Slingo is a hybrid online game, which combines elements of bingo and slot machine gameplay. The game interface is a 5×5 bingo grid with reels below.
Players must match symbols in paylines until they reach a target score and win their spot on a prize ladder – much like slots, but with added gameplay features that make it more like Candy Crush. Some examples of these special powerups include Gold Coins, Cherubs and Super Jokers.
Gameplay
Play Bingo; Win Like a Slot: Slingo is an absolute gem of a hybrid (1994) Amid the five-by-five grid and the reels that turn every turn on Slingo, players find matches for numbers on their card on the grid, which playfully get ‘slung out’. Just like in bingo, you cross off card numbers to designate them as ‘free’ and earn points when they match the ones on the grid. Depending on the Slingo game you’re playing, you could also get the ability to play with special power-ups.
And it’s this simplicity – in an industry that finds itself increasingly preoccupied with the need for careful ‘skinning’ and meta elements – that makes the top Slingo titles so fun. There is no mystique when it comes to mastering strategies or techniques. The vast majority of Slingo titles are based on fixed pay grids, with a set number of included spins. You can always buy more – although spends are kept to a minimum either way – and the more Slingo you can complete, the higher you get on the prize ladder. Bonus rounds are unlocked in some titles as well!
Rules
No matter which Slingo game you play, you’re going to want to learn the rules, especially how the payouts work. The prize ladder or paytable shows how much you can expect to earn as you continue up the ladder, depending on how high you ascend. Often it sits to the left of the grid or, if not, just click on a ’?’ icon or ‘i’ icon on the bottom of the screen. This will pull up a page that shows you what you can win – whether you’re playing for money or just points – by purchasing extra spins and how much each one will cost.
For those new to Slingo, using jokers effectively and exploiting other special features is the most bang-to-buck that beginners can buy. Rounds that are designed to offer up a killer combo of strategy and chance are typically the most engaging to play, but they can also impact your house edge or ‘RTP’ (return-to-player), which is the percentage of money paid out by a Slingo game to players.
Payouts
Fans of online slots and bingo will love Slingo – the games have a progressive jackpot and a prize ladder that score bonus games to win by completing vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines on a five x five grid (like a bingo card) and then combining with reels underneath. The payouts for the games depend on which of the numbers or symbols (ranges from Greek mythological heroes to Game of Thrones) appear on grid to complete winning lines. Sometimes there are special Slingo symbols where getting them leads to extra wins.
Scoring is points-based, and if you clear lines or full houses, you can cash out big in slingo prizes. You win extra spins if you hit the right symbols, such as jokers and coins, and all these paytable details are displayed on the paytable, alongside projected costs for extra spins and so on.
Variations
In parallel with slingo’s growth, manufacturers have been finding inventive ways to freshen up the gameplay with new game themes in slingo and slots, new variants on television themes (‘X Factor slingo’, Twenties Platinum slingo, Family Guy slingo etc), new game features such as jackpots, bonuses and more.
Slingo is generally played on a 5×5 grid with reels positioned beneath, and players must press the spin button, which will mark off any numbers on the grid that match those on the reels. If you mark off five numbers vertically, horizontally or diagonally, you have a Slingo and can cash in with a prize based on a total score. Most slingo games are played on a 5×5 grid with reels below and the goal of marking off five numbers horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Some also give away special features, like Free Spins , Multipliers or joker-related stuff. These features are random and they can appear whenever we want, although the times they appear will depend on the RNG.
Bonus rounds
Other than the standard game, there are levels or bonus rounds that increase your chances of winning money. These bonus rounds can include extra spins, super jokers, and devils. Super jokers allow a player to erase whichever number sits above it on the column, and a devil defiantly squashes out a potential match on any of the reels it lands on.
Players need to be aware of the odds of winning a Slingo game before playing. Slingo comes in different varieties and there might be differences in winning odds from one game to another. For those players that have a laptop, it would be wise to do some research on the games and their odds before starting to play. Slingo also comes with powerups that some players might purchase just to increase their chances of winning. So make sure that you check the rules before playing. Sometimes those powerups can be pricey but they will affect the overall score of the game.