Monster Catch from Light & Wonder landed in June 2024, and it wears its influences firmly on its sleeve. If you’ve ever played Fishin’ Frenzy or any of the countless fishing-themed slots out there, the setup here will feel immediately familiar. A retro-styled fisherman sits beside the reels, the ocean floor fills the backdrop, and various sea creatures swim across the grid. It’s not going to win awards for originality in the looks department, but it has a certain nostalgic charm that fits the low-key nature of the game.
Slot Basics
Monster Catch uses a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 paylines during the base game. That payline count can expand to 20 during the bonus round, but more on that shortly. The RTP sits at 96.17%, which is perfectly reasonable, and volatility is rated low. That low volatility is reflected in a generous hit frequency of roughly 1 in 6.61 spins, so dry spells tend to be short.
Stakes range from £0.10 to £10 per spin. This is clearly a slot aimed at casual players and smaller bankrolls rather than high rollers chasing enormous payouts. The maximum win caps out at 736x the stake, which is modest by modern standards. Card ranks from 10 through Ace serve as the lower-paying symbols, all worth the same at 10x for a five-of-a-kind line. Higher-value symbols include anchors, floats, worms, and seagulls, paying between 50x and 200x for five on a line.
Bonus Features
The main attraction here revolves around fish symbols and the free spins round. Four different fish types appear on the reels: small, medium, large, and XL. Each fish carries a cash value ranging from 2x to 50x the bet. During regular play, these fish symbols can also form standard line wins worth up to 20x. However, their cash values only get collected during the bonus round.
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers 10, 15, or 20 free spins respectively. Free spins occur roughly once every 107 spins, which is fairly standard. Once triggered, the game switches to Mighty Reels, expanding each reel from 3 rows to 6. The upper three rows start inactive, but the expanded grid means paylines double from 10 to 20. Fisherman and Gold Fisherman symbols appear during this round to collect the cash values attached to fish symbols. It’s a straightforward mechanic that keeps things moving without overcomplicating the experience.
The fish collection element adds a layer of anticipation to the free spins, especially when larger fish land alongside the fisherman symbols. Still, with a 736x max win, expectations need to stay grounded. Big fish won’t translate into life-changing sums here.
Monster Catch is a slot that knows exactly what it is. It’s a low-volatility fishing game for players who enjoy frequent, smaller wins and don’t mind trading away huge win potential for steadier sessions. The Fishin’ Frenzy comparisons are unavoidable, and frankly, this doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from that well-established formula. If anything, the limited £10 max bet and capped win potential make it feel quite restrictive. That said, for casual players after a relaxed, budget-friendly spin with a recognisable theme and decent RTP, Monster Catch does a serviceable job. Just don’t expect to land anything truly monstrous.
