Gold Rush Slot Review

Gold Rush (Fa Chai Gaming) Review

If the mechanics of combo patterns in slots don’t intimidate you, you should definitely try Gold Rush from Fa Chai Gaming. Released on November 26, 2020, it has already gained popularity and even tops the charts at some casinos. Everything here revolves around some unusual combos that are accumulated by connecting adjacent patterns. In other words, you’re essentially accumulating combinations, thereby increasing your chances of triggering the bonus round where you can win one of four jackpots.

The game grid here looks fairly standard, featuring 5 reels and 4 rows. But instead of the usual few paylines, the developer offers 1,024 Ways to Win, so in theory, it’s not difficult to form winning combinations here. This is confirmed by the game’s medium volatility level. You simply need to land identical symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel, and this can result in a payout. And it all depends on the number of symbols and their value.

Before spinning, you need to decide on your bet size. Fa Chai Gaming traditionally offers a wide range: from €0.60 to €600 per spin. The maximum multiplier here is x1,000. This effectively means the jackpot here is an impressive €600,000.

Gold Rush (Fa Chai Gaming) Reels Screen

The pickaxe and lantern appear on the reels most often, but they pay out the least. It’s much more fun to catch crystals, treasures, a mole, or a chest, because these combinations pay out bigger prizes. Gold Rush also features special symbols. There are Wilds and Golden Icons that unlock various bonuses.

Gold Rush Features

Most likely, current new releases with their multi-level bonuses have long since surpassed Gold Rush. But this title still has something that makes the gameplay more interesting, and that is able to help you win more. We’ve compiled a list of all the bonuses in this slot, so you can easily understand how they work.

Wild Icons

If you see Wild, it’s exactly what it says on the tin. It’s truly an icon capable of substituting for paying symbols, helping you form winning combinations more often than usual. Unlike some slot machines, this special symbol here can appear on any reel, which is definitely an advantage.

Golden Icon Feature

So, we now know that Wilds can land on any position on the grid. As for the Golden Icon, it is something different. Any symbol (except Wilds) can turn gold on reels 2, 3, and 4 only. If you’re lucky enough to land a combo, the golden symbol from the previous round will turn into a Wild. Theoretically, this can lead to endless winning chains, and that’s obviously what we’re here for.

Free Spins Bonus and Jackpots

Gold Rush features a cascading mechanic. So, symbols involved in a winning combination disappear, and this make a room for new ones. You can have two or more wins in a single spin, so there is no need to place a new bet. Each new cascade adds +1 to the Combo counter. And if it reaches at least 4, you’ll trigger free spins. There are several FS options here, depending on the number of consecutive cascades:

• If the combo counter shows 4, you will first receive the Mini jackpot, and then you will be able to play 3 free spins.
• A 5 on the combo counter means you have won the Mini + Minor jackpots plus 5 FSs.
• To receive 10 FSs and three jackpots at once (up to and including the Major), you must form 6 consecutive cascades.
• Finally, a 7 on the combo counter means you’ll win all 4 jackpots and get to play 20 rounds without spending any money on bets.

There are no Scatters in this game, so forget about them when spinning reels. You can earn up to 20 free spins if winning combinations land one after another on a single spin. And this is how you unlock the jackpots shown above the game board.

Gold Rush (Fa Chai Gaming) Free Spins Gameplay Screen

Bonus Buy

To the right of the reels, you’ll see the Feature button, and clicking it will reveal three options for purchasing the bonus. Each option is quite expensive (depending on the size of your base bet). However, Feature 2, for example, gives you guaranteed access to 20 free spins, which could result in a massive total prize.

Theme & Graphics

The gold rushes that began as early as the mid-19th century, pushing people to mine the precious metal in newly discovered deposits, continue to this day. So it’s no surprise that Fa Chai Gaming has dedicated a full-fledged slot game to this theme. And the reels of Gold Rush truly hide some very valuable prizes. The title looks quite good, and here we see gold mining symbols such as a treasure chest, sparkling crystals, a bag of gold, a pickaxe, and a lantern. We liked the high level of detail and smooth transitions, so every symbol here looks unique. And the cascades are accompanied by spectacular animations and explosions. Despite the rich graphics, Gold Rush runs well on mobile devices as it uses HTML5 technology and is well-optimized.

Gold Rush Free Play

Despite the jackpots and combo meter, the mechanics of this game are quite simple. But if you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with the Gold Rush free play version, as you use free credits instead of real money. This can be helpful because the Gold Rush demo is identical to the real game. The only difference is that you won’t be able to withdraw your winnings. And you don’t need to search for a casino offering this game, as its risk-free version is available right here on SlotCatalog.

Pros & Cons of the Gold Rush Slot

Our Verdict

If you've tried other Fa Chai games, such as Win Neko or Crazy Buffalo, you'll likely enjoy Gold Rush. We played over 200 rounds with real money bets, and the fairly frequent cascades here pleasantly surprised us. Interestingly, the medium volatility and 96.5% RTP feel fair, so you’re likely in for some comfortable sessions, especially if you don’t bet too much.

Simple Wilds save the day here, and to make them appear more often, the provider came up with a trick involving Golden Icons. Essentially, this is a double transformation, as first the regular symbols turn golden, and these, in turn, can become Wilds if you land a winning combination. There are no Scatters here as we’re used to, but cascading wins trigger the FS bonus, and that’s where the biggest prizes await you thanks to the jackpots. If you don’t want to sit around waiting for the free spins to start, you can use the Buy Bonus (Feature), and it’s most likely worth the investment. But it’s best to check out how it all works in the demo first, and you can do that right here on SlotCatalog.