Cash in Transit

Relax Gaming, known for its high-impact Money Train series, revisits familiar mechanics but shifts scenery in Cash in Transit. Eschewing the Wild West setting for the grimy backstreets of London, this slot places players in the midst of a cash heist. It echoes the structure of Money Cart 3, streamlining the base game to accelerate access to the bonus features, a design choice particularly relevant for regions where feature buys are restricted. While geographically and thematically distinct from its predecessors, Cash in Transit retains the high-octane potential that fans of the Money Train lineage have come to expect. The premise is straightforward: join the heist and break into the van’s riches. However, does this shift in setting and skin manage to capture the explosive appeal of its forebears or does it feel like a less compelling getaway?

Cash in Transit Slot – Bonus Features

Explosive Van Doors and Bonus Symbol Barrage

Cash in Transit foregoes a conventional base game in favor of direct bonus access mechanics. The primary gameplay revolves around triggering the Re-spin Feature Game. This is initiated by landing three or more bonus symbols represented by steaming sticks of dynamite. These symbols, appearing as ‘Bonus’ labeled explosives, are instrumental to bypassing standard spins. The visual of dynamites plastered with “BONUS” leaves little to interpretation. Triggering the bonus is not a rare occurrence; the game’s design focuses on swiftly launching players into the core action. If you are unsure of the precise trigger mechanism, launching the demo version and accessing the game’s built-in help by clicking the “(i)” icon after starting, can provide immediate clarity and details of how bonus symbols behave.

Respin Feature Game: A Symphony of Special Agents

Upon triggering the Re-spin Feature, the van doors emblazoned with crossed metal bars are blasted open with twin explosions, transitioning to a screen populated by 20 individual sections behind the van’s doors, arranged in a 5×4 grid. The initial reward is 3 respins, a counter prominently displayed to maintain the pace. The goal during these respins is to accumulate cash bag symbols and a variety of special modifier symbols. Each cash bag reveals a value between 1 and 10 coins, immediately contributing to the total win tally. However, the real value lies in the diverse cast of characters that appear during the bonus round.

These special agent symbols each bring a unique twist to the respin feature. The ‘Bag Man’ acts as a collector, accumulating the values from all visible cash bags on the grid and adding that total to its own value, making it a potentially lucrative symbol in crowded fields of cash bags. A more complex variant, the ‘Bag Man/Money Man’ takes a more targeted approach, selecting 3 to 5 symbols as targets and boosting their values by adding its own value to each of them before paying out the updated amounts for each targeted symbol.

The ‘Lock Smith’ is a multiplier specialist, doubling the values of 3 to 8 other symbols. Intriguingly, the Lock Smith can act on the same symbol multiple times if triggered repeatedly, suggesting potential for compounded value increases within a single respin round. The ‘Gov’Nor’ symbol plays a revival role, bringing back 2 to 7 already used non-persistent special symbols back into play. This recursion mechanic significantly extends the feature’s longevity and the potential for creating complex symbol interactions.

For symbol removal and grid refresh, the ‘Pawn Broker’ is key. It collects all cash bag symbols, and importantly, other Pawn Brokers, removing them from the reels and freeing up space for new symbols. This strategic symbol clears the board, essential in scenarios where symbol density hinders new, higher-value symbols from landing. The ‘Detective’ symbol operates on a more randomized yet impactful basis; it selects one symbol at random and can double its value from 2 to 6 times, adding an unpredictable element to each spin. Finally, the ‘Constable’ enters as a high-value coin symbol, revealing a value between 5 and 100 coins, subsequently amplifying the win by adding the revealed value 3 to 10 times to a random symbol.

Cash in Transit also introduces “Persistent” versions of several special symbols. These Persistent symbols activate their modifier effects at the end of each spin for the remainder of the bonus round and each spin that follows, drastically amplifying their influence. Persistent versions exist for the Bag Man, Lock Smith, Bag Man/Money Man and Gov’Nor. The ‘Persistent Attack Dog’ is a wildcard symbol, transforming into a different special symbol each spin – cycling through the non-persistent special symbol roster including Bag Man, Bag Man/Money Man, Lock Smith, Detective or Constable. The array of persistent symbols, especially when multiple types are active simultaneously, create a dynamic and rapidly escalating bonus environment.

British Backstreets and Stylized Thugs

The visual presentation of Cash in Transit opts for a gritty, stylized aesthetic to match its crime theme. The backdrop of a dimly lit London street, with imposing, blurred buildings behind, sets a moody stage for the heist. The van itself, a quintessential red British delivery van, forms the game window, its rear doors acting as the initially barred-off grid. The symbols and characters are rendered in a cartoonish style, a slightly caricature-like design for the criminal figures and the stern Constable. The animation during bonus triggers, particularly the explosions ripping open the van doors, is impactful, adding a layer of kinetic energy to the gameplay. The symbols themselves are clearly differentiated, with cash bags immediately recognizable and each character symbol exhibiting a unique portrait aligning with their modifier function. The overall visual style is less opulent than Money Train but functionally appropriate for its urban crime theme.

Medium Volatility Heist Mechanics

Cash in Transit operates with medium volatility, a setting that may appeal to players seeking a balance between win frequency and potential payout size. The theoretical return to player (RTP) is set at 96%, a standard figure within online slots. Bets range from a minimum of 0.10 to a maximum of 100, accommodating a variety of bankrolls and playing styles. The game’s mechanics center around a 5-reel, 4-row structure during the base game and bonus rounds, though the bonus round grid’s initial obscurity behind closed doors and explosive reveal add a unique theatrical flourish.

A noteworthy mechanic is the reel expansion feature during the Re-spin Feature Game. When any reel is completely filled with symbols, it triggers the opening of an additional reel. This expansion can occur a maximum of two times per bonus round, potentially increasing the screen space and symbol capacity. This mechanic adds a progressive element to the bonus, rewarding successful symbol accumulation with increased play area. For those unfamiliar with hold ‘n’ win mechanics and complex symbol behaviors, Cash in Transit’s gameplay might initially appear intricate. However, a few demo spins, consulting the in-game paytable and help section accessible via the information icon, “i,” quickly clarifies the symbol functions and overall feature progression.

Not Quite the Money Train Express, But a Solid Getaway Vehicle

Cash in Transit carves out its own niche within Relax Gaming’s portfolio. While it uses the proven Money Cart engine, the change in theme from Wild West trains to London crime vans does shift the atmosphere. The game delivers on its core promise of frequent bonus round access and a complex web of symbol interactions within the respins. The extensive range of both non-persistent and persistent special symbols offers significant depth and replayability in the bonus feature. Compared to the Money Train games, Cash in Transit perhaps lacks some of the iconic visual punch of its locomotive-themed cousins. Yet, as a medium volatility, bonus-feature-centric slot, Cash in Transit provides a solid alternative for players seeking engaging, feature-rich gameplay with a distinctly British crime flavor. While not a revolutionary leap, it’s a competent and potentially entertaining addition to the hold ‘n’ win genre.