“Arizona Old Town : Wild West” (CC BY 2.0) by wuestenigel
When it comes to online slots games, you’ll find there are very varied inspirations behind their themes. That’s because they’re designed to appeal to particular groups of people, whether they’re into the worlds of Ancient Egypt and the treasures of the pharaohs or in lucky leprechauns from the land of the Blarney Stone.
Another of the most popular themes is the Wild West. There are a number of games that hark back to the days of the Gold Rush that, allegedly, first began near to Santa Clarita when Francisco Lopez found the precious metal in Placerita Canyon.
So much mythology has grown up around this fascinating period of American history that it’s not surprising that there are so many slots that feature it, including these three.
Wild West Wilds
The first of the games is a big favorite that you’ll find when you visit a casino online like Paddy Power. It features all the images that you would expect on its five reels including the classic Colt 45 revolver, sheriffs, bandits and show girls. With the chance to win up to 10,000 times your original stake if your luck’s really in, this is a game that can mean big prizes. The symbols to really look out for are the sheriff’s badges. These are so-called “wilds” which means that they can stand in for other symbols and, when they do, the winnings can really start to mount up.
Heart of the Frontier
The roles of women in the wild frontier were often relegated to secondary characters so this game from Playtech makes a very refreshing change. Across the five reels you’ll find that all of the main characters are female including the town sheriff. There are also playing card symbols that can combine to create winning poker hands as you play – perhaps not quite as authentic as playing in the back room of a smoky saloon bar, but just as exciting. Then there’s the showdown between the sheriff and the bandit. When they meet on adjacent reels, they lock into place and it activates a bonus game of five free spins.
Bonus Train Bandits
“Baker County Tourism – basecampbaker.c” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by TravelBakerCounty
In the third slot on the list, you’re definitely on the side of the bandits as they strive to release a fortune from a speeding “iron horse”. As you’d expect from the title, it’s all about the trains that opened up the West for those early pioneers and it’s the loco itself that is the most important symbol on the five reels in this slot. There’s also another train which moves along a track at the top of the game’s screen and whose carriages contain specific bonus features just waiting to be sprung free. Plus, for maximum excitement, there’s a Revolver Wilds feature in which pistols shoot at the reels converting up to six symbols into wilds.
So next time you want to go back to the days of the Gold Rush, and possibly start one of your own, these are certainly three great ways to head there.
