Big Bass Splash slot review
Although Big Bass Bonanza was the Big Bass “Big Bang”, so to speak, there have since been over a dozen titles added to the growing legacy of what has now become one of Pragmatic Play’s watershed titles. Reel Gaming is also behind the series’s fifth game, which hit our screens in June 2022.
I tested the waters myself and discovered that the game sees the return of the bearded fisherman with some notable differences, which I unpack and rate in this Big Bass Splash slot review.
Highlights
Expert verdict
There are few games anywhere in the iGaming universe with as many chapters to them as Big Bass, and some of the credit is due to Big Bass Splash.
The game has some notable elements working in its favour, especially the random modifiers, flexible bet range, solid RTP, and 5,000x max win.
As is often the case with new games as part of a broad catalog, the improved graphics, bonus ideas, and replayability factor have helped raise its score to a solid 85/100.
However, the volatility can be frustrating in a game which relies entirely on the bonus rounds for action.
- Bonus feature modifiers
- Iconic title by an iconic brand
- 96.71% above-average RTP
- Little action outside Free Spins
- Configurations with lower RTP
- Many dead spins dulls gameplay
Where to play Big Bass Splash: free demo and real-money
Many casinos in Ontario house a good portion of Pragmatic Play titles, and Big Bass Splash is no exception.
I recommend trying out the casinos below since I’ve verified that they offer the game at the highest RTP percentage available.
| Casino logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&Cs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
93/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 92% Playscore based on |
Reliable and award-winning operator
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
7 payment methods 
|
|
2
|
86/100 Expert Rating by Elsa F. 86% Playscore based on |
Extensive slots portfolio
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
6 payment methods
|
|
3
|
80/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 93% Playscore based on |
Great for progressive jackpots
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
8 payment methods
|
|
1
|
87/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 89% Playscore based on |
5,000 WoW Coins + 1 Sweepstake Coin
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
5 payment methods
|
|
2
|
87/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 83% Playscore based on |
250 Gold Coins + 5 Sweeps Coins and 600 Diamonds
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
4 payment methods
|
|
3
|
84/100 Expert Rating by Elsa F. 87% Playscore based on |
500 Free Fortune Coins
|
Play players accepted |
4 payment methods
|
|
4
|
74/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 84% Playscore based on |
Up to 1,000 Virtual Credits
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
1 payment methods
|
All three casinos offer free demo play and excel in their slot collection. Casumo is my top choice because it has at least 23 Big Bass titles besides Big Bass Splash and it offers free demos to non-registered users too.
If you want to take a deeper dive, we cover all the details in our reviews of Ontario’s best online slot casinos.
RTP and volatility
Like Big Bass Bonanza before it, Big Bass Splash is a 5×3, 10-payline slot with a 96.71% default RTP. This is another high-volatility slot from the series, with the max payout capped at 5,000x your stake, raking in C$125,000 on the highest bet.
There are two more configurations out there, with RTP rates pegged at 95.67% and 94.60%. Look out for the info icon or Paytable button on your slot to access the full information.
Payout facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.71% |
| Maximum win | 5,000x |
| Highest-paying symbol | Monster Truck |
| Volatility | High |
You need to land at least three matching symbols on a payline from left to right. Low-paying symbols include:
- Q, J, and 10: 0.2x, 1x, or 5x
- A and K: 0.2x, 2.5x, or 10x
The highest-paying symbol is the Monster Truck, which starts paying out at two adjacent symbols. Here are the high-paying wins available in the base game:
- Fish: 1x, 5x, or 20x
- Bait Box and Dragonfly: 2x, 10x, or 50x
- Fishing Rod: 3x, 15x, or 100x
- Monster Truck: 0.5x, 5x, 20x, or 200x
Payouts rating
- Improved max win
- Higher-than-average RTP
- High-paying symbols
- Max jackpot is still average
- High variance takes its toll
Big Bass Splash’s 5,000x max win is a welcome improvement on some of the early versions of Big Bass, which barely scraped a 2,000x.
And yet, it pales in comparison to the 20,000x offered by some similarly high-variance games. There are outliers too, with Tombstone Slaughter raising the bar considerably with its 500,000x max win.
While I glided through this game and played dozens of spins, I got nowhere near landing enough Monster Trucks. At least, the Dragonfly and the Fishing Rod are still high-payers, and I enjoyed a few 100x wins thanks to the second symbol.
With a higher than average RTP of 96.71% and random Wild symbols, which I’ll discuss in more detail in the bonus section, once I weighed it all up, the payout section of the Big Bass Splash slot was one of the high points of my review. Do watch out for casinos offering lower-RTP versions, though.
Stakes
Bets-per-line start at C$0.01 but the 10 paylines are non-adjustable, so that’s a C$0.10 minimum bet on the 10 fixed paylines.
The number of coins and coin value can be adjusted, with the maximum bet reaching C$250 per spin.
Stake facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum bet | C$0.10 |
| Maximum bet | C$250 |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Bet per line | Yes, C$0.01 minimum |
| Buy feature | N/A |
The total bet is displayed in the bet menu, above the Bet Max option. Your balance and bet are displayed on the bottom left, just beneath the reels.
Big Bass Splash has a buy feature in some jurisdictions but it’s not available at Ontario-licensed casinos.
Stake limits rating
- Low C$0.10 minimum bet
- Max bet suited for high rollers
- Uncommonly flexible bet range
- Just 10 paylines
- Paylines are fixed
- Action depends on bet-per-line options
With the betting range going down to as low as C$0.10 and rising all the way up to C$250, few games offer the sort of range that Big Bass Splash and its sibling slots do.
The number of paylines is fixed but the different betting combinations make for some flexibility. Then again, it feels like the game mechanics depend on that rather than other in-built features.
Although some gamers might prefer the rigidity of a dependable, non-adjustable payline, I don’t. I want as much breathing room as possible, so in the absence of variable winning combinations, I’d like to see more than 10 paylines, at the very least.
Bonus features
During the Free Spins round, there are a number of additional bonus features that come into play. These include wilds, multipliers, and modifiers.
You need three or more Hooked Bass Scatter symbols to trigger the Free Spins bonus round.
- 3 scatters = 10 free spins
- 4 scatters = 15 free spins
- 5 scatters = 20 free spins
Feature facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Wilds | Yes |
| Scatters | Yes |
| Other special symbols | N/A |
| Gamble feature | N/A |
| Reel features | N/A |
| Free spins | Yes |
| Respins | Yes |
| Multipliers | Yes |
| Other bonus features | Random modifiers |
Fisherman Wild and Fish Multipliers
During the Free Spins round, the Fish symbols lose their fixed payout value and act as Multipliers which are assigned random values.
The Fisherman Wild, which only appears during the bonus round, substitutes all other symbols in a winning combo and collects the money attached to the Fish symbols.
Free Spins levels
The more Fisherman Wilds you collect on the meter above your reels, the further you’re able to progress through the levels, earning more free spins and increasing the value of your Fish Multipliers as you go.
For each four Wilds you collect, you get another 10 free spins and Multiplier values increase from 2x to 3x and then 10x.
Random modifiers
The bonus round also comes with randomly-assigned modifiers which are awarded before the round starts. These include:
- More Fish Multipliers or Fisherman Wilds
- Starting at Level 2 of the Free Spins progress meter
- +2 extra free spins, and another +2 with each retrigger
A losing free spin can also trigger the following modifiers:
- Dynamite
A spin with a Fisherman Wild but no Fish symbols on your reels can cause random Fish Multipliers to appear. - Bazooka
Landing the Fisherman Wild but no Fish symbols can change all the symbols, save for the Wild. - Hook
If your spin lands on Fish symbols without the Fisherman, a random reel might reveal the Wild.
More Dynamites, Hooks, and Bazookas can be awarded at the start of a Free Spins round.
Bonus features rating
- 5,000x max jackpot
- Random modifiers feature
- Increased Wilds and Multipliers
- Features limited to Free Spins round
- Hard to land enough Scatters
- Free Spins progress bar is slow
There’s plenty that the game does well in the Free Spins round, particularly the random modifiers which can award increased Wilds and Multipliers. I especially enjoyed how the Dynamite gave one of my losing spins a second chance.
This is a clear improvement on the previous titles, as is the max jackpot you can trigger during the Free Spins round.
It took me countless tries and multiple sessions to unlock a Free Spins round, which is where all the bonus features are stored. This means that the base game can be tough and lacking in action.
If landing enough Scatters to trigger the Free Spins was difficult, just wait till you try landing enough Wilds to get more rounds.
Audiovisuals
The look and feel of Big Bass Splash is similar to the original title in the series, but the audiovisual quality is more high-end and there are more subtly-done animations to spot.
The theme is applied to the animation, not just the graphics. Besides symbols displaying fish, fishermen, and fishing rods, reels are also hooked up, and the Wild symbol catches the Multiplier values.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Fishing |
| Graphics | Immersive |
| Animations | Modern |
| Sound quality | Good-quality |
| Mobile compatibility | Good |
Thematically, a redneck element is combined with the fishing one, which explains the Monster Truck symbol.
Audiovisuals rating
- Unmistakeable Big Bass style
- Updated graphics and animations
- Immersive AVs in bonus round
- Theme becoming too predictable
Audiovisuals are bread and butter for Pragmatic Play. The Big Bass Splash slot mirrors all the positive aspects of the other titles that have preceded it.
During the bonus round, a banjo joins the music action, deviating from the usual ambiance of fishing tranquility and bringing in a musical instrument often connected to Wild West-style games. It does work, though.
It’s hardly the crossover, lightning bolt moment that so many in the industry often hope for when they come up with a new idea, but it helps it stand out from other Big Bass games.
Game layout
The spin button is on the bottom right and comes with adjustable buttons that open the bet menu.
There’s an Autoplay option beneath the Spin button, which comes with additional toggle options for Turbo spin, Quick spin, and Skip screen modes. Autoplay spins can be as low as 10 but go up to 1,000.
Players can access their game history through the cog icon or settings menu, as well as toggle on and off various features, including battery saver mode, music and sounds, and intro screens.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Autoplay | Yes |
| Turbo mode | Yes |
| Ease of use | Easy |
| Game history | Yes |
Your wins are tallied in the centre, with your credit and bet value to the left, next to the paytable icon.
Game layout rating
- Intuitive layout
- Game history
- Standard settings available
- 1,000 max spins on autoplay
- Paytable text size is tiny
The layout is clean and clear, despite the busy ocean background. During the bonus round, the Free Spins progress bar is displayed on top and the random modifiers appear on the left, without crowding the reels.
I was happy to find I had access to all the usual features like skip screen and turbo spin, as well as my game history.
Personally, I would steer clear of the 1,000 max autospin level, especially with a high-volatility game such as this one. I don’t understand why the Buy feature is prohibited in Ontario but a 1,000 max autospin isn’t.
The paytable is easily accessible and comprehensive, though the tiny font size is always a bit annoying.
