Resident

In a Nutshell

We like Resident. It’s a neat little slot which defies categorization, so we won’t try to categorize it!

However we will at least try to describe it as best we can. It’s a 5-reel, 9-payline slot from Novomatic, the online slots arm of Austrian gaming manufacturers Novoline, with an explosive  bonus round and an addictive special feature too, so be sure to read on before you play..

A Closer Look

First things first, the Resident in question is actually a spy-cum-safecracker dressed in an imposing grey uniform reminiscent of an East German border guard.

He does battle on the reels with a variety of tools of the trade including gold coins, gas masks, epaulettes, medals and pistols.

You can select the number of paylines from 1 to 9, betting from 1 to 225 credits in the process. The Wild is a fire extinguisher and substitutes for any symbol except the Scatter symbol (which is a safe, by the way).

All the while the Resident spy leafs through documents, snapping elicit pictures of them on his spy camera in some dank basement with leaking pipes, whilst the reels spin quickly and efficiently, accompanied by some bright sound effects.

Bonus Game Features

The Bonus round is one of the most inventive and imaginative we’ve seen in a while. If you get 3 or more scatters, the safe symbol, anywhere on the reels, you’ll be taken to another screen where our hero is presented with a choice of 4 safes to open.

Using the lit-up line buttons underneath the reels, choose a safe to crack open – you’ll collect some points each time, until and unless there’s a stick of dynamite inside, when you’ll be returned to the main screen with a bang (though after accruing bonus winnings depending on your points scored).

However, if you manage to open all 4 safes without mishaps you’ll be greeted by the lovely form of Cathie the radio operator and, lovelier still, the super bonus of up to 65,700 credits!

Special Features

Resident also has the signature ‘gamble or collect’ feature which Novoline/Novomatic put on a lot of their games. This is triggered every time you have a win in regular play, where you get the ‘take or risk’ option, which, if you take it, opens up a video poker type screen, where you can double your winning on the last spin if you beat the dealer’s card from one of the remaining 4.

You can continue to double up each time for as long as you like unless you either lose to the dealer or decide to claim your winnings. You then go back to the main screen.

It has to be said that this feature can be very lucrative and that in general is, like most Novomatic games, high tolerance, meaning it doesn’t pay out that often, but when it does the payments tend to be very generous.