Get ready for something outrageously different in XWays Hoarders XSplit by NoLimit City. Released in 2021, the game puts on an apocalyptic environment where zombies, horror, and fantasy are all thrown into the mix! NoLimit City has put out quite a few successful titles under their XWays series. This time, the developer adds a new feature called the XSplit Wilds, one of my review’s focal points.
While the XWays symbol is performing its usual task of adding a random number of high-value symbols on the reels, its XSpilt Wild cuts straight through the adjacent symbols to trigger Split. We all know what to expect here- with the splits come bigger payouts from more winning symbols! You can also play for other features such as Free Spins, Level Ups, Multipliers, Wilds, and Sticky Wilds in this odd yet satisfying slot. With its bold theme, hoarding the game’s prizes is always exciting!
I recently had a chance to put this slot under the test, and the results are as follows.
PROS
CONS
Let’s start with XWays Hoarders overall look and feel. I must say that the crafty designers were able to paint the picture exactly as they wanted. The game’s overall environment actually makes you feel disoriented and worried about what the future might hold for us. The drama starts from the moment the game is loading. The game’s screen shows a newspaper that says “Hoarders Special, That’s a SH:T LOAD!.” And you might wonder what it means, well that’s what the slot is all about, SH:T and a whole lot of it.
The story here is that humankind has filled up the earth with filth, resulting in setting up the apocalyptic environment.
The graphics and animation designers deserve a separate prize as they make the screen come alive. It is also worth noting the sound accompaniment: after listening to it at once, it becomes clear that this composer has also put an extra effort to fit it to the theme. It’s a funky tune playing on an old radio set.
The screen design is also pretty satisfying, with a grid placed on a small rocky mound with the sun rising on what seems to be a camp sight in the background. A pigeon wearing a gas mask sits on the left-hand side of the screen and tells you about the number of Ways of Wins activated on each spin. I’ll leave the design aspects here to try out the game for free and analyze the environment yourself.
Next, I’ll take you through the gameplay, which for the most part, is pretty standard except for a few aspects. XWays Hoarders is equipped with a standard 5×3 grid. The payouts here are made for a combination of three or more symbols falling on any of the active paylines or Ways of Wins, as they call it.
The game’s mechanics resemble the Megaways, where the number of the paylines change before each spin. However, unlike Megaways where the number of lines can reach up to half a million, the maximum they can go up to in this slot is 95,760 with 243 lines as the minimum.
In this game, you can start with 0.20 credits and move up to 100.00, which is sensible enough for most players. The dollar sign on the bottom left corner of the screen allows you to adjust your stakes, and here’s where you should start your session on XWays Hoarders.
The second most important button is the ‘Spin’ button that resembles a recycling icon placed on the right-hand side of the screen. Clicking on the spin button will rotate the reels for a single revolution.
Now let’s have a look at XWays Hoarders paytable that is filled with all sorts of gross yet lucrative symbols. Hovenburg, the Moonshine King, Karen, Dr. Dwayne, and Gordon Geiger are among them as premium symbols. On the lower side of the paytable, we have a Toxicity Meter, First Aid Kit, A Petrol Gallon, a Bottle of Poison, and a Roll of Toilet Paper. Of course, the most valuable symbol here is Hovenburg, as five of his depictions aligned on an active pay line will trigger a 5x payout. Payout values for other characters range between 0.2x and 3.75x of your stakes.
Landing three or four Scatters on the last four reels will trigger the Bunker Raid Free Spins. Depending on the number of triggering Scatters, you’ll receive seven to 10 Free Spins. Any XWays symbol that lands during the round will become Sticky XWays and hold its position for the rest of the round. Besides, each XWay symbol will also add an extra spin to the total. Any Super Scatter that lands during the round will transform itself and the symbol below it into XWays symbol. You’ll move to the next Hoarder Level for every third XWays symbol collected.
Here’s a rundown of the collected XWays symbols and Hoarder Levels:
The max you can win from the Bunker Raid Free Spins is 11,030x of your base stake, and when the maximum cap is met, the round ends, and wins are credited to your balance.
I must say that XWays Hoarders gives you a heck of a ride with its odd theme. However, I am a bit disappointed with the payouts and return of the slot as its RTP stands at 94.01%, which is way lower compared to many premium slot machines. Also, this game comes with high volatility and if you fail to trigger the Free Spins bonus early enough, the game will eat up your balance pretty quickly.
