Slot Wars: Frightening Frankie VS Big Bass Halloween 3

It’s that time of year again - the spooky season where Pragmatic Play unleashes its Halloween creations upon the reels. This October, two ghoulish contenders have stepped into the arena.

The rivals are Frightening Frankie, a B-movie monster mash-up and Big Bass Halloween 3, the latest in the seemingly unkillable Big Bass series. But which one truly earns the Halloween crown in this episode of slot wars? 

Let’s pit them head-to-head and find out.

When it comes to slot supremacy, cold, hard numbers matter just as much as atmosphere. Behind the spooky façades, both games are powered by math models designed to test players’ nerves and bankrolls in equal measure.

Frightening Frankie, the first contender, runs on a familiar 5x3 grid with 20 paylines. Pragmatic Play has equipped this creation with a high volatility engine, meaning it can be feast or famine depending on your luck. Its maximum RTP stands tall at 96.53%, though operators can configure it down to 95.53% or even 94.53%. 

The maximum win potential is 2,800x your stake, which, while not insignificant, falls short of the kind of monstrous jackpots players might expect from a high-volatility slot. Frankie’s payout frequency and volatility balance create a rhythm that feels suspenseful but not excruciating - much like waiting for a storm to charge the lab’s generator.

On the other hand, Big Bass Halloween 3 dives into darker, bloodier waters. It uses the familiar 5x3 setup but only 10 paylines, cutting the number of win routes in half compared to Frankie. 

That simplicity, however, masks a more explosive potential. With an RTP of 96.50% (nearly identical to Frankie’s) and a maximum win of 5,000x the bet, this zombie fishing trip carries significantly higher peak rewards.

When the fisherman comes to life, the rewards can be gruesomely good. Like its predecessors, the slot’s high volatility ensures that when the reels do line up, it’s worth the wait.

While both games share comparable RTPs and volatility profiles, the decision in this round comes down to win ceiling and Big Bass Halloween 3’s 5,000x max win gives it a clear edge. 

A slot’s bonus features are where its personality truly shines  -  and where its creators get to show their design chops. In this round, we’ll see which contender delivers the more electrifying gameplay.

Frightening Frankie doesn’t shy away from feature madness. Players can trigger Lightning Free Spins, which zap away low-value symbols and add extra spins, or dive into Monster Trail Free Spins, where multipliers grow through Test Tube collections. 

Symbol removal, growing multipliers, and retriggers add layers of engagement. You can even buy the bonus for 100x your bet, skipping straight to the mayhem. It’s a smartly layered system, giving a sense of evolution as Frankie lumbers toward bigger wins.

For players short on patience, the Feature Buy option allows instant entry into the Monster Trail Free Spins for 100x the total bet, giving control over when the experiment begins.

It’s a layered, evolving system  -  part classic free spins, part reel refinement mechanic  -  and while not as explosive as others in Pragmatic’s library, it brings innovation and variety to the table.

Big Bass Halloween 3, on the other hand, sticks to the tried-and-true formula of the series. Land 3+ scatters to enter Free Spins, where money symbols (fish) can be collected by wild fisherman symbols. 

Each fourth fisherman boosts your multiplier (2x, 3x, up to 10x) and grants +10 free spins. New to this edition are two fisherman colors - red and blue - doubling the collection potential. 

Classic hook, dynamite, and shark animations keep the action unpredictable. You can also buy regular or super free spins (100x or 300x) for instant thrills. 

Classic hook, dynamite, and shark animations keep the action unpredictable. You can also buy regular or super free spins for instant thrills via Buy Bonus options. 

 

While Big Bass Halloween 3’s mechanics are nothing new, they’re polished to perfection. Frankie’s multi-layered system is more experimental but feels fresher. Still, the Big Bass sequel takes this round too by the sheer quantity of features and their ability to produce bigger payouts. 

Halloween is about atmosphere - and here, both slots show their spooky sides in distinct ways.

Frightening Frankie channels a retro horror aesthetic, looking like it was pulled straight from a drive-in B-movie. The monster himself looms on the side of the screen, while eerie lights, stitched-together visuals, and a campy tone dominate the experience. It’s charmingly weird, but not exactly terrifying. Think goofy mad scientist lab rather than nightmare fuel.

Big Bass Halloween 3, on the other hand, goes full undead. The fisherman is a zombie, blood spatters mark the screen, and the background glows with an eerie red light. Every win splashes with gore and ghostly flair. 

The sound design - echoing groans and bubbling effects - adds to the spooky lake atmosphere. However, saying that this is Big Bass as you’ve never quite seen it is completely untrue - the similar aesthetics have been seen in Big Bass Halloween and Big Bass Halloween 2.

While the Big Bass series continues, the theme is dead as a doornail. The rival’s theme isn’t quite original either, but at least it is a bit fresher. For that reason alone, the Frightening Frankie takes this round. 

It may be a sequel of a sequel (of a sequel), but Big Bass Halloween 3 proves there’s still life - or unlife - in the series. With its higher win potential, crisp execution, and fully committed Halloween theme, it narrowly edges out Frightening Frankie, which, despite its creative spark, never quite comes fully to life.

That said, Frankie fans will enjoy its inventive mechanics and quirky energy, while Big Bass lovers will find another reason to cast their line this spooky season.