Introduction to Le Fisherman
Le Fisherman is a casino slot from Hacksaw Gaming with a new addition to the popular series! This time, we’ll meet the rascal raccoon Smokey peacefully fishing by the lake. Is Smokey taking a day off from his miscellaneous adventures, as seen in Le Pharaoh and Le Bandit, and just relaxing? Instantly, we suspect something’s wrong, and just as we thought, Smokey is fishing for hidden treasure from the bottom of the lake. Here, we enjoy a low-volatility experience with an impressive hit frequency of 42% and a solid RTP of 96.33% by default. In terms of gameplay, we get a familiar experience with multipliers, cascades, and 3 Bonus Games, reeling in the max win of 15,000X the bet. Let’s find out what the Le Fisherman demo has to offer!
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
Le Cowboy is a video slot by Hacksaw Gaming that features 6 reels and 5 rows. Due to the Cluster Pays mechanic, traditional paylines don’t apply here. A win can be created by landing 5 or more of the same symbol type in an adjacent cluster anywhere on the reels. You can select bet sizes ranging from 0.1 to 50. Play the game with a slightly above industry average default RTP of 96.33%; however, operators can choose to use one of the lower ones, such as 94.33%, 92.34%, or 86.25%. Here, you spin the reels with low volatility and a hit frequency of 42%, getting close to hitting a win almost half the time you spin the reels. It offers potential wins of up to 15,000X your bet. Regarding the low volatility, it often means more frequent but smaller wins, with a more consistent and less risky gaming experience.
The game’s design is based on a fishing theme, with the mischievous Smokey ready to reel in some big ones. The 6x5 game grid is positioned in the middle of the screen, set in a lake surrounded by forest and mountains, creating a captivating environment. If you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost, activate the Feature Buy button on the left side of the screen. All other buttons, including the Spin and Bet Size can be found in the right corner. You can play Le Fisherman on all mobile devices, desktops, and notepads. You create a winning combination by landing 5 or more of the same symbol types in an adjacent cluster anywhere on the reels, triggering the Cascade.
The lower-paying symbols are 10, J, Q, K, and A. Landing 12+ of the same symbol type pays 10X. The higher-paying symbols are a yellow hat, bait, a hookworm, an anchor, and a fish. Landing 12+ of the same symbol type pays between 25X and 100X.
The game’s Wild Symbol has the design of a pink clam with a “W”. The Scatter Symbol has the letters “FS,” and landing 3 or more will trigger the Bonus Game. The Rainbow Symbol is a blue symbol type and can trigger all Golden Squares in view, which then transform winning symbols into Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Diamond Coins carrying values ranging from 0.2X to 500X the bet. The Epic Rainbow is a boosted Rainbow Symbol, transforming the entire game grid to Golden Squares. When Coin Symbols have been revealed, Clover Symbols will activate with multiplier values between 2X and 20X. The Bucket and Golden Bucket Symbols will collect any Coin and other Bucket Symbols in view, and store their value. Let’s find out what kind of features this game has to offer!
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot of Le Fisherman?
The max win is 15,000X the bet.
What features are available in the slot of Le Fisherman?
The features of this slot game are Cascade, Wild Symbol, Golden Squares, Bonus Games, and Feature Buy.
Cascade
The Cascade feature is activated when a win is created, and the winning symbols will be removed from the reels. New symbols will fall from above and allow new winning combinations; this will continue as long as new winning combinations are created.
Golden Squares are created when winning symbols are removed, which you can read more about later in the review!
Wild Symbol
The Wild Symbol substitutes for all regular paying symbols and helps you create winning combinations.
Golden Squares
Whenever a symbol is part of a winning combination, a Golden Square forms behind it. This feature can be triggered whenever a Rainbow Symbol is in view, when all wins have been paid out. When triggered, all Golden Squares on the reels will activate and reveal either a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Diamond Coin. It can also reveal a Green Clover, Golden Clover, or a Bucket Symbol. When the Epic Rainbow lands in view, it turns the entire game grid into Golden Squares.
The special symbols are:
Bronze Coins = values of 0.2X, 0.5X, 1X, 2X, 3X, or 4X the bet.
Silver Coins = values of 5X, 10X, 15X, or 20X the bet.
Gold Coins = values of 25X, 50X, 100X the bet.
Diamond Coins = values of 150X, 250X, or 500X bet.
After all Golden Squares have been revealed, the Clover Symbols will activate, which are:
Green Clover Symbol = Multiply all Coin or Bucket Symbols on adjacent squares with multiplier values of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 10X, or 20X.
Golden Clover Symbol = Multiply all Coin or Pot of Gold Symbols on all reels with multiplier values of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 10X, or 20X.
Bucket Symbols = This special symbol type will activate when all Clover Symbols have awarded their multipliers. Bucket Symbols collect the values of all Coin Symbols and other Bucket Symbols on adjacent 3x3 squares and store their total value.
When the last Bucket Symbol on the grid is activated, any Global Buckets are triggered, revealing new symbols, and the process starts again. Once all reveals and activations have been completed, the values of all Coin and Bucket Symbols are added together and awarded.
Bonus Games
The Bonus Games can be triggered by landing 3 or more Scatter Symbols anywhere on the reels during the Base Game.
On Thin Ice
This feature can be triggered by landing 3 Scatter Symbols, awarding 10 Free Spins. Here, we get the same mechanic as in the Base Game; however, all Golden Squares are sticky and remain in position until the feature ends or until the Rainbow Symbol activates them.
A Big Catch Bar is displayed outside the game grid. Each time a Scatter Symbol lands on the reels, the Big Catch Bar increases one step. When a Rainbow Symbol has been activated, it will transform into another Special Symbol depending on the level you have reached. The Big Catch Bar starts at level 0, and for every 5th Scatter Symbol collected, a new level is unlocked, and you are awarded +5 additional Free Spins. The levels are:
Level 1 = When a Rainbow Symbol activates, it transforms into a Green Clover Symbol.
Level 2 = When a Rainbow Symbol activates, it transforms into a Bucket Symbol.
Level 3 = When a Rainbow Symbol activates, it transforms into a Gold Clover Symbol.
Level 4 = A Rainbow or Epic Rainbow Symbol is guaranteed on every Free Spin. When a Rainbow Symbol activates, it transforms into a Green Clover Symbol.
Slippery When Wet
This feature can be triggered by landing 4 Scatter Symbols, awarding 10 Free Spins. This feature is played with the same mechanic as On Thin Ice.
In addition, all Golden Squares are sticky and are locked in position, even when they’ve been activated by a Rainbow Symbol. When Epic Rainbow Symbols activate, only the Golden Squares that were on the grid before will remain in view. During the feature, the minimum Coin value is 1X the bet.
Smokey Under Water
This feature can be triggered by landing 5 Scatter Symbols, awarding 10 Free Spins. This feature is played with the same mechanic as Slippery When Wet. However, the Big Catch Bar starts at Level 4 and remains at that level for the entire feature. This feature cannot be retriggered.
Feature Buy
If you want to take advantage of the Bonus Game immediately, you can use the Feature Buy option:
3X (BonusHunt FeatureSpins) = Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a Bonus Game. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.33%.
50X (Rainbow Trout FeatureSpins) = Each spin guarantees at least 1 Rainbow or Epic Symbol, and the minimum Coin value is 1X. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.14%.
60X (On Thin Ice) = Activates Bonus Game. Played with medium volatility and an RTP of 96.31%.
250X (Slippery When Wet) = Activates Bonus Game. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.25%.
500X (Rainbow Epic Drop) = Each spin guarantees that an Epic Rainbow lands, and the minimum Coin value is 1X. Played with very high volatility and an RTP of 96.28%.
Final Thoughts on Le Fisherman
Welcome to another adventure featuring our favorite French rascal, Smokey. At first, he surprised us with the fishing theme, as we thought we retired as a con-man and found a life of peace and harmony. But we know better by now! Of course, Smokey knows about the massive hidden treasure at the bottom of the lake, offering a max win of 15,000X the bet. Just like previous releases, such as Le King, we get a cartoonish design with great sound effects, showing why the Le series is one of the hottest on the market.
So what does Smokey offer this time? The provider continues with the Golden Square reveal mechanic, where Coin or Diamond Symbols can appear with values up to 500X the bet. Applying one of the Clover Multipliers can result in substantial payouts, making us feel like the maximum win can occur at any time. However, this time the provider presents a new Epic Rainbow, which turns the entire game grid into Golden Squares. Additionally, two Bucket Symbols can appear on the reels, including a Global Bucket that can trigger another collection and restart the entire process, resulting in significant wins. During the Bonus Game, we get a Big Catch Bar with 4 unlocked levels. You unlock the levels for every 5th collected Scatter Symbol, and get +5 additional Free Spins. Sound familiar? This mechanic is very similar to the Big Bass series from Reel Kingdom, with boosted payouts and more Special Symbols. While testing the game, we didn’t hit any big wins during the Bonus Game, and couldn’t collect enough Scatter Symbols, but maybe Smokey wants it all for himself. But one thing is certain: hitting the higher levels of the Big Catch Bar can award some insane wins!
In conclusion, many aspects have remained the same from previous releases in this series, but why change a winning concept? However, this game doesn’t have the same exciting vibe as Le Cowboy, and perhaps it’s the fishing theme that lacks innovation. Don’t get us wrong, this game can reel in some massive wins, but we wish the provider would throw us a curveball and not play it safe, or maybe our expectations are too high.
Le Fisherman is a slot where Smokey takes you on a fishing adventure in familiar waters, featuring frequent wins and 3 Bonus Games!
