Name: Golden Hook
Item: Golden Hook
Rating: 3
Author: A2ZCasinos.org

Golden Hook Online Slot by Microgaming and Crazy Tooth Studios sees the return of the latter’s Wincrease mechanic as seen in The Incredible Balloon Machine, where reels and paylines are discarded in favour of an innovative burst mechanic. This medium volatility title puts you at the helm of a fishing boat in a serene bay where you cast your line and use perfect timing to reel in the biggest possible catch. A bonus game waits for you beneath the waves where even bigger fish await your hook and the game’s features include multipliers.

Game Symbols

I took a cursory glance at the paytable and it dawned on me I would not be dealing with symbols with set values. Instead, I was faced with a spin button set in the ship’s wheel that had a meter above it. When I pressed the spin button, my line was cast into the water and it took a couple of attempts, but I finally hooked a fish and then the game began in earnest. The fish’s value climbed the longer I waited and hitting the collect button reeled it in and I would collect the value. The obvious temptation for me was to let the value rise as high as possible, but at random times, the fish would disengage and I would lose the entire amount. There were also random multipliers between 2x and 10x that bobbed to the surface and these applied to any wins I collected for that particular round.

Bonus Features

This game’s tradition-defying construction extends to its only special feature that offers a change of scene and elevated winning chances.

Golden Hook

The appearance of a golden fish meant I was in for some submerged gameplay as I descended beneath the surface to an aquatic wonderland where high-value fish swim by, accompanied by crabs with 2x multipliers attached to them. I didn’t have to do much as the game launched a times bonus round where my hook repeatedly dipped into the water, catching fish with randomly assigned values and delivering the winnings to my bankroll. The bonus round would end when my time ran out or when I hooked a multiplier crab.

Our Verdict

Golden Hook slot delivers an unusual gameplay experience that isn’t quite as eventful as it is unique. I loved the use of the Wincrease mechanic in The Incredible Balloon Machine and it is applied to a similar effect here, delivering suspenseful gameplay that kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to time the perfect catch. However, the base game did start to feel monotonous, particularly when I hit a streak of unsuccessful spins. Luckily, the bonus round did save the day somewhat, when it appeared, with potentially lucrative prizes that I didn’t have to sweat for.

My main criticism of this title is that it perhaps aims to repeat the success of its predecessor instead of building on it. The absence of more engaging features and the not-so-exciting maximum win potential of $123 280 means this game has to lean heavily on the appeal of its novelty.

If you like this slot, then check out Jet X or Wild Catch