We’ve all had that experience. It starts with just one drink. maybe two, because it’s Friday and you’ve had a week. Fast forward three hours, and you’re trying to convince your mates that karaoke is your true calling while holding a pint like it’s a mic and belting out Total Eclipse of the Heart with the emotional range of a Shakespearean tragedy. Somewhere between losing your wallet and gaining three new best friends you’ll never speak to again, you end up sitting on a curb philosophising about time travel with a kebab. It’s pure magic!

Now, while the surreal is only part of a big night, it can be the most interesting. So, why not distill that part of the experience into one bizarre slot game that, like a car crash, you just can’t look away from? I presume that’s what Hacksaw was going for with its new Booze Bash slot.

Don’t forget to tip your barmaid!

The Booze Bash slot from Hacksaw Gaming features a matching symbols mechanic instead of traditional paylines. Betting starts at just $0.10, with a maximum of $25. If you’re betting at the top limit, you could win up to $312,500 thanks to the 12,500x maximum multiplier. The slot has medium to high volatility, so wins may not be constant but can be significant. The RTP is 96.31%.

Symbols land as either left or right halves. When two matching halves land side by side on the same row, they form a symbol and pay their value. These wins can happen on reels 1 and 2, 3 and 4, or 5 and 6. Wilds also appear as halves and can complete any pay symbol. Two wild halves form a wild pair worth 1,000x the bet.

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Multiplier pairs are formed by a left ‘x’ and a right number symbol. When matched, they multiply all wins on that spin. Multiple Multiplier pairs combine by multiplying their values before applying. Multiplier values range from x2 to x20.

Landing one FS pair triggers 10 Guilty As Gin free spins. These spins play like the base game but with more high-value symbols, wilds, and Multipliers. Landing another FS pair adds 2 more spins.

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Two FS pairs trigger Top-Shelf Trouble. A Bash Bar appears above the reels, revealing a symbol above each reel after every spin. If the symbol matches a half symbol below, it forms a win. Converted symbols revert after paying, so the same space can score again.

Three FS pairs unlock Hell’s Happy Hour with 10 spins. This round is like Top-Shelf Trouble, but the Bash Bar can also reveal special symbols. FS and Multipliers activate first, followed by the rest from left to right. Bash Bar Multipliers apply only to Bash Bar wins, and wilds turn that reel into wilds.

If you’re not keen on hitting the bar before you unlock a round of free spins, the slot’s buy bonus feature gives you a chance to buy a round.

Is the Booze Bash slot a great night out?

Last week, I bashed Hacksaw’s Ultimate Slot of America slot for being a cynical, soulless creation that looked like a product of AI. I’m happy to say that, with the release of the Booze Bash slot, they’re back to their best. The theme is bizarre, weird, and beautifully executed. I really like the contrast between the look and feel of the base game and the severe reds of the bonus round. While the matching symbols mechanic is completely unique to the Booze Bash slot, it’s rare enough that it makes playing the game a novel experience, which isn’t something you can say about many slot games. I could go on, but the bottom line is that Hacksaw nailed it with this one. I give the Booze Bash slot a ten out of ten.

If you’re looking for a few other great Hacksaw slots to try out, I recommend Donut Division and 2 Wild 2 Die.