Nolimit City is a truly innovative and cutting-edge software studio with an emphasis on producing engaging gaming content and an abundance of distinctive features. Folsom Prison is an ideal example of the studio’s propensity for deviation from standard slot themes and the use of captivating and rewarding game mechanics.
The slot explores the hardships of life behind bars and the game’s developers took inspiration from California’s second oldest prison bearing the same name. Folsom Prison delivers casino enthusiasts with a broad betting range – from as little as $0.20 to as much as $100, or $120 with the xBet feature enabled.
Folsom Prison boasts an RTP of 96.07%, as well as a host of rewarding bonus mechanics including xWays, xSplit, Cockroach, Walk the Line Bonus, the Chair, Meet Your Maker, and Nolimit Bonus Buy.
Folsom Prison Theme, Graphics, and Sounds
Folsom Prison is Nolimit City’s second take on the theme of correctional facilities, with the first being the hit release San Quentin xWays. The color palette that the software provider used to depict the prison environment is toned-down and gloomy, perfectly matching the theme and the overall feeling.
The first thing that players notice upon loading the slot is the abundance of bars across the playing grid. Except for the visual effect they produce, they have yet another important function. As the base game commences, only reels 1 through 4 and rows 2 and 3 are unlocked, with the rest of the positions remaining behind bars. Players can unlock them by revealing a Wild, Scatter, xSplit, or xWays symbol on the open positions. Thus, the grid can be expanded to a 4-6-6-6-4 configuration with the number of paylines reaching 3,456.
As for the sound effects, Folsom City boasts an original soundtrack, created specifically for the game. It is reminiscent of the famed Johnny Cash’s performance in Folsom State Prison in California in 1968.
Folsom Prison Symbols and Payouts
Bets’ value in Folsom Prison ranges from 0.20 to 100, or 120 when the xBet feature is enabled. In this section, we will discuss the payouts associated with the slot’s regular symbols based on a $1 bet.
The low-paying spectrum of the regular symbols consists of card symbols ranging from 10s to Aces. The rest of the regular symbols are represented by inmates accused of different crimes, from racketeering, robbery, and extortion to vehicular homicide.
Starting with 10s, matching from 3 to 5 identical symbols results in awards ranging from 0.1x to 0.3x the bet. Jacks deliver payouts from 0.1x to 0.5x the wager for lining 3-, 4-, and 5-of-a-kind combos. Next, the Queens pay at a rate from 0.1 to 0.6x the bet value for aligning from 3 to 5 matching symbols. Three to five King symbols earn payouts from 0.2x to 0.8x players’ stakes. Aces grant prizes ranging from 0.2x to 0.9x the bet value for revealing combinations of 3 to 5 symbols.
Nolimit City has asserted its dedication to originality and inventiveness one more time by naming the five inmates assuming the roles of the other regular slot symbols. The first one, Fresh Meat, pays at a rate from 0.3x to 1x for aligning 3 to 5 matching symbols. Backstabber grants payouts in the range of 0.3x – 1.1x the bet for combinations of 3 to 5 identical symbols on a payline. The Fixer delivers awards from 0.4x to 1.2x the wager for aligning combinations of 3 to 5 matching symbols. When casino mavens form combinations of 3 to 5 Shivy Impala inmates, their returns will be in the range of 0.5x and 1.4x their bets. And finally, Shankman brings the highest multipliers of 0.6x, 1.2x, and 2.5x for combos of three, four, and five images.
Folsom Prison has two Wild symbols at play – the regular Wild and the Cockroach Nest, having the capacity to substitute for all other symbols in the game except for the Scatter symbol. The Wild can make an appearance on any reel save for the first one.
As for the slot’s Scatter symbol, it is represented by an image of the prison itself, featuring the year of its establishment, 1880. We will further investigate the Scatter’s functions in the next section of our review.
Folsom Prison Bonus Mechanics
Except for the innovative themes explored by Nolimit City, the studio is also famed for the abundance of unique gaming features present in many of its hit releases. Folsom Prison is not an exception and we are now going to examine the slot’s bonus mechanics.
Toast Bet
The first exciting game feature, the Toast Bet, allows players to add 20% more to their wager in exchange for landing a Scatter symbol on reel 2.
Scatters and Free Spin Rounds
Landing only on the middle two rows on reels 2 through 5 in the base game and only on reel 5 in Walk The Line Bonus game, Scatters have a number of important functions. Players who manage to land 2 Scatter symbols in the base game will unlock the middle two rows in reel 5. Should only 2 Scatters land, they will change into one of the following features – xWays, xSplit, Wild, or Cockroach Nest. In the occasion of 3 or 4 Scatters landing in the base game, one of the following bonus modes will be activated – Walk The Line or the Chair.
Casino enthusiasts who manage to land 3 Scatter symbols will activate 8 rounds of the Walk The Line free spins. During this bonus game, the reels assume a 2-4-4-4-2 configuration, and players are guaranteed to land at least one Cockroach Nest Wild symbol. In case they happen to reveal a Scatter during the free spins feature, they will be awarded extra three spins and an upgrade to the next bonus round called the Chair.
Revealing 4 Scatters during the base game will result in 8+ spins of the Chair. An additional spin is granted for any scatter impacted by the xSplits feature. The active configuration during the Chair Bonus Round is 4-4-4-4-4 and players are guaranteed the company of a minimum of three Cockroach Nest Wilds.
Cockroach
As much as we loathe cockroaches, they have never been so much sought-after as in Folsom Prison. They turn out to be of vital importance for achieving better results in this captivating slot. Based on whether they activate Walk the Line or the Chair, casino enthusiasts are guaranteed to get at least 1 or 3 cockroaches on each spin, as they will scuttle around the reels and scatter multipliers to the various symbols.
xWays and xSplit symbols
The xWays and the xSplit symbols are unique to Nolimit City’s slots. While the first one can appear anywhere on the grid, the second one can land only on the central 2 rows on reels 2 through 5. The xWays symbol has the potential to transform into 2 to 4 normal playing symbols, thus increasing the number of win ways. The xSplit symbol in turn splits the whole row, thus maximizing the number of ways for paying symbols to 2. Additionally, the symbol splits itself into 2 Wilds. While split scatters grant an additional free spin when activating a bonus round, the split Cockroach Nest Wilds raise their multiplier by one.
Meet Your Maker
Obtaining the slot’s maximum prize of 75,000x the bet will trigger the ‘Meet Your Maker’ scene.
Bonus Buy
Folsom Prison enables reel spinners to opt for one out of five Bonus Buy features, at a cost ranging from 68x to 784x their current bet. In return, they receive a chance to unlock one of the two Bonus Games. The Bonus Buy functionality is to be found on the left-hand side of the reels, right above the payouts’ description button and the sound controls.
In addition to all these thrilling options, players have the opportunity to opt for the Autoplay functionality, enabling them to adjust the number of rounds played automatically. The Turbo mode is present as well, allowing for a faster game pace.
Closing Thoughts
As a relatively small company, Nolimit City has carved out a niche in the iGaming industry by exploring themes that no other developer would be normally interested in. Additionally, they have implemented several unique gaming mechanics that prove to be very captivating and rewarding. This has resulted in fascinating gameplay persisting in all of their games. Folsom Prison is adapted for mobile play, so on-the-go casino enthusiasts can enjoy it regardless of where they are.