Fish Tales Double Catch

Review setup

Fish Tales Double Catch is Booming Games’ anticipated sequel to Monster Bass. Cast your line and catch a big one in this follow-up, which stands on its own as a 5×3 fish-themed slot game. I played Fish Tales Double Catch for over an hour. Read on for my comprehensive review.

First impressions with Fish Tales Double Catch

Fish Tales Double Catch started off on the right foot with me; I’m a fan of fishing-themed games, especially in the summer heat (which was thrumming in Chicago as I played the game). Plus, Booming Games has a longstanding reputation as a solid slot developer.

Fish Tales Double Catch first caught my attention with its various features and bonuses. I’ll dive into those in far more detail later, but (spoiler) they’re a fun time. The relaxing fishing atmosphere struck me right away, with an idyllic landscape in the background and gently rippling water giving the whole experience some ambience.

I also appreciate a bonus buy option and a way to increase my chance of landing a feature. Fish Tales Double Catch has both, so I was on the hook. But could the game reel me in? Let’s find out.

Visuals and presentation: 4.5/5

The first word that came to mind when I loaded Fish Tales Double Catch was “polish.” It all looks squeaky clean, and it’s clear that Booming Games put a lot of effort into making the game feel like a cohesive whole.

This is true of the animations and art in the background, as I’ve already mentioned. But it’s even more prevalent in the base game.

The slot opens with a slick animation of a fish on a line after the bobber dips underneath the water. You know what you’re in for right away, and I appreciate the commitment to the theme.

On the reels, the symbols pop with little touches that bring the whole experience together. The low-value symbols (A, K, Q, J) are designed to look like water is on their surface. More valuable symbols are beautifully drawn depictions of tackleboxes, boats, and other fishing accoutrement.

Overall, Fish Tales Double Catch hits the mark with its visuals. The game is full of polished elements that come together to form a strong experience.

The role of sound: 5/5

I’m about to toss my own standards to the wind. You’ll rarely catch me giving a slot a perfect score on sound design, but here we are. Fish Tales Double Catch strikes the perfect balance of fun and interesting music that doesn’t overpower the whole experience and get annoying after just a few minutes.

I played with sound on for over half my time with the slot, which is probably a personal record. The background music has a rustic feel, with a plucked guitar and swelling violin leading the charge while miscellaneous fishing sound effects come in from time to time. The spinning reels sound like the clickety clack of a line being reeled in.

Winning spins usher in a quick sound effect that blends nicely with the soundtrack and lets the player know there’s something going on.

The option to turn off music, sound effects, or both was available, which I made use of after roughly 45 minutes with the game.

Gameplay journey: 4.75/5

Visuals: polished. Sound: surprising. Gameplay: smooth. Fish Tales Double Catch is easy to play. The spin button is super clear (it’s big and green, can’t miss it). Game options are available from an expandable menu by clicking a plus sign next to the spin button.

Changing my bet was as simple as clicking the plus or minus on the bottom left. I also had the option to select “Extra Bait” for an increased chance of triggering features. The game did a great job of showcasing potentially big moments, too. When two bobber bonus symbols landed, the remaining spinning reels would electrify and spin with anticipatory slowness, and it had me on the edge of my seat hoping for a third.

The Bonus Buy feature is accessible by clicking the gold star on the left side of the gameplay area. It’s not labeled, and I first mistook it for a random artistic flourish until I clicked on it. It opened the Bonus Buy menu, and everything was fairly intuitive from there. The confusion that arose from not labeling the button, however, is my single reason for docking the game from a perfect score in this category.

Bonus Features Through My Eyes: 5/5

Fish Tales Double Catch has a strong mix of bonuses and features that can all work together.

First, there are (and this will probably come as a shock) fish. Fish symbols can have values of 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 50x, or 100x. If they’re part of a pay line in the base game, your win is multiplied by the multipliers in the win. They function differently in the free spins round, which I’ll cover shortly.

Then there’s the scatter symbol, a big bobber that says “bonus.” Landing three will trigger 10 free spins. Land four or five to get 15 or 20 free spins, respectively. Even if you don’t land enough to trigger the bonus, the bobber symbols will move to the top of the screen and be deposited into the barrel. The Barrel Boost feature can trigger the free spins bonus whenever a bobber is added. Alternatively, the barrel has a chance to award the bonus by adding a bobber to the reels on a spin with two or fewer bobbers.

You can toggle Extra Bait on or off during the base game. When Extra Bait is on, you increase your bet 1.5x and you have a better chance of triggering the scatter symbol.

The free spins bonus is the big catch, as it were. When you land free spins, you’re taken to separate reels with a multiplier progress bar and a free spins progress bar on the top and bottom of the reels.

During free spins, landing a wild (fisherman) symbol will automatically collect any fish symbols and add their multipliers together before the win is settled. This gives you a chance at big wins. Any collected fish are added to your multiplier meter for increasing wins, while the fisherman are added to the free spins bar. Collecting enough can add 5 free spins to the bonus.

The Buy Bonus option lets you choose from three options:

• Bonus: 75x your bet
• Gold Bonus: 150x your bet, 2x multiplier on all fish prizes
• Mystery Bonus: 250x your bet, mystery multiplier on all fish prizes

That’s a lot to process, so here’s a quick look at the bonus features at a glance.

Balancing risk and reward: 4.5/5

Fish Tales Double Catch has a 96.1% RTP and medium volatility. It’s easier to “feel” volatility than RTP, and I certainly thought the “medium” rating was accurate. I felt like the game triggered bonuses with moderate frequency, but there were certainly dry spells.

My experience with the Bonus Buy feature reflected this as well. On certain bonuses, I would more than make up the initial spend to buy the bonus. On others, I would come away with a loss. I never felt like the needle tipped in one direction or the other, which is another indicator of medium volatility.

I played with demo money the whole time and across a few sessions. As a result, I couldn’t track exact amounts bet or won. My experiences here are purely anecdotal.

The good and bad of Fish Tales Double Catch

As I have said, I think Fish Tales Double Catch is an excellent game. But of course, it might not be quite the right fit for everyone. Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Final thoughts on Fish Tales Double Catch

Consider me a flopping fish. Fish Tales Double Catch hooked me and reeled me in handily. I’m a sucker for a game with a strong bonus feature that has different possibilities, and this game hits the mark. It’s all supremely polished and thought out. The game’s various aspects feel like parts of a larger whole rather than disparate features cobbled together into a haphazard slot. Everything contributes to the core experience, and the game is fantastic. I’ll be back.

Final Score: 4.75/5