Trains toy models are a serious hobby for many. No matter how strange it looks, it’s a real hobby, and people invest a lot of money. You need a space to show your trains off, but that’s not a problem if you do it virtually. The love for trains is the main theme in Bonanza Rush Express, a new slot by Area Vegas and Games Global.

It successfully pairs trains with a mining theme, as these carts are full of golden nuggets and whatnot. It’s a highly volatile slot with 20 fixed paylines. The titular Rush Express feature will see the train bring massive prizes your way if you land the correct symbols. On top of that, you have four jackpots to play for, making the slot more appealing to experienced players.

If you’re ready to jump on this hype train, read my Bonanza Rush Express review below. Not sure about the features and the theme? Try the slot for free at the best site for slots with Games Global software.

Bonanza Rush Express has a 5x4 layout and quite a colorful interface. Gold is the predominant color on these reels, with flashes of green, purple, and pink for the ore in the train’s carts. The layout is easy to read. You have the controls beneath the reels and to the right and the jackpots to the left. 

But, if I’m being honest, it does feel a bit crowded. The symbols are slightly oversized in their positions, and many elements on the screen make it look a bit messy.

Area Link’s slots are always great from a visual standpoint, and this one’s no different. The graphics and animations are sharp, and the audio is on point.

Before you jump on the Bonanza Rush Express, you’ll need to buy a ticket. Bets range from 20c to $50 per spin, so make your pick and hit the big spin button on the right. The slot is mobile optimized, so that you can play it on the go with ease on any device. If you hold the spin button, you’ll enter autoplay mode, which is faster and won’t see you mashing the space button or your mouse.

There are 11 symbols in total in the Bonanza Rush Express online slot. They’re divided between premiums that include a pickaxe, a lantern, and gold bars that pay up to 5x for five-OAK combinations. The gems pay half of that. 

As usual, you need three or more matching symbols on an active payline for a win. The game’s logo is a wild and can link wins together. It’s also the highest paying symbol, which delivers wins of 10x for five on a line.

This is a highly volatile slot, so I suggest being cautious with your bet. It’s not extremely volatile like other Games Global releases, but it can still gobble your bankroll up.

The main surprise in the bonus round is the Rush Express feature. Land the golden train or bells on the fifth reel and Rush Express trains on reels 1-4 to trigger this feature. Bell symbols collect all Rush Express symbols on the grid, while the golden train does the same but can award cash prizes up to ten times.

The values of these symbols go as high as 20x. You can also win one of the four fixed jackpots, which are worth 20x, 50x, 500x, 5,000x.

Remember the gems in the train’s carts? Landing them regularly will give you a chance to reach the bonus round with ten free spins. You get different modifiers in the bonus round, depending on the actual gem triggers.

• Purple gems transform bell symbols into gold train symbols
• Green gems guarantee at least one bell or golden train per free spin
• Pink gems add diamond multipliers which boost all free spins wins

You can’t buy your way into the bonus round, which is a shame. The bonus is hard to reach due to the slot’s volatility.

Bonanza Rush Express was a fun slot, even if the features weren’t as innovative as I hoped. My journey started with a bet of $1 per spin. The high volatility reared its (ugly) head right away, but the slot then started offering some decent wins. It was all thanks to the Rush Express feature, which I landed twice and got paid 20x.

I wasn’t lucky to hit any of the jackpots. The free bonus spins took around 50 spins to trigger. It wasn’t that rewarding, but the pink gems did bring 2x multipliers that doubled a couple of wins. In the end, I walked away with a 45x win, which is decent but nothing to brag about.

Bonanza Rush Express is a highly volatile slot game with an RTP of 96.5%. The maximum win you can land is 5,000x the bet.

If you like trains, this is one ride you won’t forget. Bonanza Rush Express does a great job of interweaving train-specific features into the mix, making it feel unique, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The Rush Express feature can spice up your wins in the base game, and the gems in the train carts might make the bonus round more exciting.

If you’re looking for a more classic alternative, NetEnt’s Wild Wild West: The Great Train Heist is a good pick. For a bit more train action and more innovative features, Relax Gaming’s Money Train slot series is a blast - you’ll find all four releases at the top online casino sites.