Flying Horse Slot Machine
If you thought pigs were the only farmyard animals that could fly, think again – they can’t. Neither can horses for that matter, except in slots designed by Ainsworth.
The software company’s 5-reel extravaganza sees horses fly and all manner of other magic happen as you strive to win more money than you could bank in a year of honest grafting. Whether you succeed in that endeavour remains to be seen, but no matter: whatever the outcome, you should have a blast playing Flying Horse, that much is guaranteed.
Some slots companies produce kitsch-looking games because that’s all they’re capable of (certain Eastern European devs in particularly seem to specialise in crafting unironically naff video slots). Ainsworth are classier than that; their games are typically sharp, smart and cringe-free affairs, so why does flying horse resemble the jacket cover of a 1970s teen fiction novel?
The best guess is it’s a deliberate ploy from Ainsworth; their Flying Horse game, with its scorch-effect lettering, is retro because they wanted it that way. Whatever the case, it’s certainly an eye-catching design, one that you’ll still be seeing in your sleep long after you’ve pocketed your phone and your head’s hit the pillow.
Equine Equity
With a brilliant red and gold sunset and a horse leaping across the face of the setting sun, Flying Horse certainly isn’t subtle. Likewise with the reels, where winning symbols are illuminated in flashing frames of neon blue and orange.
Once you’ve gotten past the garish colour palette, the first thing that’ll strike you about this game is how long it takes the reels to stop spinning. If you’re an impatient sort, you’d be advised to get your kicks elsewhere. If you don’t mind the wait, however, Flying Horse can more than justify the time spent getting to grips with its quirks and features.
Across the bottom of the screen, your total cash, bet level, number of lines and total bet are displayed. Above that, there are three buttons with which to control the game settings. The spinning arrow that serves as the start button needs no introduction – pay heed to the smaller plus symbol alongside it however. This allows you to adjust autoplay by setting a loss limit and specifying the number of spins to be made. To adjust the bet and line level, you’ll need to click the gear icon to the left. The bet level can range anywhere from €0.01 to €100 and the number of lines from 1 to 100.
Flying Reels and Leaping Mares
The game’s lower value symbols, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, are adorned with good luck charms including a pair of dice on the A and a rose on the queen. All of these symbols are worth the same amount, a sum that will vary according to the bet level.
After A, it’s on to the proprietary symbols that are to be found in Flying Horse, starting with a canyon which has a swollen river rushing through it. Next up is a diamond, followed by a horse outlined against a setting sun. After that it’s the turn of red 7s and then a flaming eagle, which just leaves the special symbols.
Scatter appears as a winged Flying Horse badge. There’s also a special edition of this symbol, adorned with the word WILD. Wild flying horse will substitute for any of the regular playing symbols, helping to turn small wins into substantially larger ones. With the bet level set at €100 per spin, it’s actually possible to win €1,000,000 by landing 5 flying horse symbols.
The other symbol to look for is that of another leaping horse, this time overlaid against a blue sky with a sliver of sun peeking out. Depending on where it appears on the reels, it has the power to turn other symbols wild, upgrading flying horses to wild flying horses.
Super Fly
If the phrase ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ could be applied to a video slot, that slot would be Flying Horse. That’s partly because this game literally looks like a book cover, but also because its somewhat naff design belies a cracking game that’s full of action.
With multiple ways to win major money, playing this Ainsworth slot is anything but predictable. Those reels might take their sweet time, but when they eventually come in, there’s cash to be had. Horses fly and jackpots happen. You’d better believe it.
