Quick verdict: Fishin' Frenzy Megaways is Blueprint Gaming's 2019 expansion of its original Fishin' Frenzy into the Big Time Gaming-licensed Megaways format, swapping the original's fixed reels for up to 15,625 ways to win. The core Fisherman Free Games feature carries over unchanged — it's still the reason this series is so popular — but the wider grid gives it more room to build. At up to 96.10% RTP and medium volatility, it's a natural next step for fans of the original who want a bigger, more variable grid without losing what made it work.
The Story
Blueprint Gaming released Fishin' Frenzy Megaways in April 2019, a few years after the original Fishin' Frenzy had already become one of the studio's most enduring titles. Rather than starting over, Blueprint licensed Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine and rebuilt the same European-arcade fishing theme around it — a straightforward, low-key European seaside setting with a fisherman, his catch, and a cast of fish symbols, without any elaborate lore attached. The bet paid off: Megaways gave the format a wider, more variable grid to work with, while keeping the Fisherman Free Games feature that fans of the original already knew, making it an easy pick-up for anyone who'd played the fixed-reel version.
Theme, Gameplay & Symbols
Fishin' Frenzy Megaways runs on Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine under license, offering up to 15,625 ways to win on a variable-height reel set rather than the original's fixed grid and paylines. Low-paying symbols are the standard playing-card royals; higher-paying symbols are various fish, building up to the Fisherman Scatter symbol, which is both the trigger for Free Games and the mechanic's central figure. The core symbol set and visual identity carry over from the original almost unchanged, which is deliberate — this is a format expansion, not a reskin or reinvention.
Presentation & Sound
Visually, Fishin' Frenzy Megaways keeps the original's relaxed seaside-harbour presentation — muted blues and greys, a simple dockside backdrop, and a cast of fish symbols rendered in the same friendly, uncomplicated art style. It's not a flashy production, and that's part of its appeal: the presentation stays out of the way of the gameplay rather than competing for attention. The soundtrack is a light, nautical loop that steps up during Free Games, with a satisfied "catch" sound effect whenever the Fisherman lands a fish during the bonus round.
How to Play Fishin' Frenzy Megaways
- Set your stake using the bet selector. Blueprint Gaming's own published range for the main game runs from £0.10 to £10 per spin, though the exact limits can vary by operator.
- Spin the Megaways grid. Wins pay across up to 15,625 ways when matching symbols land on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel — the exact number of ways changes with the reel heights on each spin.
- Land 3 or more Scatter symbols to trigger Fisherman Free Games.
- During Free Games, watch for any Fisherman symbols in view — each one catches a fish and nets the value shown on its tag, adding extra reel wins on top of any line wins.
- Landing further Scatters during Free Games extends the round with additional spins.
Features & Mechanics
Fisherman Free Games is triggered by landing 3 or more Scatter symbols in the base game. Once inside, the feature's core mechanic activates: any Fisherman symbol in view during a Free Games spin catches the fish and nets the value shown on its tag, adding that amount as an extra reel win independent of whatever line wins land on the same spin. It's a simple system, but because it stacks on top of ordinary Free Games wins rather than replacing them, a Free Games round with several Fisherman symbols landing across different spins can add up meaningfully.
Blueprint also lists a separate "Fishin' Frenzy Bonus Bet" alongside the main game, with its own published stake range of £10 to £1,000 — a higher-stake side bet distinct from the standard spin. Bonus-buy-style features and side bets of this kind are common across Blueprint's catalogue in some markets, but the UK Gambling Commission's remote technical standards have prohibited bonus buy features at UKGC-licensed casinos since 2019, so whether this Bonus Bet option is available at all will depend on the operator and jurisdiction — don't assume it will be present at a UK-licensed site.
Volatility & Win Potential
Blueprint Gaming publishes multiple RTP configurations for Fishin' Frenzy Megaways: a lower-volatility base build at 95.02% (with a 95.50% bonus-buy variant), a higher build at 96.10% (with a 96.60% bonus-buy variant), and a reduced 92% configuration. Which one is live depends entirely on the operator, so check the in-game info screen at whichever site you play rather than assuming a specific figure applies. Blueprint rates the game at 3 out of 5 on its own volatility scale — medium volatility — consistent with the original Fishin' Frenzy's profile, just spread across a wider Megaways grid. Blueprint doesn't publish a specific max win or hit-frequency figure for this title, so we won't put a number on either.
Pros & Cons
- Pro: The Fisherman Free Games feature that made the original Fishin' Frenzy popular carries over intact, now with a wider Megaways grid to work with.
- Pro: A relaxed, uncomplicated presentation that doesn't overcomplicate a genuinely effective bonus mechanic.
- Pro: Multiple RTP configurations give operators flexibility, and medium volatility keeps the base game reasonably active.
- Con: Up to five different RTP configurations exist for this game, so the figure at any given operator isn't guaranteed without checking the in-game info screen.
- Con: No published max win or hit-frequency figure from Blueprint.
- Con: Players who've already spent a lot of time with the original Fishin' Frenzy may find this a fairly incremental step rather than a fresh experience.
Final Verdict
Fishin' Frenzy Megaways does exactly what a good format expansion should: it keeps the Fisherman Free Games mechanic that made the original a long-running success, and gives it a wider, more variable Megaways grid to play out on, without changing what worked. It's not going to surprise anyone who's already spent time with the fixed-reel original, but as a medium-volatility slot with a well-tested bonus feature and Blueprint's usual flexibility around RTP configuration, it's a solid pick for fans of the format looking for a bit more variance from spin to spin.
