Released on June 19, 2017, The Angler is a deep lake fishing-inspired html5 video slot developed by Betsoft. Its protagonist is a fictitious fisherman named Otis who is on a solo fishing adventure. This game, which is named after a carnivorous fish species called angler, features personified aquatic animals and playing card values.

Aquatic Betsoft-owned games include Under the Sea (May 2017) and Frog Hunter (May 2013). The Angler’s rival games include Fishin’ Frenzy (September 2014) from Reel Time Gaming, Extreme Fishing (August 2020) from Lightning Box, and Reel Catch (July 2017) from Greentube. Nine symbols (Otis, angler fish, turtle, puffer fish, goldfish, A, K, Q, and J) require three, four, or five winning combinations.

The Angler Game Characteristics
The Angler has a translucent blue-framed 5X3 grid that is propped up with numbered, roped trolling reels. Its gray reels are divided up by strand ropes. Its grid is set on a rippled mountainous lake among floating buoy lines attached to a platform, wherein the bucket-holding plump mustached fisherman is standing.

There are 20 left-to-right fixed paylines (eleven options), fourteen symbols, eleven coin denominations, five bet levels, sticky octopus, bonus game, free games, extra free games, a side game, and pays from $0.03 to $1750.00.

The Angler has five special symbols and nine ordinary symbols. Special symbols: the substitute is a white-eyed red “wild” octopus; the free games-unlocking feature is a “scatter” oyster shell; the bonus game-triggering feature is a bucketful of “bonus” angler fish; and the gamble game is associated with golden coins—a heads coin with Otis’s bust and a starry “angler” tails coin.

Ordinary symbols: fisherman Otis; a smiling white-and-blue angler fish, with wide set eyes; an orange-mouthed and blue-eyed green turtle; a human-faced light green puffer fish; a human-faced goldfish; and nailed green-and-white A, red-and-white K, purple-and-white Q, and orange-and-white J.

The Angler’s coin denominations: $0.01, $0.02, $0.03, $0.04, $0.05, $0.10, $0.15, $0.20, $0.25, $0.50, and $1.00. Bet levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Active payline options: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 20. Minimum bet: $0.01. Maximum bet: $100.00.

The $100.00 bet offers these dynamic The Angler payouts for three, four, and five winning combinations. Otis pays $500.00, $1000.00, and $1750.00. Angler fish pays $300.00, $500.00, and $1000.00. Turtle pays $250.00, $500.00, and $750.00. Puffer fish pays $125.00, $350.00, and $750.00. Goldfish pays $100.00, $200.00, and $375.00. A pays $60.00, $150.00, and $375.00. K pays $50.00, $125.00, and $250.00. Q pays $25.00, $50.00, and $125.00. J pays $15.00, $50.00, and $125.00.

The octopus is sticky in the eight free games (and possible extra free games) that result from 3+ scattered oyster shells. Three “bonus” buckets of angler fish result in the fishing bonus game, where players are prompted to either pull or reel Otis’s fishing rod. This bonus game, which offers a maximum of $100.00 instant payout, stops if Otis has three misses or three catches.

Players can claim or risk their current winnings in the “double up” side game, where they press “heads” or “tails” buttons; this prompts the coin to flip, resulting in payout-nullifying wrong guess or payout-doubling correct guess. The Angler’s non-progressive jackpot is X1300, which (1300X100) is $130000.00.

The Angler has good software, with: a quickspin; 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 100 autospins; and supports desktops and smartphones. Sound effects: bubbling, clinking, honking, popping, and chinking. The animated 3D graphics include the clapping fisherman, glistening, dolly zoom, a boat’s wheel that pops up, bubble effect, bubble bursts, and the boat-riding Otis’s dramatic and cinematic fishing video.

Luck in The Angler
A game of chance, the RTP rate of The Angler is 97.10% and the house edge is 2.90%.