Friends “The One With MultiDrop”

Review setup

Friends has gained a reputation for being one of the most charming TV sitcoms ever. In fact, it reigns as one of the most popular television programs of all time. So, when Light and Wonder came forward to develop their Friends themed slot game, many people were quick to dismiss it as a gimmick. After all, you could easily put any traditional slot game behind a Friends theme and just hope fans of the show would play.

But Light and Wonder has done the opposite, developing an immersive and valuable slot experience in its own right that just happens to also pay perfect homage to the show. Light and Wonder have always had a reputation of balancing stunning visuals with fun gameplay mechanics with their slot games. This Friends outing is no different.

This slot game offers a rewarding free spins mode, some big time multipliers and a solid RTP for the relatively high volatility. As Chandler himself would say, could this slot game BE any more fun?!?

First impressions of Friends “The One With MultiDrop”

The first thing I thought is that Light and Wonder really nailed what a Friends slot game would be visually. With a backdrop of the show’s famous sets (Monica’s apartment in the base game and Central Perk for the bonus round), the Friends soundtrack plays in the background as you are met with the brightly-colored slot grid.

What I really like here is the unique sound bites that they’ve attached to the game. Of course, the six Friends act as symbols in the game. And if you hit a win with those symbols, you’ll hear one of their signature quotes from the show. Trust me, there’s nothing more satisfying than winning with Ross and hearing “We were on a break!” And if you get a big win, you get even more iconic sound bites, such as “PIVOT!”

Bottom line: Light and Wonder always know how to capture the feel of a themed slot game, and this one is no different.

It also stands out to me how much the cluster wins can really play an effect on your winnings. After every third spin I tried, I picked up the cluster and cascade wins quickly, which really added up to some big wins without having to spin too much at all.

Visuals and presentation 4.5/5

I briefly touched on it previously, but let me repeat: Light and Wonder really knocks a slot theme out of the park. It may not seem as important as other factors, but it is essential if the theme is the initial selling point of the game. This game feels positively Friends, and with how immersive all the visuals are, it definitely stands out right away.

Similarly, the graphics feel up to date, but there is also a very vintage feel to them. They never feel aged at any point, but there’s definitely something very 90s as well. It’s a nice combination.

All of the symbols are classic parts of the TV show. Of course, you have the six title characters, some of the higher-scoring symbols. But, you also have the Thanksgiving Turkey, the Central Perk couch, and the lobster. The Central Perk logo represents the scatter symbol, so when you hit three or more of these, you’ll activate the free spins round.

You also have the Multi symbols, which will add randomized multipliers to any wins that they come in contact with.

The animations also feel as smooth as can be. Everything flows fantastically, especially if you are playing on mobile. The game played fine on desktop in my experience, but it really feels like a game that is tailor made for a mobile experience in how it functions.

Overall, I have no complaints about the presentation at all. But, since Light and Wonder are the ones that produced this game, I can’t say I am surprised by this.

The role of sound 5/5

Sound is an essential part of the presentation of a game. Light and Wonder understand this quite well, as they put just as much effort into how this Friends online slot sounds as they do into the visuals. They take that extra step to immerse you into the time and world of Friends, and if you keep the sound on, it will definitely add to your experience.

As I mentioned, every time you hit a row of symbols with one of the six characters, you will get some of their more iconic quotes, such as Joey’s ‘What’s not to like?’, Chandler’s ‘OH MY GOD’, and Monica’s ‘I know!’ It’s a little personalized touch, but it really adds to the atmosphere and overall presentation of the game.

You also have the Friends soundtrack playing harmoniously in the background. It’s not as intense as the original soundtrack is, but it’s relaxing and familiar enough that it does a fantastic job of reminding you what kind of slot game you are playing. It’s really a nice touch just to chill out the soundtrack just a little, to keep the energy relaxed while you continue to play with the Central Perk six.

Again, though, that’s just Light and Wonder being able to ‘Pivot’ to capture the perfect Friends feel. Ross would be proud!

Gameplay journey 4/5

Now, the key question you may actually be asking: How does the game actually play? Is it creative and intuitive gameplay, or does it get dull after a while? Well, I am a big fan of how the game is laid out, especially on mobile, and how it plays. It’s very straightforward, especially in the controls. All of the basic controls are laid out across the bottom of the page. It’s very easy to play, and to navigate. You can spin, adjust your stake and easily perform any basic slot features with ease. You can also purchase the bonus round in the top right corner for 100x the bet.

Overall, the playability of this game is a lot of fun. I am especially a fan of slots where your winning combo disappears and new symbols fall into their place, giving you the potential for multiple wins. However, there is only the one bonus feature to trigger, and the game doesn’t feature the build up of seeing if the last one will drop, like most slots do. So it does get a little repetitive after a while.

Also, it can be a little jarring when Ross yells ‘PIVOT’ when you get a big win. It’s a nice nod to the show, but the word “pivot” doesn’t really do much to evoke a big win.

In essence, while there’s nothing groundbreaking or amazing about how the game plays, there’s also nothing that is frustrating or irritating to the player.

Here’s some major points to take from this game.

• Mechanics – Simple, straightforward and quick. Nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking, but easy.
• Features: Multipliers and bonus free spins.

Bonus features through my eyes 3.5/5

The bonus features on Friends “The One with Multidrop” are great and can be highly lucrative. But, I can’t help but feel Light and Wonder could have done more to add more unique and show-based features to the game.

Let’s cover the features that are available first. The Multi feature is a great one, and it is definitely the most common feature in the game. It pops up quite frequently, and in my experience, the multiplier was extremely volatile in terms of what value would show up.

Of course, this is great for the player, as you could only get a 2x multiplier, but you could get a 55x multiplier, which is definitely nothing to sniff at. I do think that random factor helps the bonus to constantly feel engaging: you never know which multiplier you will get, and it is exciting.

The other major bonus, of course, is the Central Perk free spins bonus. You need three Central Perk symbols to activate the free spins amount. To be frank, this is a lot easier said than done, and it took me some amount of time to actually hit the bonus through gameplay. On average, I found out the free spins only hit 1 every 220 spins, which is not great. If you have the balance available to you, it might be easier to just purchase the free spins.

However, once you hit the free spins, it is definitely worth your while. You will find the multipliers will hit a lot more, and they are progressive. So let’s say on your first spin, you get a 3x multiplier. That 3x multiplier gets added to your total. On the next spin, you get a 5x multiplier. Now your winnings will be multiplied by 8, and then 8 becomes your new total multiplier. By the end, even a small win could get multiplied by a huge number and lead to an immense win.

You can trigger additional free spins by landing more Central Perk symbols in the bonus round.

A few more creative symbols that are exclusive to the bonus round would be nice, but still, I got some nice wins. So, when it comes to value, the free spins are definitely worth it. It is just incredibly difficult to get them through play alone. However, you can buy the bonus, and I did appreciate having that flexibility.

My biggest complaint with the features in this game is that the bonus round and the multiplier are the only two major features available. I believe Light and Wonder really missed a trick by not capitalizing fully on this theme. There is potential here for a lot more features, whether it is another bonus game, some expanding Wilds, or some other creative features that are based around some of the more iconic moments of the series. Only having multipliers and free spins is very basic, and I just feel that Light and Wonder left so much on the table by not having more available to the player.

Balancing risk and reward 4/5

This game is undoubtedly a highly volatile game, with some epic wins coming but only infrequently. The RTP is sitting right on the industry standard, at 96%.

Take all that into account, it’s important to ask the question: is this slot worth it, or is it time to ‘go on a break’, as Rachel would tell Ross?

In my view, this game feels fairly balanced. There is definitely a risk involved, especially if you stake high amounts. I will not lie, it can be difficult to hit the higher scores and get that big win. But, I feel the rewards balanced out with the risk, based on just the multipliers. The multipliers come across fairly commonly, and they are the ones that will add up over time and help you cover your losses. The free spins will balance it out as well, of course, but they can be very difficult to get by free play alone.

So, is the risk worth the reward? In my opinion, it is. Once you land those multipliers, it will make up for any lost time.

The good and bad of Friends “The One With MultiDrop”

As I said, there is a lot to like about this game. But, it isn’t without its flaws, so let’s dive right into the positives and the negatives of this Friends slot game.

Final thoughts on Friends “The One With MultiDrop”

Overall, I have to say that Friends “The One With MultiDrop” exceeded my expectations. I was not sure what to expect when I first booted up the game on my mobile. I knew Light and Wonder had a habit of producing visually stunning games, but that does not always translate to a great gameplay experience.

However, Light and Wonder managed to produce a solid slot game that you will go back to playing. The visuals are amazing, as usual, and the soundbites are the cherry on top that give it that unique Friends feel. The gameplay too is also solid. Those multipliers are really game changers and will help you pick up some big wins. The free spins too, once you hit them, can really add up to some big wins.

If you are a Friends fan, the initial presentation and visuals will grab your attention, but for the slots fans, those big time multipliers will keep you going. I honestly would play this game again, but I would make sure I have a bigger balance to fall back on. You have to invest a good amount into this game to make it worth your while. But, once you hit the free spins or multipliers, it’s a game that is as tasty as Monica’s cooking.

Final Score: 4.2/5