Based on the successful TV crime drama of the same name, Narcos is a new video slot by NetEnt that features 5 reels and 243 ways to win. The game offers plenty of action with its Walking Wilds, Free Spins, and several additional features.
Narcos was launched in 2019 and quickly became a fan favorite due to its fast-paced action, medium to high volatility, and engaging theme. It follows the dark, violent story of several characters from the award-winning TV series, including the notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The slot is set in the 1980s and uses a standard 5×3 reel grid, but instead of traditional paylines, it offers 243 bet ways. Symbols do not need to land on specific paylines; they only have to appear on adjacent reels to form winning combinations.
| Narcos Slot Summary | |
|---|---|
| Software Provider | NetEnt |
| Paylines | 243 ways |
| RTP | 96.23% |
| Min Bet | $0.20 |
| Max Bet | $400 |
| Wild Symbol | The DEA badge is a Wild, and it turns into a Walking Wild when it forms a winning combination. |
| Scatter Symbol | The car symbol functions as a Scatter, and 3 cars appearing on reels 1, 3, and 5 activate the Free Spins feature. |
| Bonus Features | The Drive-by feature activates at random and turns high-value symbols into Wilds, while the Locked Up feature triggers when 3 or more Escobar images land on the same row. |
| Jackpot | 300x coin value |
Symbols and Winning Combinations of Narcos Slot
Although the slot is based on a TV series, the graphics have a retro, comic-book feel, and the symbols on the reels share that same attractive design. To receive a payout, symbols must land on three or more adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel. The low-value symbols are represented as crime-themed playing cards from Jacks through Aces. The airplane and the pink flamingo are medium-paying symbols, awarding 120:1 (120 times the coin value) when five identical symbols land on all five reels.
The high-value symbols are drawings of several characters from the TV show, namely José Rodríguez Gacha, Connie Murphy, and DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña. The images of the two DEA agents pay as much as the Wild symbol in the game, which is represented by the DEA badge. Landing 3, 4, or 5 identical symbols pays 20, 80, or 300 times the bet size.
Speaking of the Wild, it substitutes for all other symbols in the game except the two additional special symbols. Moreover, when Wilds form part of a win, they remain on the reels and move one position to the left with each subsequent spin. These Walking Wilds may appear during the main game or during the Free Spins feature.
The car image functions as a Scatter symbol and activates the Free Spins feature when it appears on the first, third, and fifth reels simultaneously. The other special symbol is the Locked Up symbol, a picture of Pablo Escobar that triggers the Locked Up feature.
Bonus Features of Narcos Slot
Narcos has several bonus features that make the gameplay much more engaging. One of them is the Drive-by feature, which can be activated at random during the main game. When this happens, a car full of thugs drives past the reels and one of them shoots at some of the high-value symbols, transforming them into Wilds. This increases players’ winning chances, especially with the Walking Wilds in play.
Another notable feature is Locked Up, triggered when three or more Escobar images (the Locked Up symbol) land on the same row. The feature is played on a new reel set, and the Escobar symbols are given win values between 1x and 10x. On the new reel set, winning clusters can be formed by three connected Locked Up or Golden Locked Up symbols. The spins within the Locked Up feature are free.
The Golden Locked Up symbol is depicted as a golden briefcase, and when this briefcase is connected to a winning cluster, it triggers one of three possibilities: a 2x or 3x multiplier, an amount of money added as an initial value to the golden briefcase, or an upgrade value that can range from 7x to 15x.
Another special feature is activated when three or more Scatter cars land anywhere on reels 1, 3, and 5. When this happens, players receive 10 Free Spins during which one or more high-value symbols can transform into Wilds. If Walking Wilds remain on the reels at the end of the Free Spins, additional spins will follow.
Verdict
As you can see, NetEnt’s new video slot Narcos has several different special features, some of which are random, while others are triggered by specific events. The game also uses the 5×3 reel grid in combination with 243 ways to win, which is an interesting system for NetEnt slots. However, players need to know that this is a medium- to high-volatility slot, which means that winning spins will occur less frequently. The hit frequency of the special features is also quite low.