Fishing with Buddies Slot Machine

One of the major differences between slot machines and table games has always been the social aspect of playing blackjack, craps, or another game where a group of players can win and lose together. For the most part, slot machines never had this aspect; each player plays on their own machine, and their results don’t really affect those of their neighbors.

However, live casinos have begun to change that by creating pooled slot machines where several players play together in bonus rounds, and now Playtech has brought that dynamic to the world of online casinos as well. Fishing with Buddies is a new slot machine found at Playtech casinos that allows up to five different players to share a slots experience, including a bonus game that incorporates all five players at the same time.

Fishing with Buddies Features

Gameplay

Let’s start with the game’s basics. Fishing with Buddies is a five-reel, 20-line slot machine that allows players to wager up to $5 per line. As always, you’ll be trying to match symbols from left to right across your active paylines; in this game, you’ll mostly be matching fishing-themed symbols like lures, pails, crabs and coral reefs, along with the basic “eights through aces” poker ranks. The largest prizes here come from matching five wild coral reef symbols, which will earn you a massive 5,000 credits.

But the appeal of Fishing with Buddies comes mainly from the special features and dynamics that come from the fact that you can play with up to five players at once. When the game begins, you’ll start by picking one of five available bears, all of whom are fishing together near a lake. Which bear you have doesn’t really matter; it’s just used to distinguish your results from those of the other players.

Once you see the main game screen, you’ll know that this slot is very different from any other game you’ve played online. Yes, you’ll still see the reels in the middle of the screen as normal, as well as all the options for changing your bets and starting your spins. However, you’ll also notice that you can see miniature versions of your fellow players’ reels to the let and the right of your game. This allows you to keep an eye on what they’re doing, whether or not they’re winning, and how much they’re wagering on each spin.

This information is actually important in Fishing with Buddies. The speed at which you play and the amount you play for will have a dramatic impact on the bonus round. Above your reels, you’ll see a graphical box where all five bears are fishing. As each player makes wagers, their poles will move up and down in the water: up if they are playing slowly and/or for lower stakes than the other players, down if they’re playing quickly or for high stakes.

This will be critically important when you start the bonus round, which can be triggered randomly at any time. This two-stage bonus begins with all five bears (the players) holding their reels in the water at various depths. In addition, if you played particularly slowly, you might even see your bear sleeping without having his lure in the water, giving you no chance at winning any bonus funds.

Fishing with Buddies: The Bonus Round

Remember how we said the depth of your pole is determined by your bets? This is important, as during the bonus round, your lure will sit at one of four different depths, each of which offers fish of a different value. The deeper your pole reaches, the more money you’ll make as fish swim by and get caught on your pole. Things also get tricky if more than one player is at the same depth; you’ll be competing for the same fish, potentially costing each other bonus money.

While you’re busy catching fish, you’ll also see up to three golden fish swimming around. The players who catch these fish get to play in a second bound round, in which the golden fish are released back into the water for an instant bonus prize.

This is one of the most interesting bonus rounds we’ve seen in any slot machine, and features slightly more strategy that might first be obvious. As the game is new, it’s hard to decide what the optimal way to play this game is, but it’s clear that players should keep an eye on what other players are doing and adjust accordingly. If most of the other players are at a certain depth, you probably don’t want to be there, even if that level is theoretically more lucrative.

Of course, no multiplayer game would be complete unless you could interact with the other players around you. Fishing with Buddies comes complete with a chat window and the ability to talk to the other players taking part in your game, whether to congratulate them on their wins, console them when they lose, or complain when they’re stealing all your fish in the bonus round.

Conclusion:

If it weren’t for the multiplayer aspect and the somewhat competitive bonus round, Fishing with Buddies would be a pretty standard slot machine – but those aspects truly make this a game that every player should try at least once. There’s nothing quite like playing a game with friends, or making new friends by winning money together. Fishing with Buddies is one of the first online slot machines to add a social aspect to its gameplay, and that makes this game incredibly fun – especially if you can get a few fishing buddies to come along and play with you.

Where to play Fishing with Buddies

Fishing with Buddies is now available in all Playtech casinos. However, if you’re looking to play the game, we would recommend that you head over to Bet365 Casino to do so. Bet365 is arguably the most trusted brand in online gaming and has built up a huge reputation based on its award winning customer service and hugely generous support team who give out around $/£/€50,000 in bonuses and promotions every month.

If you’re not currently a member, you can also pick up a welcome bonus worth up to $/£/€150 when you make your first real money deposit. For more information, or to start playing, simply head on over to www.bet365.com and open an account for free.