbols that you could make out at 50 paces. Those yellow BARs and red and white X’s are impossible to miss.

Set Your Stake

The number of paylines in the game is 10 or 20 depending on the value of the stake. Set the stake per line at between 0.01 and 0.1 and you’ll play with 10 lines. Beyond that, the full 20 lines kick in all the way up to 25 credits, resulting in a total maximum stake of 500.00 per spin. The playing controls are positioned in Barcrest’s preferred location; stake per line to the left of the reels, spin to the right.

There’s no autospin button, as is often the case with Barcrest games. Aside from the green spin button, there are two other buttons sited to the right of the reels. Both provide paytable information. The ‘i’ provides information on the standard game, while the BB provides information on the big bet game. In terms of sound effects, meanwhile, there’s not a whole lot going on; just a few inoffensive clicks and bleeps as the reels tumble.

Gameplay

In the standard game, 3 to 5 symbols in a row will generate a win. BAR symbols – there are green, yellow and purples – are worth anywhere from 100-200 for 5 in a row. The only symbol to trump them is red 7s, which command 500 for 5. In the standard game, there’s just one feature to be had, the one that lends the game its name – Top Spot.

This is achieved by landing a winning combo, whereupon the curtains will open to reveal a symbol. If this symbol matches the winning combo, the remaining symbols on active reels will respin, which can in turn generate more of the same winning combo. With the potential for reels to fill with matching symbols, it’s possible to win some serious money in this manner.

Big Bet

Barcrest are firm believers of the big bet game, for it’s one they’ve deployed in many of their recently released slots. With all 20 paylines active, you can elect to enter the big bet game, which comprises 5 linked spins of the reels. Priced at 10 credits per spin, you’ll have the chance to secure a 2x multiplier. Priced at 20 credits per spin and there’s the possibility of landing a 2x or 3x multiplier.

One of the more interesting aspects of Barcrest slots of this nature is that the higher you set the stake at, the higher the RTP, which can go all the way up to a very respectable 98%. Due to its high rate of variance, it’s worth preparing yourself for disappointment: it can take a lot of patience before you’re rewarded by hitting the Top Spot feature. When you do get there, however, you’ll be furnished with riches that will hopefully atone for the amount of credits it took to achieve the feat.

Top Spot Conclusion

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense slot that gets straight to the point, Top Spot is just the ticket. It can be a frustrating game to play, especially if you’ve elected to stick with the standard game. Be prepared to toil away for some time until you’re rewarded for your endeavours.

Novice players in particular are likely to tire of Top Spot due to its repetitiveness and unforgiving nature. For more experienced players, with the patience and bankroll to put in some serious game time, Top Spot proves to be a much more enticing proposition, with its eponymous feature dispensing major money.