Rusty & Curly Review
Western-themed slots are a dime a dozen, aren’t they? Software developers often venture into the wild west to explore new additions to the genre. Typically, these games portray serious settings in dusty, old towns where tumbleweeds outnumber the bullets flying through the air. It’s a genre rife with choices, ranging from excellent to mediocre. Breaking away from the conventional is Hacksaw Gaming’s contribution to the genre, Rusty & Curly. In this comical interpretation of cowboys, outlaws, and the like, two unlikely heroes are joined by their loyal companions, Crispy & Chewy, in a blend of Dork Unit meets The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly knee-slapper.
Identifying Rusty from Curly may pose a challenge, but based on their appearance, Curly likely stands to the left of the reels due to his curly hair, while Rusty, with his slim build and dad bod, occupies the right. But hey, Rusty & Curly, if we’re mistaken, our apologies. These two characters are simply lounging in the desolate roads of Dorkville, one attempting to appear menacingly bow-legged, while the other sports a glazed expression, as if the universe’s secrets were downloaded into their mind, overwhelming their cognitive capacity. In essence, they are an unlikely duo, setting a humorous tone before diving into action.
Between the two “funslingers,” as the game labels them, lies Rusty & Curly’s 5-reel, 4-row gaming grid. Sporting 14 paylines, wins occur when 3 to 5 matching symbols align along them, starting from the leftmost reel. On the default RTP model, players can anticipate a return value of 96.29%, although certain feature buys may alter this figure. With a medium volatility math model, rated 3 out of 5 by the Hacksaw team, players can wager anywhere from 10 cents per spin up to $/€100.
Rusty & Curly features typical Western imagery for its symbols, with Jack to Ace card ranks serving as low pays, while a skull, hat, bottle, horseshoe, and sheriff’s badge represent the highs. Wild Posters, appearing on all reels, substitute for regular pay symbols and reward 10 times the bet for a line of 5.
The game breathes life into its theme and characters through its features, including Wild Poster symbols leading to respins and multipliers, a Stick To The Plan! bonus enhancing base game mechanics, and Who Shot The Sheriff? bringing the gang together for a multi-cycle collect and payout experience.
Wild Posters may land with hearts, multipliers, or both, triggering respins as long as at least 1 heart remains. Each Wild Poster can hold up to 3 hearts, losing one per respin until none remain. Wild Posters may also feature multipliers ranging from x2 to x10. During respins, any landed FS scatter symbols are collected on the progress bar above the reels.
Activating 3 FS scatter symbols awards 6 free Stick to the Plan! spins, boosting the chances of Wild Posters landing with more hearts and larger multipliers, now ranging from x2 to x100. Respins are granted as long as at least 1 Wild Poster with 1 or more hearts remains, with FS scatters excluded from landing during this feature.
Achieving 4 FS scatters in the base game triggers 12 free Who Shot The Sheriff? spins divided into 3 Cycles. Each Cycle comprises 1 Collect Phase spin and 3 Payout Phase spins. In the Collect Phase, Rusty, Curly, or both expand to wild reels and shoot at multipliers on the grid. The total value of the shot multipliers is added to the wild reel for the Payout Phase, ranging from x1 to x200. After 3 Payout Phase spins, the game returns to the Collect Phase. Crispy & Chewy symbols may expand to wild reels during the Payout Phase but do not carry multipliers and are not sticky. Additional FS symbols during the feature grant extra Cycles.
From the bonus buy menu, players can select various ways to embark on Rusty & Curly’s adventure, all offering high volatility except for Stick-Up FeatureSpins.
BonusHunt FeatureSpins – 3x the bet, each spin has a higher likelihood of triggering a bonus game (RTP 96.4%).
The Stick-Up FeatureSpins – 50x the bet, each spin guarantees at least 5 Wild Poster symbols (RTP 96.29%).
Stick To The Plan! Bonus – 100x the bet (RTP 96.29%).
Who Shot The Sheriff? Bonus – 300x the bet (RTP 96.41%).
With phrases like “Come on down to Bonus Town, where the grass is dead and the girls are gritty” featured in one of its free spins descriptions, Hacksaw Gaming delivers a slot brimming with humor. Comparing it to Wanted Dead or Wild, could Rusty & Curly be any more different atmospherically? Imagining Rusty or Curly shooting a sheriff is a comical endeavor, perhaps only conceivable if one of them accidentally discharged their firearm, leading to a hilarious mishap.
Nevertheless, the mathematical model in Rusty & Curly is no laughing matter. The game offers numerous tantalizing and rewarding opportunities. What’s impressive is how each gameplay element intricately ties to the theme, such as the Wild Poster’s sticky wilds and the shooting of multiplier values in the Who Shot The Sheriff? bonus phase. While not Hacksaw Gaming’s first multi-phase collect and payout bonus, Who Shot The Sheriff? offers a unique twist, providing moments of triumph or disappointment. Both of Rusty & Curly’s bonus rounds have the potential to hit the 10,000x win cap, adding further incentive to trigger or buy the bonus rounds, offering a uniquely designed Western slot experience.
Rusty & Curly Slot Information
Title: Rusty & Curly
Developer: Hacksaw Gaming
Reels: 5
Rows: 4
Paylines: 14
RTP: 96.29% | 94.31% | 92.25% | 88.31%
Hit Freq: 32%
Max Win: 10,000x
Volatility: Medium (3/5)
Min/Max Bet: 0.10/100
Release Date: March 28, 2024