Chimney Stacks Slot Review

For me this is one of those games which should not really have become a classic – though somehow did so anyway. This video slot can be found in live casinos throughout the US an online around the rest of the world. The theme is the Victorian era, when home owners needed to employ chimney sweeps to keep their chimneys clear. One aspect of this game which has always confused me is the lack of Chimneys during the base game. Fortunately, you will see these during the bonus round – and they may well make a big difference to your wins too.

The graphics are simple, clean and clear – and the famous Bally focus on game-play is apparent from the first time you spin. If you are looking for fancy graphics or complex side-games, then this 5 reel, 4 row slot is probably not for you. If you enjoy solid games, with the potential for substantial wins – then why not check out this popular live slot for yourself.

Ways to Win on Chimney Stacks

During the main game, the way to pad your bankroll with Chimney Stacks is via the stacked wild symbols. Individually, winning combinations do not pay very high amounts on any Bally slots. Instead, the bigger wins come from hitting several wins at the same time. You’ll get 10x your total bet for 5 of the wild symbols or top hats. When you hit 3, 4 or even more of these at the same time you’ll trigger the ‘coin fountain’ animation which is reserved for big wins.

There is a bonus game which is triggered by hitting 3 of the ‘free games’ symbols. You get a spot prize of 4x your total bet, and 10 free games. The setting changes to night-time, and at this point some chimneys appear on the reels. These are stacked, and will sometimes take up all 4 rows on a particular reel.

The best thing about this bonus game is that any full (4 row) chimney that falls into place gets locked. These stay in place for the remaining free spins. If you are lucky you can get 3 or even 4 of these locked into place by the final few spins – which can produce jackpot-like payouts.

Bally slots do not let you alter the default number of win-lines. In this case there are 40 possible combinations, and a minimum per-line bet of 1c. The range for your bets is 40c minimum, up to a huge $400 maximum.

The symbols on the reels are neatly drawn without being spectacular. These include the top hat weather vane, bellows and brush, city scene and lots of brightly colored playing card symbols (for me there are a little too many of these card symbols). The wilds are stacked, and a contrasting blue color. These will often make up several wins on a single spin. Logos which say ‘free games’ only appear on reels 1, 3 and 5 – you will need all 3 to trigger the bonus game.

There are no special sounds for this slot. The game is quiet except for a clicking sound for the reels stopping until you hit a win. At that point you will get a cheerful tune from the Bally library, which varies according to the size of your wins. There are some very basic animations on the reels – for example the cityscape in the wilds rotates and other symbols flash.

Overall Experience with Chimney Stacks

As I said in the introduction, this is a hugely popular slot which you’ll find in casinos all over the US. At the same time I have never quite seen the appeal. The theme is a little quirky and different (how many other chimney sweeping slots are out there?). At the same time the base game is filled with playing card symbols and the only interesting behavior comes via stacked wilds.

Things do move up a level for the 10 free spins bonus round. If you are lucky enough to get 2+ of the stacked chimneys locked into place early, then the remaining spins can be very profitable. This is not the most frequent of bonus games – though it is definitely worth waiting for.

The fact is that Chimney Stacks has been a popular choice for years. Despite my personal reservations, a lot of people love this particular game. Try it out for yourself and see if you agree!