Shark Wash: Slot Overview

Software provider Relax Gaming invites players to dip their toes in the briny with an underwater-themed online slot going by the name of Shark Wash. If dipping your toes into water infested with big toothy sharks doesn't sound like the best idea, not to worry, Shark Wash is a cheerily drawn online slot full of friendly characters, regardless of tooth count. Then again, in one more flip flop, Shark Wash is a Relax Gaming product, so players probably shouldn't expect a gentle swim with the fishes, but they can expect to find features like a Countdown Wild mechanic, a win multiplier, free spins where the multiplier is persistent, and a bonus buy feature.

Time to get a little wacky as we dive deep, pun intended, into Shark Wash's game world. Down here, beneath the waves, where the weeds wave, and the coral, uh, corals, a bunch of helpful sharks have set up a wash business where their brother and sister sharks can get their bits cleaned. Quirky for sure, but the offbeat subject matter has been perfectly represented by the cartoonish artwork to create an inviting spot for players to try their luck.

Shark Wash bares a few sharp teeth in the form of its 5 out of 5 rated, highly volatile math model. The RTP depends on whether you play the game by wagering 10 p/c to $/200 per game round or buy the free spins feature. In the former scenario, the return value comes in at 96.06%, while in the latter, it turns it up to 96.5%. Technically speaking, Shark Wash is played on a 5-reel, 4-row gaming matrix, possessing 1,024 ways to pull together winning combinations.

Regular wins occur when identical symbols hit from the leftmost reels onwards, across at least 3 adjacent reels. Sponge-looking card suits – clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades are the low pay lot, while 4 shark characters (three workers and a boss, by the looks) are the high pays. Hitting a non-modified 5-of-a-kind winning way awards 1.2 times the bet for the low-pay card suits or 2.5 to 15 times the bet for the premium sharks. Wilds are one of the most critical symbols in Shark Wash. They can substitute for all symbols on the grid except the bonus symbol.

Shark Wash: Slot Features

Wild symbols are also linked to one of Shark Wash's main features, its Countdown Wild feature, and is backed up with a free spins bonus round and a buy feature.

Countdown Wild Feature

Wild symbols in Shark Wash are sticky and possess a counter that begins at 1 to 5. The counter decreases by 1 for each cascade it was won on. The wild symbol is removed from the reels once the counter reaches 0. However, when the wild counter reaches 0, its starting value is added to the Wild Meter, which is linked to a win multiplier. The multiplier is applied to all wins after it has been activated in the same game round.

Free Spins

The free spins round is triggered by landing at least 3 bonus symbols. Hitting 3, 4, or 5 bonus symbols awards 7, 10, or 15 free spins, respectively. While free spins are active, landing a bonus symbol awards 1 additional free spin. What's good about free spins is that the Countdown Wild Multiplier feature is persistent during the whole round.

Buy Feature

Buying free spins costs 80 times the bet and kickstarts a game round which is guaranteed to trigger free spins. The RTP when buying free spins is 96.5%.

Shark Wash: Slot Verdict

Car wash services might be a commonly found business on the streets of a modern city, but a wash service for sharks? That one's a lot less common. In fact, Shark Wash is so unique it feels like it resides in a category with a population of 1. On a side note, one of the most famous car washes is the A1A Car Wash in Albuquerque, run by Walter and Skylar White in Breaking Bad, the one they bought off previous owner Bogdan Wolynetz in order to launder their ill-gotten money. Whilst Walter amassed a fortune of like $80 million dollars, Shark Wash, by contrast, is one of Relax Gaming's lower potential slots. This is by no means a criticism. Rather we mention this upfront in order to set expectations.

In numerical terms, Shark Wash is capable of generating wins of up to 5,000x the bet max, which feels like a strangely 'low' number for a Relax Gaming slot. Money Train 3 this is not, yet the more down-to-earth potential, or underwater potential as the case may be, doesn't mean Shark Wash is an instant pass. The designers have dreamt up an original world to host the game and executed their ideas in a typically high Relax Gaming standard. The gameplay largely revolves around the Countdown Wild feature, which isn't the most sophisticated thing Relax Gaming has conjured, but it has merits. Especially when counting all the way down to zero, and the multiplier comes to life for use with future wins. A system which gets a leg up in free spins since the multiplier then becomes persistent.

So no, Shark Wash is not one of Relax Gaming's slot-of-the-year contenders though if this is the sort of game a provider makes when they're not flexing, then it's no bad thing. It is hard to see Shark Wash hitting many top 5 lists or taking on iconic shark themed slots like Razor Shark or the follow up Razor Returns, yet the Countdown Wild feature has merit; the theme is pretty out there, and players with a fondness for Relax Gaming, or those who are interested but are usually put off by the studio's 'bigger' slots should be able to find a level of satisfaction here. After all, Jungle Jamboree apparently did pretty well amongst a certain audience, so there's no technical reason why Shark Wash won't either.