Whack a Jackpot

Whack a Jackpot, the latest online game from the developers at Microgaming, is not a slot machine or a lotto situation, and calling it an online scratch card doesn't do it justice.

It is in its own category, and is more similar to a traditional arcade stand you'd find at your local fair – except instead of winning a pen or a stuffed animal, you're more likely to win real money.

For those players who love complicated bonuses and progressive play, this is not the game for you. There are no bonus games or progressive jackpots. It's a simple online arcade experience that resembles whack-a-mole.

You gain multipliers by whacking moles that pop out of the grid holes with a mallet, which happens after you find three moles in a typical scratch card style. The multipliers go from 1x to 10,000x the bet you've set before you started to play. Three strikes and you're out.

The interface is the whack-a-mole table we all know and love, except the controls and dashboard along the bottom are designed to look like a pinball machine. There's even a fake coin slot, and the sounds while you are playing are like pinball, too – which means you might want to mute it after a while, or if you're playing around other people. (We found it a bit grating.) The moles themselves are pretty cute, with miner's hats complete with headlamps.

The instructions are always up at the top, so there's nothing to remember - or forget. You can play manually or simply press a button to sit back, enjoy the action and let the automation reveal all. It's designed to be played on computers and mobile devices.