Introduction to Digging for Wilds
Digging for Wilds is a casino slot from Red Tiger Gaming featuring an explosive-loving miner. This is a common theme in the casino world: a crazy-looking miner who is mining on his own. But it’s far from reality, since gold mining is a costly business. Even a small hard-rock operation costs at least $10 million to start, and launching large-scale commercial mines can cost billions of dollars. The global industry is dominated by major players, including China, Russia, and Canada.
The miner in this game has prepared a grid where train carts appear above reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. They carry valuable items that will boost any Wild Symbol below. Let’s head down the mine to see how this works.
Theme, Gameplay, and Payouts
Digging for Wilds is a video slot from Red Tiger Gaming featuring 6 reels, 4 rows, and 4,096 ways to win. You can start spinning with a Min.bet of 0.1 and go up to a Max.bet of 20. The game offers an RTP of 96.04% and high volatility, hinting at thrilling gameplay and big potential payouts with a max win of 20,196x the bet. The hit frequency of 66.95% means that about 2 spins of 3 are winners.
The game is set in a narrow mine underground. There are gray rocks to the sides and a track in the middle of the screen that goes straight into the distance. Above the tracks are the 6 reels, and on top of reels 2-5 are train carts that can carry items that boost Wild Symbols. There’s some adventurous music that sometimes is drowned out by train sounds. You make wins by landing at least 3 matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting on the first reel to the left. You can play the game on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers.
The lower-paying symbols in Digging for Wilds are 10, J, Q, K, and A. They pay between 0.4x and 0.5x the bet for a win containing 6 symbols. The higher-paying symbols are scroll, pickaxe, bottle, boots, and helmet, offering payouts between 1x and 10x the bet for a 6-of-a-kind win. There are two types of Wild Symbols that substitute all regular-paying symbols, but they don’t replace the Scatter Symbol.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Digging for Wilds?
You can win up to 20,196x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Digging for Wilds?
The features are Horizontal Reel, Progression, Dynamite Wild, Detonator, Gem Wild, Coin, Special Prizes, Dynamite Wild Multiplier, Free Spins, and Feature Buy.
Horizontal Reel
A mine train runs above the middle four reels, carrying four carts. These carts can bring special items that add extra features if the Dynamite Wild symbol lands on the reel below an item. Each cart can be empty or carry one of the following items: Dynamite Wild Multiplier, Coin, Detonator, or Special Prizes. Detonator and Dynamite Wild Multiplier effects are applied from left to right before regular wins are paid. Coin and Special Prizes are applied from left to right after your winnings are awarded.
Progression
The game features three levels: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Each level changes volatility and how certain features work.
The Silver level has low volatility. At this level, Dynamite Wilds create Gem Wilds vertically when triggered by a detonator and can receive a multiplier of up to x8.
The Gold level has medium volatility. Here, Dynamite Wilds create Gem Wilds horizontally and can receive a multiplier of up to x20.
The Diamond level has high volatility. At this level, Dynamite Wilds create Gem Wilds in an X-shaped pattern and can receive a multiplier of up to x50.
Only the Silver level is available at the start of the game. You unlock the Gold level by completing a Free Spins feature, and the Diamond level becomes active after completing a second Free Spins feature. You can’t enter an unlocked level, but you can always go back to previous levels if you don’t want to stay in the latest unlocked one.
Dynamite Wild
The Dynamite Wild symbol substitutes all regular-paying symbols, and can land on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. You activate an additional feature if a cart with an item stops above a Dynamite Wild. The feature activated depends on the current game level.
Detonator
When a cart containing a detonator stops above a Dynamite Wild, the Dynamite Wild explodes before wins are evaluated and creates Gem Wilds.
At the Silver level, the explosion happens vertically and creates three Gem Wilds. If the Dynamite Wild is in a middle position, the symbols directly above and below it turn into Gem Wilds. If it is at the top or bottom, the two positions below or above it turn into Gem Wilds.
At the Gold level, the explosion happens horizontally and creates Gem Wilds on the positions directly to the left and right of the Dynamite Wild, as long as those positions are not already Dynamite Wild or Free Spins symbols.
At the Diamond level, the explosion affects the four diagonal positions around the Dynamite Wild. Any valid symbol in those positions that is not a Dynamite Wild or Free Spins symbol turns into a Gem Wild.
Gem Wild
The Gem Wild symbol is only created when a Dynamite Wild explodes due to a detonator. The symbol substitutes for all paying symbols.
Coin
If a cart above a Dynamite Wild contains a coin, the effect is triggered after wins are paid. Instead of the detonator-style explosion, the Dynamite Wild generates a random number of Cash symbols. Each Cash symbol holds a prize between 0.5x and 10x the bet.
Special Prizes
Special Prizes are activated when a cart above a Dynamite Wild contains a prize item. The prize items include Piece of Silver (Mini), Piece of Gold (Minor), Green Stone (Major), Ruby (Grand), and Diamond (Mega). After wins are paid, the Dynamite Wild transforms into the prize item and awards the corresponding prize.
The Mega prize awards 20,000x, the Grand prize 1,000x, the Major prize 100x, the Minor prize 20x, and the Mini prize 5x.
Dynamite Wild Multiplier
When a cart containing a multiplier lands above a Dynamite Wild, that Dynamite Wild receives the multiplier. The multiplier is used on all wins containing that Dynamite Wild. At Silver level, possible values are x2, x3, x4, x5, and x8. At Gold level, values include x3, x4, x5, x8, x10, x15, and x20. At Diamond level, values include x4, x5, x8, x10, x15, x20, x25, x30, and x50.
Free Spins
You get 10 Free Spins by landing 2 Free Spins Scatter Symbols on the first and last reels. Landing 2 more Scatters during the feature awards 10 more spins. Every Free Spin guarantees at least one Dynamite Wild, and all mine carts contain items, which means that at least one feature is guaranteed on every spin.
Feature Buy
You can purchase the Silver Free Spins for 50x the bet, the Gold Free Spins for 70x the bet, and the Diamond Free Spins for 90x the bet.
Final Thoughts on Digging for Wilds
Digging for Wilds presents us with a miner who doesn’t just quietly tap rocks, hoping for a shiny nugget. This guy prefers blowing things up and sending mine carts flying around like it’s rush hour. The result is a busy but entertaining experience where something is almost always happening, whether it’s a Dynamite Wild exploding, Gem Wilds popping up in strange shapes, or a cart dropping a multiplier that suddenly turns a modest win into something worth celebrating.
The progression system upgrades the game’s volatility from low to medium and high. The game starts pretty friendly in Silver before the chaos cranks up in the Gold and Diamond levels. However, it’s not a system for every player. Some will feel that they need way too many spins to advance through the levels. You unlock a new level by triggering the Free Spins, and it may take a long time to reach the Diamond level if you’re unlucky.
The Free Spins treat you as a mine king with guaranteed features on every spin. We’re also impressed by the Mega Prize of 20,000x the bet. The game has many features, but they don’t feel incredibly innovative, and we think the game developers have taken a lot of inspiration from Blueprint Gaming’s Gold Strike series, with titles such as Gold Strike 2 and Gold Strike Express, which also has a train running above the reels.
Digging for Wilds from Red Tiger Gaming delivers explosive features, clever mechanics, and plenty of personality.
