It is amazing how modern technology can be used both to bring all kinds of improvements to our daily lives and to take us back in time and remind us in an innovative way of how things used to be. The American Diner slot by Dragon Gaming does exactly that. It transfers players to the 1950s, long before the internet was invented and no one could have predicted that times would come when after just a few clicks, a smiling courier could appear at their door with a bag full of food.
Well, at least one thing has not changed, just as the old cozy diners were open 24/7 for hungry customers, this “slot diner” is ready to welcome casino players at any time of the day. The game features 5 reels and 10 fixed paylines, allowing gamblers to place bets of between $0.10 and $100.
The American Diner Theme, Graphics, and Sounds
No matter how simplistic and widely exploited a theme is, a skilled iGaming developer can find a way to present the online casino community with an attention-grabbing title. Dragon Gaming has repeatedly proven that they are up to the task, so do not expect to be bored while playing The American Diner slot.
The 5×3 playing grid occupies a great portion of the screen but this does not prevent you from seeing the beautiful background behind it. It encompasses an old-fashioned restaurant with a fancy car parked in front of it and a cityscape in the distance. Absolutely every element of the slot has some relation to the diner theme, even thought has been given to how to style the otherwise commonly used symbols.
The American Diner Symbols and Payouts
Be warned, there is a chance you will get an occasional bout of extreme hunger while spinning the reels. And how could it be otherwise when the low-paying regular symbols are the J, Q, K, and A card signs but they actually represent a cheddar sandwich, a hamburger, hot dogs, and… a chocolate milkshake? But let’s not get too carried away and look at what they can do for your bankroll. These icons come with the same multipliers – 10x, 30x, and 100x the wagered amount in case you line up 3, 4, or 5 identical symbols.
The four icons in the upper tier are associated with the warm and friendly atmosphere of 1950s diners. The roller skates that the waitress uses to sneak between the tables, as well as the coffee machine that produces a pleasant coffee aroma, will multiply your bet between 20 and 150 times if you hit from 3 to 5-fold matching combos. Next comes a colorful jukebox with a 200x maximum payout. If you manage to land five car symbols on a payline, you will pocket your stake multiplied by 300.
Both the Wild (waitress) and Scatter (bonus logo) in the American Diner slot have dual roles. You will learn about their special functions in the following paragraph of this casino game review. Here we will list only their regular bet multipliers:
- Wild – 30x, 100x, 300x
- Scatter – 5x, 20x, 40x
The American Diner Bonus Mechanics
In land-based diners, the waitress takes care of you by giving menu recommendations and bringing treats, whereas, in the slot-reel diner, she is the one who can make your gambling experience not just pleasant but exciting and profitable. First of all, the Wild is capable of substituting for any regular symbol if this would help the player hit a winning combination. What is more, if the waitress icon participates in a paying combo, the respective winning will be multiplied by the number of the reel where it is positioned.
The delectable powers of the Wild symbol do not end up here. On a completely random basis, the Waitress can appear not on one field, but on an entire reel. Once this happens, re-spins are triggered with their number depending again on which the particular reel is. For example, if the Waitress shows up on reel 2, you will have 4 re-spins to take advantage of, as each time, she will be moving one reel right. This is what makes the cute girl an Extending Walking Wild. No Scatter or additional Wild Reels will be provided.
We already mentioned the Bonus Symbol in connection with its cash payout during the base game mode. But since it is a Scatter, it should be able to do something else, right? Hitting 3 or more Bonus Symbols will activate 8, 10, or 12 Free Spin Games. This bonus feature of the American Diner slot is retriggerable, i.e. you can expect more scatter icons to appear and prolong the free play.
Closing Thoughts
Dragon Gaming did an excellent job designing this title, both in terms of visual & sound effects and game mechanics. The brand is proving once again that it is more than capable of competing with many of its far more experienced peers. Although the American Diner online slot cannot boast of having an abundance of special features, we are pretty sure that players will be captivated by its charm. Still, the re-spins and free games feature multipliers, so your cash win can turn out to be quite large in the end. According to the game’s statistics, its expected long-term payback is 96.12%.