Traditional Slot Gaming and a Board Game Bonus Round
Mousetrap is a quirky board game loved by generations of children. This game involved building a complex contraption to catch a mouse, which a marble runs along. WMS have created a slot based on this game which combines 3 mechanical reels with a video bonus round. Cheese takes on an important role – and progressive jackpots can be won.
Considering the name and theme, you won’t see the famous plastic mouse trap components at first. These only appear when you hit special areas of the board game bonus feature.
Here are the factors which make the Mousetrap slots entertaining:
- Mechanical reels with big wilds and ‘double’ symbols
- Trigger a free spins bonus to enjoy the board feature above the reels
- Cheese symbols move you around the board, for more spins and prizes
- Jackpots can be won from special spaces on the board
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How the Mousetrap Slot Bonus Game Works
You’ll need 3 scatter symbols (which say ‘free games’) anywhere on the reels to trigger the bonus. First, you touch a mouse icon directly above the reels – which brings the board game to life.
You see a plastic mouse on the bottom left of the board. To start with, there are 7 free spins. What you are hoping for is symbols with small cheese wedges on them. These move the mouse around the board every time they appear. Any line hits during your free spins are counted up as usual.
On the board you will see spaces saying extra spin (sometimes two). There are cog shaped symbols on each corner with question marks on them.
These are what you want to hit – as they award jackpot prizes. You start at the mini jackpot and will either get this or an ‘advance’ after seeing an animation based on the Mousetrap board game. Advance gives you a shot at the next jackpot – right up to the biggest one.
If you keep hitting cheeses, you can win a lot more than just the initial 7 free spins.
On-Reel Features: Wilds and Doubles
Wild symbols show mice and are big enough to cover all 3 spots on a reel when they land flush. These appear on all the reels, giving you the chance of big wins over all 9 win-lines.
What you want to see with winning combinations are the ‘double’ symbols. These are also wild, and as the name suggests will double any win they are part of. You’ll get a huge line prize by landing 3 of the double symbols on a win-line.
Cheeses will appear on the reels in the base game. These do not have any effect until you hit the free spins / board game bonus.
Mousetrap Slot Setup and Regular Wins
Mechanical reels mean you will sometimes hit ‘blanks’ instead of always having symbols in view. There are 9 win-lines in total, and your bets are in increments of 50c.
Other than the themed wild symbols, the winning combinations come from classic icons like 7’s and Bars. Red 7’s are worth hitting – especially if you are lucky enough to combine these with a double symbol. Bars come in the traditional 1, 2 and 3 variations.
Design of the Hybrid Mechanical / Video Mousetrap Slot
I was confused not seeing the plastic marble-run contraption that the Mousetrap board game is famous for at first. This eventually appears in an excellent animation – complete with marbles and the boot kicking over a bucket. You have to wait until you get the special question mark symbols in the bonus game to see this.
When you play the bonus game, you’ll quickly see this is a recent slot. The quality of the animations when the mouse moves along and hits the special squares is excellent.
The upper part of the cabinet shows the board, along with the 4 different jackpot prizes. On the bottom you see only the physical reels. Cheeses and big wild symbols help this to stand out from similar slots. Completing the traditional feel are old-style digital displays for your wins, bets and bankroll on the left-hand side.
Will the Mousetrap Slot Catch a Big Win for You?
After some initial confusion about the role of the cheese symbols, I enjoyed this slot. Games which combine traditional reels with video bonuses are becoming popular – and WMS’ Mousetrap hits the balance nicely. There are ways to win big from the base game, with wilds and double symbols in play. Things get busy fast when you trigger the main bonus game. Here you can access the progressive jackpots – and win extra spins to keep your bonus going. If you remember the Mousetrap board game, I’m sure you’ll enjoy a spin on this slot.
