Jack the Ripper is arguably one of history’s most notorious serial killers. In the 1880s, he terrorized the streets of the East End of London, murdering at least five women. Despite a massive manhunt, he was never found. This is a story tailor-made for the crime channel but for a slot game, it’s a weird choice. Enter Jack the Winner slot from Felix Gaming.

London in the 1880s

I’m still wrapping my head around why on Earth you’d choose Jack the Ripper as inspiration for your slot. But, as the professional I am, I have plowed ahead and tried to look at the slot objectively.

Considering the dark nature of the theme, Jack the Winner slot’s aesthetic is appropriately gloomy and creepy. The background shows you the rooftops of 1880s London in the dead of night with fog, or more likely smog, blanketing the city. It definitely sets the mood.

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The slot’s symbols are a weird mix of items. Sure, Jack, a lady of the night, and the razor blade make sense. But why is there a bag of precious stones, TNT, and a pair of brass knuckles? And then there’s the fact that death is spelled wrong on the razor blade! Why?! It was generally assumed that Jack the Ripper was an educated individual of high intelligence, which is probably one of the reasons that he was never captured. Was it done to not offend anyone? But then why include it at all, we get the significance of a razor blade. This slot confuses me.

So, the verdict on the graphics? Well, it works, I guess. It certainly sets the mood. But it also gives the impression that the person or team that designed it had only a passing knowledge of the Jack the Ripper story.

Are you ready to become a serial winner?

I’d be able to forgive many of the weird elements of Jack the Winner slot if the bonus features were plentiful and interesting. And it almost managed that. The slot’s twist on stacked sticky wilds in its free spins feature is genuinely interesting. It’s something I haven’t seen done before. That being said, it’s the only feature of note. In fact, it’s almost the only feature period. The only other bonus feature is a wild, just a plain old stock-standard wild symbol.

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Back to that free spins feature, though. Once triggered with the appearance of three or more Free Games symbols, you’ll receive five free spins. During a round of free spins, the hulking mass that is jack will move across the reels. Every symbol he covers will act as a wild giving you the chance to complete more winning combinations.

Is Jack the Ripper Slot terrifying or tawdry?

Jack the Winner slot isn’t the first to utilize a questionable theme. However, when you choose to that route, you need to make damn sure that you’re nailing it. Annoyingly, it feels like Felix Gaming had the ability to pull that off. However, they really didn’t with Jack the Winner slot.

Can the numbers redeem the slot? Well, maybe. It offers a fairly healthy 96.84% RTP rating with a 7,680x max multiplier that gives you a shot at winning as much as €384,000. Plus, with medium to high volatility, it offers fairly balanced gameplay.

So, if you’re just looking for a slot that could offer some wins, Jack the Winner slot could be for you. For everyone else, I recommend giving Xibalba or Wild Duel a try, two of my favorite slots!