Arctic Fish and Cash Slot Review

Theme and graphics

It’s my opinion that the online casino slot world has an overabundance of games basing themselves on fishing and underwater scenes. It’s like the Egyptian theme or gods theme – oversaturated. That’s why it’s usually my reaction to sigh and roll my eyes when I see another new release using these themes.

Arctic Fish and Cash launched at the end of 2023, but it remains popular today. It also does the fishing theme in its own way, deviating from what is common in most other games of this type.

Hook a fish or catch a shoal in your net

The layout of this game is what struck me first when I played it. While the six reels of the game are very much visible in the centre, hosting some impressive symbols, it is the background that also makes an impact. Air bubbles float to the surface of the water, passing by a few marine plants on the way. To the left of the reels is a large fishing net, which has been placed in the water by the ice fisherman. He can be seen at the top of the screen with his fishing rod cast at the same time.

It's a great way to execute the base theme as he sits there on his floating piece of ice trying to hook a fish or two. There is also a piece of music playing out that brings a whimsical side to Arctic Fish and Cash. It works really well with the game, providing you with the entertainment needed.

Gameplay mechanics

Because this slot is created by the Popiplay brand, it utilises a familiar layout, as is found within many games from this developer. Therefore, all the relevant buttons you need for gameplay run along the bottom of the screen. It is there that you will find the Total Bet box, with + and – buttons on either side of it. Using those buttons, you can select a wager of between €0.20 and £25 per spin.

Choose a bet that is suitable for your bankroll and the slot’s technical details, which I’ll explain a little later. Then, click the large circular button located in the bottom-right corner of the screen. The current symbols on the screen will drop off at the bottom, and new ones will fall into place from the top. Arctic Fish and Cash don’t include specific paylines to win on. Instead, you create wins in a pay anywhere setup. So, as long as eight or more identical symbols show up anywhere, you win.

View the payouts included in the game by clicking on the hamburger button found in the bottom-left corner. You can also introduce autoplay by using the button with the ‘A’ on it next to the spin button. And the lightning bolt button speeds up the spins you play.

If you’re unsure of any of these mechanics or parts of the gameplay, you can always try the slot for free in demo mode. This will allow you to play the slot in exactly the same way without spending any real money.

Cascading reels and special symbols

When you form wins in this slot game, you will see cascading reels spring into action. When this occurs, the winning symbols disappear from the reels, and new ones drop down into the spaces. If another win hits, then the process repeats, and it continues until no further wins can be created.

The case filled with gold coins is the slot’s scatter symbol, and this one can appear anywhere. It takes at least four of these landing anywhere to activate free spins, with up to 30 of them being available in the slot.

It’s also the case that in free spins, you can see multiplier symbols land. These are represented by the tin can filled with bank notes. This takes on a multiplier value of up to 100x, and when the cascades of a win end, it applies itself to the final value accrued.

Max win, volatility and RTP

When you play this Popiplay release, you have the chance to win up to 10,200x of your base bet. That’s a great maximum to have available, being more than double the general average for today’s video slots. It’s also important that I highlight the slot’s high volatility level, though. Because this is the case, wins won’t hit as frequently in the game, but when they do, they will generally be of a higher value.

Arctic Fish and Cash does have a decent return to player (RTP) rate as well, which is 96.11%. Anything above the 96% level is considered to be good. If you’re unfamiliar with RTP, this dictates the amount you can expect to win back from playing an online slot. The percentage is worked out across thousands of spins, though.

Playing Arctic Fish and Cash on mobile

I found Arctic Fish and Cash well optimised for my iPhone. The reels fit well and seamlessly blended into the background, and the controls were easy to navigate and large enough to see without taking up too much space. 

I would prefer playing this slot at mobile casinos as it feels just a tad more simple to play and easier to access without sacrificing any of the features that make it enjoyable on a desktop.

Responsible gambling

Whether you prefer a fish-theme or something closer to land, you should always ensure you gamble responsibly. By following a set of responsible gambling guidelines, such as setting spending limits and taking breaks, you can avoid falling into any problem gambling habits.

What makes Arctic Fish and Cash stand out?

Amongst the masses of fishing-themed online slots, Arctic Fish and Cash stands out due to its setup and features. The pay anywhere setup is something that doesn’t appear in many of them, and it’s great when cascading reels are part of a slot game. 

I happen to really like the free spins round with the multiplier symbol additions. Popiplay is one of those developers that has really come into its own over the past couple of years. Arctic Fish and Cash is another fine example of this being the case.