Are you looking to take a break from the usual online casino games that dominate your gaming sessions? Perhaps you’re in search of the best online slots to keep you entertained and a few new ones to add to your existing list of top titles. Then look no further than IGT’s iconic slot: Great Bear.

Read our comprehensive review for details on how to play, what features to get excited about and a list of similar games if you want to explore some more animal- or nature-themed casino games to play from the comfort of your home.

Game overview

Great Bear takes you deep into a lush forest filled with beautiful woodland creatures and plenty of opportunities to win with every spin. The game is played on a standard 5×3 playing grid with 20 paylines and offers an RTP (return to player) of 96.06% and medium volatility for an equal mix of lower- and higher-value wins.

Great Bear draws in all sorts of gamers, including both conservative gamblers and high rollers, thanks to its extremely varied betting range. Another reason it’s definitely worth a spin is the game’s maximum win, which is 2,500x your stake.

How to play

Before getting started, use the plus and minus signs found below the reels to adjust your bet. (Make sure you’ve set yourself a limit on how much you’ll spend in the session before you begin.) Here, you’ll also find your balance, so keep an eye on this when selecting your bet before each spin. On the left-hand side of the screen, you’ll see the Symbol Climb meter, which is a ladder featuring all of the animal symbols in order of their value, with the most profitable, the great bear, at the very top. Whenever you win, there’s a chance that a symbol will be upgraded. Make it to the top of the ladder and you’ll pocket all the values and the meter will be reset.

Graphics

The visuals in Great Bear are quite simplistic but also calming and enchanting. The playing grid is set against a background of a misty, green, flourishing forest and the symbols are all stunning forest animals, including fish, mice, rabbits, raccoons, owls, eagles, lynxes, and wolves (in order of their value.) As mentioned, the great bear is the most valuable symbol and he also acts as the game’s wild, with the ability to replace all other symbols to make or boost matching combinations.

The soundtrack is made up of upbeat music and drum beats complemented by animal noises you might hear when wandering through a forest. Another notable aspect of the soundtrack is the thunderous bear’s roar that gets the play (and your adrenaline) going when first opening the game.

Features

The Great Bear multiplier is a fantastic part of the base game, occasionally activated when you make a match of five of the same symbol. The multiplier boosts wild symbols on the middle reel to maximize your prize values by up to 10x your stake.

As already highlighted, the Symbol Climb feature can come into play with any line win, resulting in each winning symbol upgrading to the next symbol on the ladder.

Finally, there’s also a Gift of the Bear feature, which is triggered at random in the instance that you haven’t achieved a wild following two successful upgrades while playing the game. This lucky feature calls on the great bear himself, who will appear in front of the game board and give the Symbol Climb ladder a boost.

Bonuses and jackpots

The Great Bear Bonus comes into play when you land three scatter symbols in the form of big bear prints. Once activated, you’ll be awarded five free spins and upgraded symbols to increase your chances of scoring some bigger wins. Unfortunately, once the bonus has been activated, it can’t be retriggered.

Similar games

Many slot fans who play at a casino online enjoy trying games that share the same theme. Check out this selection of similar titles to Great Bear.

• Gorilla Kingdom is an online slot with a similar look and feel to Great Bear. Set in a lush tropical paradise, the game has a slightly above-average RTP of 96.03%, with 1,024 paylines and a maximum win of 4,096x your stake. It’s a NetEnt creation celebrated for its symbol-transformation feature during the free spins round, which triggers gorilla mask icons to morph the other animal symbols into the most profitable symbol, the gorilla.
• NextGen Gaming’s 1 Can 2 Can transports you into yet another tropical paradise and, this time, you’ll be surrounded by colorful toucans (did you spot the word play in the title?) and bopping to a catchy Caribbean-inspired soundtrack. The game features 25 paylines, an RTP of 95.25% and an interesting bonus game filled with fruity fun.
• Take a trip to the African bushveld by adding Animals of Africa, a Microgaming-powered video slot developed by Gold Coin Studios, to your list of “must-plays.” The stunning sunset background and symbols inspired by African wildlife are guaranteed to leave you feeling relaxed while you enjoy your gaming session. The slot’s RTP is 96.18%, and there’s a chance to win a maximum of 8,000x your stake.

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You’ll find Great Bear and many other exciting online casino games to play right here at Borgata Online. Along with playing slots online, we also make it possible for you to take part in live dealer casino games, jackpot slots, casino table games, arcade games and more. 

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