Orbital Mining

2.6 /5
2.6/5 lcb.org
  • Type:

    Video slots
  • Reels:

    5
  • Paylines:

    25
OrbitalMining1.jpg OrbitalMining2.jpg OrbitalMining3.jpg OrbitalMining.jpg

Space themes have been seen in all different types of media, including movies, television shows, books, video games and more. They're also used in online slots quite a bit, but the simple fact of the matter is that there are so many different angles that it can be approached from that there's always going to be something fresh that can be used with an outer space setting. The Orbital Mining slot by Pragmatic Play is a great example of this, and they use a space mining theme as the central motif of the experience.

Game Format

There's a pretty typical format used in this game, as there are five reels, three rows and a total of 25 paylines. The way the reels are "spun" is a bit different, however, and the individual symbols don't actually spin vertically. Instead, they sort of flash and are randomly decided on while standing in place, and the potential winning combinations are highlighted from left to right to make it easier to see. Coins in this game run from $0.01 to $0.50 each, and players can bet as many as 10 coins on all 25 paylines. The minimum bet size is only $0.25 per turn, which is perfect for penny players, but you can wager as much as $125 per spin in this video slot.

Wild Symbols

The Space Guardian symbol is the wild in this game, and he acts as a sort of intergalactic police officer. While there's not much of a back story built up for this game, it seems as if there's some sort of smuggling operation going on, and the Space Guardian is there to stop it. While he appears on all of the reels, he does not give his own payouts, and multiple wilds will give you the equivalent of the highest other available win in the game.

Scatters and Free Spins

The green Atomic symbol is the scatter in this game. You can win the largest regular prize in the game, which is 100 times your total bet (like a 2,500x line bet win) for five of a kind, but you'll also get paid for at least two of a kind anywhere on the reels. Three or more of this symbol anywhere on the game screen will give you a set of free spins.

When the free spins bonus feature starts, you'll get your number of free turns and multiplier randomly decided. You can earn as many as 33 free spins, and you can also pick up a multiplier as high as 6x. If you pick up three or more scatters during the feature, extra scatters will be added on, but the multiplier will stay the same for the remainder of the bonus feature.

Symbol Set and Top Payouts

Pragmatic Play has structured the symbols into two groups. The upper level group is based on five different characters. The dark green mask pays 500x for five of a kind, and it's the only symbol other than the scatter to pay for just two. The yellow woman character pays 250x for five, and you can earn 200x for five of a kind in the green woman. Five of the red or blue character will pay 125x.

Different types of mined materials make up the lower group of symbols. They also have the A, K, Q, J and 10 symbols in the corner to make it easier to keep up with which symbols are which. The blue A symbol pays 100x for five, as does the yellow K symbol. The green Q, red J and purple 10 (with a D symbol on it) all pays 75x for five of a kind. This is a cool way to handle the lower-level symbols so that they fit in with the theme and don't stick out like a sore thumb, which we often see in the slots we review.

Overview

Orbital Mining has a solid theme overall that's a bit different than anything we've seen before, even though it does use a general space motif in many ways. The graphics are good, not great, though the game loads very quickly, so there's a bit of a trade-off there. If you care more about solid gameplay and a chance to win a lot inside of a bonus feature with high multipliers than you do about fancy graphics, then this is a game that will probably appeal to you in a major way.

By Jesse Eddleman