Introduction
The comedy film "Bridesmaids" (2011) directed by Paul Feig, has become a cult classic and one of the most successful female-led comedies in history. The movie's success led to various merchandise and spin-offs, including a casino slot game inspired by its theme. This review aims to delve into the details of the "Bridesmaids" slots game, developed by IGT (International play Bridesmaids Game Technology).
Theme
As expected from a movie-based slot, the "Bridesmaids" slot has taken inspiration from the film's theme and characters. The game is set in a bridal shop, surrounded by wedding dresses and decorations. The reels are adorned with symbols of bridesmaids' accessories such as wigs, tiaras, sashes, and bouquets. The high-paying symbols feature the main characters from the movie: Annie (Kristen Wiig), Helen (Rose Byrne), Rita (Maya Rudolph), Becca (Ellie Kemper), Megan (Melissa McCarthy), and Maggie (Wendi McLendon-Covey).
Design
The game's design is faithful to its inspiration, featuring a bright and colorful theme with cartoon-style graphics. The backdrop of the reels consists of a beautifully decorated bridal shop, complete with pastel-colored wedding decorations and fluffy bridesmaids' attire. The game has two main screens: one showing the reels and another displaying the bonus features menu.
Symbols
The low-paying symbols in this slot are made up of standard playing cards (9-A) adorned with wedding bells or flowers to maintain the theme. These symbols award between 1-50 times the initial bet for landing five-of-a-kind combinations on a payline.
High-paying symbols
The main characters from the movie serve as high-paying symbols:
- Maggie, Becca, Megan: Awards x5-x10 of the original bet
- Annie and Helen (each with two versions): Pays 8-12 times the initial bet
Payouts
Similar to many slot games, payouts are awarded based on symbol combinations across active paylines. There is no Wild or Scatter symbol dedicated specifically for triggering free spins or bonuses. Instead, winning combinations use regular reels and standard payout tables.
The top-paying combination features Annie (Kristen Wiig) with the highest value at x800 of the original bet per line. The maximum achievable win on a single spin ranges from x4,000 to x20,000 depending on bets placed.
Wilds
IGT's "Bridesmaids" slot does not feature a dedicated Wild symbol for bonus rounds or increasing payout multipliers in standard gameplay modes. However, there are some exceptions:
* During free spins sessions, all high-paying symbols (characters) function as wild substitutions. * Some special cases will make Annie appear on reels with any combination of low-value icons; her winning combination values remain unchanged.
Scatters
This game has two types of scatters that trigger bonuses or other unique actions:
- Bridesmaids Logo Symbol: Appears on three middle positions only to activate the bonus round.
- 'Wild' Annie or 'Free Spins' Scatter – Not present, but will be explained in a Bonus Section below.
Bonus Features
The free spins feature can be activated by either of two methods:
- 3 Bridesmaids logo scatters on any position will award 5 Free Games starting immediately.
- Reel Stopping, Multiplier-free Spins are possible through triggering 'Free Play' which has a lower bet range than real-money versions and starts after spending credits within the designated limits.
The 'Bonus Round Game Selection screen shows players four options:
+ **Annie's Wrecking Ball**: Annie (Kristen Wiig) smashes multiple reels with her wrecking ball; awards between 1-15 Wilds on those reels. + **Megan & Rita**: Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Rita (Maya Rudolph) create a 'mud explosion'; replaces high-paying symbols (main characters) for other identical values, generating extra combinations possible by that combination alone.
Free Spins
This game features two types of free spins sessions:
* **5 Wild Spinning Reels**: No multipliers, unlimited additional wilds added via "Megan and Rita" bonus; however it's a fixed session. + Bonus Games within 6 'Reel Stopping, Multiplier-free' Free Play games each, also offers only limited possible value increases of maximum combinations with these special bonuses.
RTP
IGT's game has been tested to have an estimated RTP (Return-To-Player) rate between 95% and 97.5% , depending on the jurisdiction where it is operated under different state gaming regulations or casino network restrictions for player groups like local VIP, high-stakes players etc..
The slot also offers a lower 'RTP' option available when selected within higher betting amounts & session controls (minimum bet set to $0:25-$1 per reel).