Everything You Need To Know About The Fishin Frenzy Slot Franchise

Developed by Aussie-based Reel Time Gaming, the original Fishin’ Frenzy began as a land-based slot machine in brick-and-mortar casinos. It quickly gained popularity among slot players due to its charming fishing theme, relaxing underwater audio-visual presentation and the potential for big wins. Its success paved the way for an online version released by Blueprint Gaming in 2014. This enabled the studio to open the franchise to a larger audience and bring it into the digital realm. The rest, as they say, is history. Fishin’ Frenzy (dubbed as the “original and best” fishing-themed slot by Blueprint’s own Jo Purvis) spawned a juggernaut of a franchise whose numerous sequels and spin-offs (including a Megaways iteration) have captured the imagination of players everywhere thanks to their engaging gameplay, vibrant graphics, and exciting bonus features, all the while keeping intact the core experience of what makes Fishin’ Frenzy so great.

History of the Fishin’ Frenzy Franchise?

The Fishin’ Frenzy slot franchise revolves around a fishing theme (obviously) in which players can embark on a virtual angling adventure. The gameplay is simple but effective, mostly featuring five-reel, three-row game grids with a standard number of paylines (with the notable exception of the Megaways spin-offs that offer expanded play grids and ways-to-win). Another commonality are the various fish-related symbols, including fishing rods, tackle boxes, pelicans, and fish symbols. The goal is to land winning combinations across the paylines to trigger potential wins.

One of the outstanding features of the Fishin’ Frenzy franchise is the Free Spins bonus round. Players get a set number of free spins by landing three or more Scatter symbols (usually represented by fishing boats riding off into the sunset) anywhere on the reels. During the free spins, fish symbols appear with cash values attached to them, and if the Wild symbol – usually the fisherman – appears on the reels, he will catch all the fish and award the total cash value. In some instalments, he can even upgrade the fish symbol cash values, adding an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay.

It’s only natural that a series as popular as Fishin’ Frenzy would expand to cover several variations and sequels over the years. These iterations retain the core fishing theme while introducing new gameplay elements and bonus features. For instance, Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways incorporates the popular Megaways mechanic and all the advantages that Big Time Gaming’s game engine brings, such as enhanced graphics and additional bonus rounds. Other slots mix up the Free Spins bonus round formula to provide players with fresh experiences while staying true to the franchise’s essence. It will be exciting to see what Blueprint has up its sleeve next regarding its flagship series!

Blueprint Gaming also has other popular slot series, such as the high-flying Eye of Horus franchise that has also captured slots players’ imaginations, especially those who love Egyptian-themed online games. Fun fact: Eye of Horus also started as a land-based slot that made its way to the digital realm courtesy of Blueprint Gaming. We’ll talk more about the Eye of Horus games in another post; suffice to say for now that they also feature gorgeous graphics and stunning gameplay!

The Best Fishin’ Frenzy Slot Games

With so many Fishin’ Frenzy games out there – including a themed Scratch Card – how do you choose which ones to start with? Let’s take a deep dive and discover some of the franchise’s most popular titles to date!

Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways

Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, the thrilling update of the classic original, was released by Blueprint Gaming in April 2019. Not much has changed in the visual department. The action still occurs in an underwater ocean setting, with rocky walls moving down the left and right-hand sides of the reels. The symbols take inspiration from the fishing theme, comprising tackle boxes, fishing reels, lifebuoys, and more. A fishing boat acts as the game’s Scatter. The Wild symbol is the fisherman, and he can help reel in cash prizes from fish symbols. The Megaways game engine means that the title features a 6-reel game grid with anywhere between 2 – 7 rows, depending on the on-screen action and the size of the symbols in view, alongside 15,615 active paylines and a potential payout of 10,000x the stake. Rounding off this catch is a Free Spins bonus feature that’s triggered by landing 3 or more Scatter symbols on the reels.

Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch

Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch is Blueprint Gaming’s 2021 follow-up to the earlier Megaways entry. Reel Time Gaming (the creators of the original Fishin Frenzy slot) once again handled development duties. The visual presentation is virtually identical to previous entries. The reels are submerged in water with rocky canyons on either side of the screen. The blue sky can be glimpsed above the surface of the water. Taking what some might consider a step back, Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch features a 5-reel, 3-row game grid and 10 active paylines, just like the original. The symbols are again based on the fishing theme, and the slot even features the familiar Free Spins bonus round that is triggered by landing at least 3 fishing boat Scatters. So what exactly has changed? Just one thing, and it’s a doozy! During Free Spins, any time a fisherman Wild symbol appears on the screen, it’s collected in a meter on the left side of the screen. Collect 4 Wild symbols and any fish symbols in view get upgraded to the next cash value. So fish symbols with a cash value of 2x the stake are upgraded to 4x the stake, and so on.

Fishin’ Frenzy Reel Time Fortune Play

Fishin’ Frenzy Reel Time Fortune Play, released by Blueprint Gaming in September 2022, doesn’t break new ground in terms of visual presentation, nor does it need to. Players understand and love the fact that the Fishin’ Frenzy games look a little bit retro these days, which just adds to the appeal. Same for the game’s 5×3 game grid layout and 10 active standard paylines. However, its the gameplay that counts and Fishin’ Frenzy Reel Time Fortune Play has one ace up its sleeve, and the clue’s in the title. That’s right, it’s the Fortune Play mechanic, activated by pressing the button on the left side of the reels. Four identical reels are in play. During Free Spins, the fisherman Wild symbol can appear on all four reels, collecting and upgrading cash values from the fish symbols on the reel(s) he appears in.

Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Catch

Blueprint Gaming released Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Catch in February 2023, and on the surface, things are still very much the same. The game grid still sports a 5×3 layout with 10 active paylines, and the artwork is virtually identical to the original. However, Blueprint is ever innovating under the surface. The main bonus feature is still the Free Spins bonus round; however, two fisherman Wild symbols are in play. One is the classic Wild symbol from previous entries. The other is a gold version of the Wild that has all the same functions, plus one more besides, and this is why the gold fisherman symbol gets to shine. Landing a gold Fisherman symbol on the reels causes three fish on hooks to appear on-screen. Players then choose one of the three on-screen fishes to get a Collect Multiplier. Its values range from 2x to 10x. Said multiplier gets applied to all collected fish symbols.

Summary

The above four games barely scratch the surface of what the Fishin’ Frenzy franchise offers, but it serves as a good introduction. Want to see what other ones we have on-site? Visit the Lottomart website, where we host several Fishin’ Frenzy slots plus over 48+ fishing-themed slots in total – perfect for those players wanting to dive into the fishing theme slots genre! Plus, with Lottomart’s ever-expanding library of 1,500+ games on our website, encompassing every imaginable theme and genre, from online slots to progressive jackpots, instants, table and live games, and more, there’s never been a better time to sign up and play! New players in the UK can also gain access to a generous welcome offer!

If the fishing focused genre is one you particularly like, then you could also take a look at our article on ‘What Makes Big Bass Bonanza So Popular‘.