Free slot: Xpander

How Xpander works

Hacksaw Gaming has a new slot machine in their Pocketz games series and it looks like it's going to be another success.

Indeed, the online casino world is evolving along with its players and the latter seem to be turning more and more to the use of their smartphones to play their favourite gambling games. The Pocketz series has been a great success so far, with games that are original and simple at the same time and often extremely volatile.

Xpander offers a captivating, electro/old school style universe that will delight retro slot fans. Xpander is a slot machine developed and published by the young and ambitious online games provider, Hacksaw Gaming. It has been available at online casinos offering this provider since 17 July 2021. Its payout ratio (RTP) is in the middle of the pack among slots with 96.25%, but it is its volatility that is impressive and its winning potential very high with the possibility of winning up to 10,000 times the starting stake. The grid is quite special thanks to a 7x7 format (7 rows of 7 symbols each). The aim is to get groups of identical symbols, 5 or more identical symbols in contact establish a paying connection. The used symbols are then removed from the grid to let new symbols fall from above in a cascade called a tumble. There are several special features in the base game in addition to a free spins bonus. Xpander uses Hoppers technology, created by the same provider, to add considerable volatility to each pay spin. At the start of the game, a x2 multiplier is randomly placed on top of a symbol in the grid. At the start of each spin, this multiplier will jump to another symbol on the grid at random. If a connection is made to a symbol highlighted by the multiplier, the whole connection is multiplied.

It is possible to increase the range of the multiplier or double its value by getting 3 Xpander symbols or a Double Up symbol respectively until you get a multiplier x128 occupying the space of a 4x4 on the grid. In the base game, the multiplier reverts to a x2 occupying a single space at the start of a new payout round. If 3 Xpander symbols are rolled in the same game round, the area occupied by the multiplier is doubled and a respin is rolled.

The different symbols in Xpander

In addition to the Wild, 1UP and Scatter, there are 10 symbols in Xpander.

• The Double Up symbol doubles the multiplier by landing anywhere on the grid. It is possible to get several Double Up symbols in one spin;

• The Xpander symbol increases the area occupied by the multiplier when 3 Xpander symbols are collected;

• Common symbols appear often and pay little, they are represented by cherries, a lemon, a blackberry and a watermelon;

• Premium symbols are rarer and have a higher value, they are represented by a bell, a horseshoe, a 7 and a diamond.

Above you will find the potential winnings from a €1 bet.

The different connections in Xpander

There are many different connections possible in Xpander. Indeed, there is no predefined payline on this slot machine. Connections are made in the form of clusters, which means that a group of at least 5 identical symbols must be in contact in order to establish a paying connection. The used symbols are then removed from the grid to let new symbols, coming from above, fall in a cascade called tumble. Once the tumble no longer makes a new connection, the spin stops. The Wild replaces all other symbols except the Scatter to make connections easier. Below you will find an example of a paying connection and an example of an invalid connection, without a paying cluster, in order to understand the system more simply.

How the Xpander bonus works

Getting 3 or more Scatter symbols in the same pay round triggers the Xpander bonus and gives you 5 free spins. The principle remains the same: you have to increase the value and the occupied area of the Hoopers multiplier to get big wins. However, your progress in this regard is not deleted between rounds. Every Xpander symbol you get is collected and every 3 Xpander symbols the multiplier gets bigger. The same principle applies to the multiplier value, which increases with every Double Up symbol that appears on the grid. This value never decreases during the entire bonus.

Finally, a 1UP symbol appears during the free spin bonus. For every 1UP symbol that appears on the grid, you are awarded an extra free spin. If you don't want to wait for the free spins bonus, you can purchase this feature for 129 times your original bet.

Our review of Xpander

Xpander is a very interesting slot machine thanks to its simplicity mixed with its original operation. The psychedelic world is captivating and the background music is relaxing. The randomly moving Hoppers multiplier adds a real surprise to every spin, while the various enhancement symbols come into their own during the free spins, offering incredible volatility and winning potential. Hacksaw Gaming has once again delivered a fun Pocketz slot that has clearly been worked on in detail and should easily appeal to many players!