Great Game Rockies

Great Game Rockies is developed by Hacksaw Gaming and distributed through Microgaming's content network. It draws from the same mechanical blueprint as the studio's Le Bandit engine, applying a North American wilderness setting to a coin-collect progression framework that Hacksaw has refined across several video slots.

What distinguishes this release is its layered star system, where animal symbols carry one to four stars that determine the tier of coin value they produce when hunted. That single mechanic drives nearly every aspect of the base game and bonus rounds, creating a slower, more deliberate experience than Hacksaw's faster-paced crash-style releases.

Theme & Graphic

The game is set against rugged Rocky Mountain scenery — snow-capped peaks, pine forests, and a warm autumnal colour palette that gives the reels a distinctly outdoors feel. The five animal symbols — Bear, Cougar, Eagle, Goat, and Beaver — are rendered in a clean illustrative style with enough detail to differentiate them clearly at speed. Standard playing card royals (J, Q, K, A) fill the low-value positions. The hunting theme is reinforced by a target reticle that appears above each reel during the Hunting Season mechanic, and the audio uses acoustic country and folk motifs that suit the setting without becoming intrusive.

Payout Table

Wins are formed left to right on 17 fixed paylines across the 5x3 grid; the values below are per 1.00 stake for five matching symbols. Exact figures for shorter combinations vary by operator — check the in-game paytable for the full breakdown at your chosen stake level.

Symbol 2 of a Kind 3 of a Kind 4 of a Kind 5 of a Kind
Bear 25x
Cougar 15x
Eagle 10x
Goat 5x
Beaver 3x
A / K / Q / J 1x

Special Symbols

Wild: Substitutes for all standard paytable symbols. During Hunting Season, the Wild receives a multiplier value of 2x to 20x that applies to any coin transformations it contributes to.

Hunting Season Symbol: The central mechanic trigger. When it appears, a target is displayed above each reel and five shots are fired, transforming animal symbols into tiered coin values or trap symbols based on the animal's star rating (one to four stars map to Bronze through Diamond coins). Trap symbols collect and pay out accumulated coin values from adjacent positions.

FS Scatter: Triggers one of three bonus round tiers depending on how many appear simultaneously. Cannot appear on the same spin as a Hunting Season Symbol.

Coin Symbols: Created by the Hunting Season mechanic rather than appearing independently on the reels. Bronze: 0.2x–1x stake; Silver: 2x–5x; Gold: 10x–50x; Diamond: 100x–500x.

Great Game Rockies Features

Hunting Season: The core base-game mechanic. A Hunting Season symbol triggers a five-shot sequence across the reels; each animal symbol is converted to a coin or trap symbol according to its star tier. Higher-star animals produce higher-tier coins. Trap symbols act as collectors, sweeping up coin values from the same row and paying the total. This mechanic fires regularly — the game carries a 38.1% hit frequency, meaning roughly one in every 2.6 spins produces a paying outcome.

Country Strong (3 Scatters): Awards 10 free spins with an increased frequency of Hunting Season symbols appearing during the round. This is the entry-level bonus and offers more consistent coin-collect activity than the base game.

Free Bird (4 Scatters): Awards 10 free spins where animal symbols progressively gain stars each time they contribute to a winning combination. As star levels climb, coin tiers rise, which can meaningfully increase the value of hunts that occur later in the round.

Trophy Hunting (5 Scatters): Awards 10 free spins with a guaranteed Hunting Season symbol present on every spin. This is the highest-value bonus tier and provides the most consistent access to the coin-collect mechanic. Note that Trophy Hunting cannot be retriggered during the round.

Feature Buy: Players who wish to access bonus rounds directly can purchase entry at a multiple of their stake — options start at 3x the bet for a BonusHunt activation, rising to 50x for Country Strong, and up to 200x for the Free Bird bonus (subject to wagering requirements and T&Cs where applicable; availability depends on the licensed operator and jurisdiction).

Spin Mechanics

Great Game Rockies is played on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 17 fixed paylines, all paying left to right from the leftmost reel. Stakes run from 0.10 to 200.00 per spin. Wins are evaluated on standard payline matches, but the majority of value is delivered through the Hunting Season coin-collect mechanic rather than direct reel combinations. Medium volatility means win frequency is relatively high for the format — the 38.1% hit rate keeps sessions moving without delivering large base-game swings, with significant payouts reserved for elevated coin tiers and bonus round activations.

The game's RTP is operator-configurable across four settings; the figure active at your chosen casino may differ from others. The maximum win potential is 5,000x your stake.

Similar Slots

  • Le Bandit — Hacksaw Gaming title that shares the same coin-collect engine and trap-symbol mechanic underpinning Great Game Rockies.
  • Wild West Gold — Pragmatic Play; another Western-themed slot with a sticky Wild and free spins structure that appeals to players drawn to the frontier aesthetic.
  • Rip City — Hacksaw Gaming; uses a similar hunt-and-collect progression format with comparable medium volatility and stake range.
  • Buffalo King Megaways — Pragmatic Play; North American wildlife theme with high-symbol multipliers and a free-spins mechanic that rewards patience over short-session play.

Our Opinion

Great Game Rockies is a competent, well-presented entry in Hacksaw Gaming's coin-collect catalogue. The star-rating progression adds genuine strategic texture to what can feel like a passive mechanic in other titles, and the 38.1% hit frequency suits players who find lower-hit-rate slots frustrating. It falls short of the studio's most exciting releases because the base game rarely delivers dramatic swings, and the top bonus tier (Trophy Hunting) requires five scatters to reach naturally. Best suited to players who want to play casino slot games with progression-based mechanics and are comfortable with medium variance over extended sessions.

From Our Reviews

FAQs

Q. What is the theme of Great Game Rockies and who made it?
A. Great Game Rockies is a North American wilderness slot developed by Hacksaw Gaming, distributed via Microgaming's content network. It features Rocky Mountain scenery and five wildlife symbols — Bear, Cougar, Eagle, Goat, and Beaver — alongside a hunting mechanic that drives the core gameplay.
Q. How does the Hunting Season feature work?
A. When a Hunting Season symbol lands, five shots are fired across the reels, converting animal symbols into tiered coin values (Bronze through Diamond) based on each animal's star rating. Trap symbols collect coin values from adjacent positions and pay the accumulated total. The Free Bird and Trophy Hunting free-spins rounds (subject to wagering requirements and T&Cs) elevate star ratings and guarantee hunt triggers respectively, increasing the potential for higher-tier coin outcomes.
Q. What is the maximum win and how volatile is Great Game Rockies?
A. The maximum win is 5,000x your stake, achieved through Diamond-tier coin accumulations in the higher bonus rounds. The game is rated medium volatility with a 38.1% hit frequency, meaning it pays out on roughly one in every 2.6 spins. The RTP is operator-configured and can vary between casinos; check the in-game information panel at your chosen site to confirm the active figure.
Q. Where is the best place to play Great Game Rockies?
A. Look for a licensed, regulated online casino that carries the Microgaming/Hacksaw Gaming portfolio and displays a current gambling authority licence (such as the UKGC or MGA). Reputable operators offer welcome promotions and ongoing free-spins offers (subject to wagering requirements and T&Cs) as well as responsible gambling tools including deposit limits, session time reminders, and self-exclusion options. Always verify the RTP setting displayed in the game information panel before playing.