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Hot Ink

Return to Player97.50%
Hot Ink

Dreaming about that next tat on your arm? Well then you’ve come to the right video slot. Hot Ink from Games Global is an exciting game with pumping sound effects to enhance the gaming experience. You’ll also find richly designed symbols, including 8 balls, horseshoes and dice. It’s fun to play, and the visuals are impressive, especially if you’re a fan of tattoo art. What’s more, you could win up to 122,500 coins.

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Game Data

Software providerSoftware:

Microgaming

RTPRelease Date:

2011-01-10

Reels amountReels:

5

Slot VolatilityVolatility:

Medium

Slot Game TypeGame type:

Video Slots

Slot PaylinesPaylines:

1024

Min coin betMin coin:

0.50

Max coin betMax coin:

125.00

Free spins offeredFree spins:

YES Yes

Wild SymbolsWild symbol:

YES Yes

Progressive jackpotProgressive:

NO NO

MultipliersMultipliers:

NO No

How to Play

Games Global has a knack for creating simple yet engaging slots, and they’re always easy to play. You can enjoy Hot Ink by following these steps:

  1. Load up the game at your preferred online casino or choose the free demo on this page.
  2. Set a playing budget and then choose your stake between $0.50 and $125 per spin.
  3. Hit the spin button or activate the autoplay to spin the reels automatically.
  4. Play responsibly and use the special feature to respin any reel.

Game Controls

To start playing, you’ll first need to know how to use the controls. These are pretty similar to any other online slot, although the individual reel respins feature might be new to you if you haven’t played any of Games Global’s other slots.

Hot Ink Start screen
The Hot Ink Screen layout.

Underneath the reels are all the controls you need, with the spin button clearly labelled in the bottom right corner of the screen. Above this is where you’ll see the value of any wins you land. To the left of the spin button is the control to set the maximum bet. But if you want to adjust your bet to a more reasonable level, simply use the plus and minus signs inside the skull’s eyes.

On the far left of the controls is the paytable button, which is where you can check out the value of each symbol as well as find out more details on the game’s bonus features. Under each reel is also a respin button, which you can activate at the end of any spin. The price to respin the reel will depend on your stake and the possible winning combinations that can be made, and it’s displayed clearly above the button.

Game Symbols

Opening up the paytable reveals everything you need to know about the slot. There are five symbols at the bottom of the payscale, each designed after classic slot machine symbols but in the style of tattoo art. The eight ball cherries pay up to 50 coins, winged hearts pay up to 75 while the stars and swallows pay 100 for five of a kind. Then you have flaming dice, paying up to 120 coins and the lucky horseshoes, which pay a maximum of 150 coins.

Hot ink paytable1
The eight ball cherries pay up to 50 coins!
Hot ink paytable2
The flaming dice pays up up to 120 coins.
Hot ink wild
The Hot Ink Wild Card.

Aside from tattoo designs, the symbols in Hot Ink also include the tattoo shop, chairs and the tattoo artists themselves. The shop is worth up to 200 coins if you land five of a kind, while the chair is worth up to 300. Then there’s the male tattoo artist, who pays up to 400 coins. Angel and Luci are the two female artists, and they each offer up to an impressive 750 coins if you match three of a kind. Interestingly, they also offer mixed pay, meaning you can land combinations of three or more of either to land a win. A mixed combination pays up to 500 coins for five of a kind.

Finally, there are also three bonus symbols to watch out for. There’s the game’s logo, which is wild and which substitutes for all other symbols in the game, making it easier to land wins. It’s also the game’s highest-paying symbol, offering up to 1,000 coins for five of a kind. Then there’s the koi scatter, which will award up to 100 coins and unlock the free spins round if you land three or more on the reels on a single spin. The tattoo sign symbol unlocks the tattoo bonus round at least three appear at once.

How to Win

Hot Ink doesn’t have traditional paylines. Instead, there are 1024 ways to win. Whenever you land three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, it triggers a payout. The amount you win will depend on your stake as well as the value of the symbols in the combination.

Special Features and Bonuses

There are lots of fun special features in Hot Ink to increase your winning potential on every spin.

1. Reel Respins

At the end of each spin, you can choose to pay to respin individual reels. For example, if you have one reel away from a five-of-a-kind win, you might choose to pay extra to spin the last reel again. Note that the price will depend on the potential value of the payout.

2. Wilds

Wild symbols appear on any reel throughout the game and will substitute for other symbols except the scatters. They can help you form winning combinations, and they also payout on their own.

3. Free Spins

Landing three or more of the Koi scatters will trigger twenty free spins. The number of scatters that show on the reels won’t affect the amount of spins you win, but it will change the payout. These scatters are active from any position, so they don’t need to be on adjacent reels. During this bonus round, all wins you land are doubled.

Hot ink scatter
The two Koi Scatter Free Spins.
4. Tattoo Bonus

If three tattoo bonus symbols appear on the reels on a single spin, it awards a special bonus round. You can select tattoo design albums. If the tattoo you have selected makes up a set you can win up to 10 free spins. During the free spins round, your wins are doubled.

Hot ink tattoo bonus
The Hot Ink Tattoo Bonus.

You will see a woman in her underwear and 3 tattoo design albums. Click on the albums which will reward you with coin prizes, and if they all reveal the same type of tattoo, you will get up to 10 free spins with a 2x multiplier.

Hot ink tattoo bonus
The Hot Ink has a Hot Lady with Tattoo.

Hot Ink Max Payout

The maximum amount you can win in Hot Ink is 122,500 coins.

RTP Rate and Volatility

This slot has an RTP rate of 96.49%, which is around the average for online slots. You should note that the RTP rate isn’t an indicator of how much you’ll back, as it’s calculated over an extremely long period of time. Luck will always play a factor in your chances of a payout, and shorter playing sessions will see more variation in payouts.

The volatility of Hot Ink is rated as medium, which means payout size and frequency is around the average. When I played the slot and tested the features, I didn’t manage to unlock either of the bonus rounds. However, I did manage to land some decent wins using the reel respins feature.

Visual Design and Sound

The game is heavily influenced by tattoo culture, with a focus on traditional tattoo styles. It’s fair to say that both the tattoo industry and the world of online slots have changed a lot since 2011, when Hot Ink was released. Despite this, the game still holds up well visually, and I especially like how the traditional flash designs are combined with classic slot symbols.

Hot Ink Paytable
Its all about the Tattoo Symbols in this slot game!

The soundtrack that plays as you spin the reels helps to create a fun and exciting atmosphere, with rock music that reminds you of traditional tattoo studios. Sound effects play each time the reels spin too, and will congratulate you every time you land a win.

Try the Free Demo

You can play Hot Ink free with the demo, which lets you experience all the same features and gameplay as the real money version. It works exactly the same, only you won’t have to make a deposit to start spinning. This means you can experience the reel respins, wilds, free spins and tattoo bonus without risking your own money.

You won’t be able to win real payouts when playing the free demo, but it’s a great way to get to grips with the game and work out whether or not you want to play the real thing. We always recommend exploring the demo, testing out the different bet sizes and evaluating it for yourself.

A Comparison with Other Popular Slots

Tattoos have become a hugely popular part of mainstream culture, and it’s common to see multiple tattoo studios on busy high streets these days. As tattooing has become more popular, many slot providers have also given the genre a go. Here are some of the most popular:

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Fun theme with bright and impressive visuals
  • 1,024 ways to win on every spin
  • High-paying symbols can pay in mixed combinations
  • Two separate bonus rounds
VS

Cons:

  • Free spins are rare to trigger
  • Reel respins are often expensive

Conclusion

The Hot Ink Slot Game with its 1024 ways to win is a real work of art. It has two different bonus features, with a free spins round that doubles any wins you land. The reel respins feature is also a lot of fun to use, although it’s important to be responsible when spending more to spin individual reels. Don’t just take our word for it. Test out the free demo for yourself and see what you think.