Mines Demo & Slot Review

Mines (Stake Originals) Game Review

Stake Casino is undoubtedly one of the biggest names on the market, so its massive game lobby hardly needs an introduction. However, today I want to talk about something made in-house instead of another exclusive collaboration with an external provider.

More precisely, I'm talking about Mines, one of the most popular titles from Stake Originals. The game has recently received a substantial update, so I'm curious to see what has changed and how much of a difference it makes. Let's get into it.

Stake Originals - Game Developer

Stake Originals is the in-house gaming division of Stake Casino, which launched in 2017. Its proprietary games have been part of the platform since its early days, and the catalogue has gradually grown to include multiplier games, table games, slots, card games, and other casino formats.

At present, the Stake Originals lineup consists of 31 games, including Mines, Dice, Limbo, Plinko, Crash, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Slide. All titles support Stake's provably fair system, allowing players to verify individual outcomes using cryptographic seeds and hashes. Mines remains one of the most recognizable games in the collection.

Game Theme And Storyline

Mines, like other games from Stake Originals, is directly integrated into the casino interface. The presentation remains fairly minimalistic, with a grid of tiles taking up most of the screen and betting controls sitting on the left. There is no storyline to follow here, as the entire game revolves around finding gems while avoiding hidden mines.

The recent update has given Mines a noticeable visual makeover. The tiles have received new colours, while gems and mines now have redesigned artwork and reveal animations. Selected tiles are fully visible, and the remaining gems and mines appear slightly faded once the round ends. I also noticed that the animations have more character now, particularly when the tiles start wiggling as you uncover more gems.

The audio has received some attention as well. There are five different gem sounds that change depending on the multiplier you've reached, along with an updated sound effect for hitting a mine. Overall, I think the improvements are quite welcome. Mines still looks and feels familiar, but the additional animations and audio feedback make uncovering tiles a little more satisfying.

Mines Game - Game Screen

Mines Rules and Gameplay

The rules of Mines are pretty simple. You have 25 tiles arranged in a 5x5 grid, with anywhere from 1 to 20 mines hiding underneath. You decide how many mines you want, set your bet, and start opening tiles. Finding a gem increases your multiplier, and you can collect your winnings at any point. The tricky part is deciding when to stop, since hitting even one mine means losing your bet.

The number of mines directly affects the risk and potential returns. With just one mine, you have 24 safe tiles and relatively modest multipliers. Set the count to 20, and only five gems remain, although each successful pick becomes considerably more valuable. The game also displays Profit on Win and Chance information when you hover over the relevant details.

The update also brings some welcome changes to tile selection. You can now mark tiles in Manual mode before placing a bet, and clicking and dragging works for selecting several at once. Repeat brings back your previous selection, while Clear removes all marked tiles. Both have keyboard shortcuts too, R and C, respectively.

The update has also made Mines noticeably faster. There is less waiting between picks and rounds, while the reveal animations now take less time. You can turn animations off entirely if you prefer getting straight to the results, especially during longer Auto Bet sessions. Speaking of Auto Bet, Random Pick is now available there too.

How To Play Mines For Real Money

Mines is available in the Stake Originals section. Getting started takes just a few steps, although there are some things I would check before putting money into the game.

Mines Bonuses and Special Features

Mines has no bonus rounds or special features in the usual casino sense. You spend the entire game uncovering tiles on the same 5x5 grid, trying to collect a decent multiplier before hitting a mine. There are also some betting tools that deserve a separate mention.

With Auto Bet, you can choose how many rounds to play or leave the counter at infinity. The Advanced settings give you more control over your stake, including percentage adjustments and resets after wins or losses. Personally, I would be careful with any strategy that involves raising bets after losing, as several bad rounds can burn through your balance pretty quickly.

The update also brings a few changes to the betslip. There is now a Mines/Gems slider showing the mine count and remaining gems, plus Play Mines and Copy Strategy buttons. I find the second option particularly interesting. It opens a new game with the mine count and tile positions copied from the original bet, even including the mine responsible for a loss. Your selection also carries over when switching to Auto Bet.

Mines Game - Win Screen

Mines RTP, Volatility, and Max Win

Mines comes with a theoretical RTP of 99% and a 1% house edge, which is quite generous by casino standards. This figure applies to every mine count, so you can adjust the difficulty without affecting the game's mathematical returns.

As for volatility, you have quite a bit of control over it. With just one mine, most of the tiles are safe, but the multipliers are relatively small. Add more mines, and each pick becomes riskier, with higher potential payouts to compensate. Of course, how long you keep playing before cashing out also makes a big difference.

As for the maximum payout, Mines can theoretically reach 5,148,297x your stake with 12 or 13 mines, provided you uncover every safe tile. That's an enormous multiplier, although the probability of achieving it is extremely low. Actual cash winnings may also be subject to Stake's payout limits.

Mines Free Play

Mines currently has no dedicated free play mode. Stake requires real money bets to start a round, so you cannot experiment with different mine counts or try the updated gameplay using virtual credits.

Play Mines On Your Mobile

Mines is well suited for mobile play. The 5x5 grid takes up most of the available space, while the betting controls sit in a separate panel. You can switch between Manual and Auto modes, adjust the mine count, and follow your current multiplier without much trouble.

The recent update has also addressed a few mobile-specific issues. Tile sizes have been adjusted, and you can now select several tiles by dragging your finger across the grid. The board stays in place while you're making your picks, so there is less chance of accidentally scrolling the page. I particularly appreciate the last change, since selecting the wrong tile in a game like Mines can be quite expensive.

Strategy & Tips For Winning

There is no way to know where the mines are hiding, and each round has an independently generated result. That leaves a few practical things to consider when playing for real money.

• Experiment with the mine count. The difference between playing with 1 and 20 mines is enormous. Start with a few mines to get familiar with the payouts, then see if the higher multipliers are worth the extra risk.
• Know when to cash out. Have a multiplier in mind before the round begins. Getting greedy and opening another tile can send your entire payout down the drain.
• Watch your Auto Bet settings. Automatic stake increases after losses can get expensive very quickly. Check the Advanced options carefully, especially if you're planning a longer session.
• Don't trust previous results. Finding a mine in a particular position during one round tells you nothing about the next. Copy Strategy is a convenient tool, but repeating the same tile selection won't improve your odds.
• Set a session budget. Mines can eat through a balance surprisingly fast, particularly with Auto Bet running. Check how much you've spent from time to time, and leave previous losses where they are.

Pros And Cons Of Mines

Final Words

Mines has always been one of the more recognizable Stake Originals, and I can see why. The rules take seconds to understand, the 99% RTP is quite attractive, and having control over the mine count gives players plenty of room to experiment with different levels of risk.

As for the recent update, I think Stake has done a good job. The new animations and sound effects are welcome, but I appreciate the changes to tile selection and betting controls even more. They address some of the little annoyances that become noticeable after spending enough time with the game.

Of course, uncovering gems on the same 5x5 grid won't keep everyone entertained for hours. Personally, I find Mines more suitable for occasional short sessions, as the gameplay starts feeling familiar pretty quickly. Even so, I think the update was worth the effort, and regular players should appreciate the improvements.