The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT slot review
Featuring four progressive prizes, The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT is a jackpot edition to an original slot game released by Microgaming in 2013.
The updated version, released by Games Global in 2023, keeps all the bonus elements from the first game intact. This includes the Finer Features mechanic, with the same four, distinct Free Spins modes that made the original so popular.
With a base RTP of 87.71% when excluding jackpot contributions, check out The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT review below for the full breakdown on all the pros and cons.
Highlights
RTP 92.01%
Volatility Medium
Stakes range 24
Max win 8,100x
Number of reels 5
Number of rows 3-
Number of paylines 243 -
Jackpots Yes -
Slot type Slots -
Slot theme Celebrity -
Software provider Games Global -
Launch date 03/04/2023
73/ 100
76% Playscore based on 3 critics
The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT slot summary review
The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT builds on a popular slot title by introducing four progressive jackpot prizes. In doing so, it has kept all the core features that made the original so popular, including four distinct Free Spin modes as well as the Wild Celebration Feature in the base game.
Played on a 5×3 grid, the slot’s medium volatility and 243 win-ways help to balance out the game’s lower RTP, which is typically associated with jackpot titles like this one.
Elsewhere, the game’s maximum win potential when excluding the jackpots is lower than the original Finer Reels of Life slot. However, the addition of an eight-figure jackpot, as well as solid returns across the remaining prizes, makes this game an appealing option for jackpot hunters.
Pros
Eight-figure progressive jackpot prize
Four Free Spin rounds
High-paying symbols with strong returns
Cons
Below average 92.01% RTP
Identical payout tiers for low card icons
Near-identical to original slot
The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT comprehensive review
In my review of The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT, I took a closer look at the game’s finer details, including its RTP, volatility, paytable, and payouts. In doing so, I also compared the bonus mechanics to the original game, before exploring how its jackpots work.
RTP and volatility
The slot’s base RTP sits at 86.71%. However, an additional 5.3% is reserved for jackpot contributions, which makes for a combined RTP of 92.01%.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 92.01% |
| Maximum win | 8,100x |
| Number of paylines | 243 |
| Volatility | Medium |
The slot comes with medium volatility and is played on a 5×3 grid layout with up to 243 ways to win. Starting from the leftmost reels, winning combinations require three, four, or five matching symbols to land on adjacent reels.
Jackpot slots tend to have RTPs below the 96% industry average, so I try to not judge them too harshly on that alone. However, it is still worth noting that the original version of this game has an RTP of 96.47%, a noticeable difference.
To be more fair, I also compared this jackpot game to another WOWPOT title by the same provider. Queen of Alexandria WOWPOT, an Egyptian-themed slot, has an RTP of 92.50%. This includes jackpot contributions which puts it marginally higher than the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT.
However, the Egyptian sot only has 10 fixed paylines on a 5×3 grid, while The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT features up to 243 ways to win on the same layout. This makes the latter more fun and engaging to play in my opinion, even if the overall return isn’t quite as strong in the long run.
Alexander Teoli
Bonus features
The standard Wild symbol is represented by the slot’s logo and substitutes for all other symbols except Scatters. These Wilds can also appear on any reel during base game and Free Spins modes.
Also available during the base game is the Wild Celebration Feature. This can trigger randomly during any spin and when it does, the tops of five champagne bottles appear at the base of each reel.
Before the spin ends, some of these bottles can pop their corks, in turn transforming the corresponding reels into fully stacked Wilds. If all five corks are popped, the maximum win potential, excluding jackpots, is capped at 8,100x.
The game’s Scatter symbols are depicted as bonus star icons. Landing three of these anywhere on the reels will engage the Finer Features mechanic, a progression-based bonus system with four distinct Free Spins modes available.
The Free Spins modes default to the highest available tier until the next stage is unlocked. They are as follows:
- Coffee and Chocolate (10 free spins): Available on your first four triggers, this mode awards all winning combinations with a 5x multiplier.
- Wine and Cheese (15 free spins): Available on the fifth activation, this mode comes with a Wild wine feature on reel 3. When it appears, it can randomly transform an undisclosed number of other symbols into additional Wilds.
- Whiskey and Cigars (20 free spins): Available on your tenth Free Spins trigger, this mode comes with a Burning Wild Feature that transforms random icons into multipliers of 2x and 3x. If two symbols start at the same time, a 6x multiplier is awarded.
- Champagne and Diamonds (25 free spins): On the fifteenth activation of the Finer Features mechanic, the Rolling Reels Feature comes into play, increasing the multiplier by x1 for consecutive winings spins. The multiplier can reach up to 5x.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus features | Wilds, Scatters, Reel features, Free spins, Multipliers |
| Top features | Power Spins |
| Jackpot | Mini, Minor, Major, and WOWPOT |
The jackpot game is not available during any of the Free Spins modes and can only be unlocked during the base game. It activates randomly but requires gold coins to land alongside other symbols. Each gold coin that appears is collected into the bowl at the side of the reels.
There is no said number of gold coins that need to be collected, but obtaining gold coins on consecutive spins will increase your chances. Once triggered, the reels are replaced by a wheel that guarantees you one of four jackpot prizes.
The wheel is divided into 20 color-coded segments, with each one linked to one of four prizes. Higher jackpot prizes occupy fewer segments on the wheel.
Ten of these segments are brown and correspond to the MINI jackpot. Six red segments won the MINOR prize, while three orange segments were assigned to the MAJOR jackpot.
The one singular green segment is reserved for the biggest prize of all, the WOWPOT.
Aside from a minor visual touch up, the bonuses in this game are identical to the original. While not the most inspiring move, the original mechanics were already very strong so I still enjoyed it. That said, unlocking all four modes in a single session still feels super unrealistic.
Some players can argue that this edition is superficial and lacks creativity. While a fair criticism, jackpot hunters won’t care too much about that and neither do I. Plus, the inclusion of the WOWPOT ties them into Games Global’s shared jackpot network, which includes titles like Wheel of Wishes.
However, in Wheel of Wishes, accessing the jackpot wheel requires you to trigger the Power Spins feature first. In contrast, the jackpots in The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT aren’t tied to any other feature, which in my opinion makes it more accessible.
Alexander Teoli
Symbols and paytable
In total, The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT is home to 14 pay symbols. This includes six low paying card icons and six high-paying symbols related to luxurious iconography imagery. Completing the lineup are the special symbols, Wilds and Scatters.
Standard low and high paying symbols consist of three pay tiers, with each one rewarding payouts for three, four, and five matching symbols on active paylines. The Wild and Scatter icons feature one additional payout tier, rewarding wins for two, three, four, and five matches.
In fact, Scatters are the game’s highest paying symbol, earning you 200x your bet for five matches. Next in line is the Wild symbol, rewarding you with 33.x3 your bet for five of a kind. Standard high-paying symbols range from 12x your bet for three chocolate icons and 16.66x for five diamonds.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Luxury |
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Highest paying symbol | Scatters (Gold bonus star) |
| Adjustable paylines | Available |
| Visuals | Good |
| Sound | Good |
| Mobile quality | Okay |
Finally, low-paying card icons range from 3.33x to 5x your bet and can be grouped into three pairs with identical payout tiers. This is because A icons share the same payout values with Ks, as do Qs and Js, while 10s and 9s also the same.
When it comes to the progressive jackpots, the prizes reset to the following values after being won:
- WOWPOT jackpot: $2 million
- Major jackpot: $50,000
- Minor jackpot: $100
- Mini jackpot: $10
One of my biggest criticisms of the original non-WOWPOT version was that the payouts didn’t quite match the game’s luxury theme. I mean, they were still decent, but it just felt a little modest.
With this in mind, I was pleased to see that this was addressed in the WOWPOT rendition. Payouts on special and high paying symbols feel much stronger. For instance, five Scatters now pay 200x your bet compared to 125x in the first game which is a great improvement.
That said, the trade off is felt among lower-paying icons with multiplier payout tiers repeated across symbols. This lack of variety was a bit disappointing to see but was by no means a dealbreaker.
Alexander Teoli
How to play The Finer Reels of Life
After loading the game up, you’ll see the jackpot values neatly displayed beside the reels. To set your bet per spin before playing, select the icon depicted as a stack of coins. From here, you can set your stake with a range of $0.30c up to $24 per spin.
To start spinning, select the spin button depicted as a circular arrow on a white background beside the reels. Below the spin button, the lightning icon will enable Quick Spin for faster gameplay.
The autoplay button, shown as three circular arrows. Selecting this will open up a small menu enabling you to use a slider to set your autospins or choose from four preset options: 10, 25, 50, and 100.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | $0.30 |
| Max bet | $24 |
| Autoplay | Available |
| Turbo mode | Available |
| Game history | N/A |
The hamburger icon depicted by three horizontal lines will give you access to additional settings, including the paytable, symbols, and game rules. You’ll also see the gear icon, which gives your access to adjust in-game sound and music.
On the desktop, these options can also be found via the three dots located on the top left-hand corner of the screen.
Where to play The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT?
You can find the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT at selected online casinos that offer Games Global titles, including the following ones:
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Expert verdict
Having enjoyed the original, it stands to reason that I also had fun with the WOWPOT rendition. I mean, in terms of bonus features especially, the two versions are practically identical. Sure, it’s not the most imaginative in that sense, but it was never really meant to be a retelling or sequel.
That said, there were some changes made, with mixed results. RTPs in jackpot games are generally underwhelming and this one proved no different. Elsewhere, the reduced maximum win (excluding jackpots) feels like a step back, but to be fair, higher paying symbols offer better returns which help to balance things out.
Overall, I’d say that The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT is living proof that you do not always need to push the boundaries or reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, all you need to do is add a WOWPOT layer to a game that was already popular in the past.
To the credit, Games Global are quite upfront about this and made no attempt to hide this fact, demonstrating a high level of transparency that I can get behind.
FAQs
What is the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT slot RTP?
The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT has a base RTP of 86.71%, although 5.3% jackpot contributions raise the game’s total RTP up to 92.01%
Does the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT have a jackpot?
Yes, the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT operates as part of Games Global’s jackpot network, with four progressive prizes.
What is the maximum win potential of The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT?
When excluding the jackpots, the maximum win potential on the Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT sits at 8,100x your bet.
What are the bonus features on The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT?
Aside from the jackpot wheel, the bonuses in The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT are identical to the non-WOWPOT version. This includes the Wild Celebration Feature as well as four distinct, progression-based Free Spins rounds.
What is the volatility of The Finer Reels of Life WOWPOT?
The Finer Reels of Life comes with medium volatility, meaning you can expect long dry spells in between big wins.
