Willy Wonka Casino uses a multi-line slot machine function, which is completely different from the triple-reel slot machine that you usually see in media. Combining this with Zynga’s creative approach to making an original slot machine game, Willy Wonka Casino can be pretty confusing for both veterans and new players alike. This beginner’s guide aims to shed some light on some of the things that new players will likely miss out on as well as giving a bit of explanation as to how the game works.

While the game can be visually appealing as-is even if you don’t understand what’s going on, it’s still important to have a bit of knowledge about how you’re winning or what skills you should keep in mind. Of course, other players can get upset not knowing why they’re losing, even though winning combinations are coming up on the board. Willy Wonka Casino is a unique slot machine game that requires everyone to relearn the game from scratch to understand how to play it!

Stage Themes and Bonuses

The highlight of playing Willy Wonka Casino is the unique set of themes and minigames that players can enjoy when choosing which stage they can play. These stages are unlocked whenever the player levels up in certain increments. The mechanics of the slot machines virtually remain the same but the main difference when changing stages lies in the bonuses, icons, and layout of the slot machine itself. Each stage will give you a brand-new experience to refresh your casino needs.

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

A major factor that is introduced in the different stages is the concept of stage bonuses. Stage bonuses are basically the mechanics that help the player achieve winning combinations or give free credits when matching certain combinations. Since this mechanic plays a huge part of the rate at which you earn prizes, some players tend to favor specific stages over others. Observing the stages and how much they give should be your number one priority as a player.

Pay Lines & Winning Combinations

Much like traditional multi-line slot machines, Willy Wonka Casino allows the player to earn prizes from multiple combinations. The main difference in this game is that Willy Wonka Casino doesn’t follow the traditional linear combination system that rewards you when you match three or more icons in a straight line. Instead, the combinations come in specific zigzag patterns that differ depending on the icon that you pulled.

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

To put it in a nutshell, straight lines of 3 or more icons will never result in a victory. To win a pay line, you’ll need to have one or more of those patterns to be displaced diagonally to count as a win. The important thing to keep in mind is that the placing is specific, so even if you achieve a zigzag pattern, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll win. There is no information on how the specific combination works, but this should shed a bit of light on why we lose some winning combinations.

Icon Types: Characters, Items, and Specials

There are three types of icons in Willy Wonka Casino: Characters, Items, and Specials, which are the Bonus, Wild Card, and Free Spin icons. To understand what each of these icons does, we’ve prepared an explanation of how they affect the game.

  • Wild Card

The Wild Card is a special icon that helps the player win more pay lines. The basic function of the wild card is as a free icon that can qualify as a winning combination with any other character or item icon. The wild card will connect with all its adjacent neighbors and check if any of those icons qualify towards a pay line.

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

Since Wild Cards are the most common way to win pay lines, most stages use it as the main highlight for their stage bonus. Stages try to introduce new ways of making it easier to get wild cards during your reel. The winnings on these wild cards depend entirely on the icon they’re connected with.

  • Bonus & Free Spins

The Bonus & Free Spin icons are special icons whose main function is to give free credits to the player. These icons offer a lot of bonus credits and are the easiest and best way to get a ton of credits outside of the Jackpot. Bonus spins give you free credits by introducing a brand new minigame, separate from the slot machine theme, to give a refreshing new way to earn a ton of credits.

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

Free spins also give the player a lot of credits but unlike bonuses, they retain the slot machine mechanic. Free spins are as the name suggests, they give you a set amount of chances to win more pay lines, but without the cost. You can’t win more free spins while you are in free spin mode.

  • Character Icons

Character icons are winning combinations that give a high number of credits. Depending on the theme of the stage, the main characters of the ones you’ve chosen are more likely to reward a high amount of credits, while less important characters offer lower credit prizes when you win them. 

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

It’s important to keep in mind that item icons and character icons have generally the same count, even if the prize distribution is different. Character icons will often reward you an amount close to your bet or somewhere higher.

  • Item Icons

Item icons, which are not categorized under special icons, have a lower value compared to character icons in terms of the prize amount. A winning combination consisting of item icons often results in a prize amount that is lower than your original bet. In addition, items and characters have the same icon count on the reel so the chances of you getting any of these icons are even.

Beginner's Guide to Playing Willy Wonka Casino on PC

The main factor of pulling item icons or character icons is getting multiple pay lines at once. Even the higher valued character icons don’t amount to much even if you pull them, since it only reimburses the cost of the current spin. The only exception is the 5-of-a-kind pull which will always result in a big win.