Jack Hammer 4: Chasing the Dragon

Detective Jack Hammer is back in Jack Hammer 4: Chasing the Dragon, NetEnt’s latest noir-inspired crime-fighting slot. The fourth detective slot trades the comic-book grit of earlier games for the neon-lit chaos of a stylized Asian metropolis.

After a long hiatus and a third release that sparked a lot of mixed reviews, this fourth instalment brings forth a brand new 6×6 cluster pays format. Not only that, but there are also explosive wild mechanics, and a potent hold ‘n’ win bonus round that promises high-tension chases and impressive payouts.

With its punchy pop-art visuals, heavy noir vibes, and Chinatown setting, this installment dials up the drama, but also danger. Check out the rest of our game review below for more info.

Jack Hammer is back for the fourth season. Jack Hammer 4, titled Chasing the Dragon, is a 6×6 cluster pay slot with a Hold & Win bonus. Now, the Hold & Win feature is not new to us, since we’ve been seeing it in Betsoft slots for the past 3 years. It seems that other suppliers caught on and started using it in their slots.

But we digress. Chasing the Dragon is a 10,000x win game – that means you could get a potentially high payout, but it’s not going to be easy getting there.

Set your bet from €0.20 to €40.

Form wins by landing 6+ matching symbols in a cluster, horizontally or vertically.

Trigger Sticky Wins: When a cluster win hits, it locks in place while the rest respin. If the cluster grows, it sticks again. Respins continue until the cluster stops growing.

Corner Features are activated when winning clusters touch symbols in the four grid corners—each grants a different bonus effect.

Land 5 scatters to trigger the Free Spins Bonus, a hold-and-win feature with expanding grids and sticky multiplier symbols.

Use Elevate Buy Options to boost your odds or buy into bonus rounds directly.

Symbol values start from 0.3x (for 6 OAK) to 40x (for a 36 OAK full grid of top symbols).

Sticky Wins amplify payout potential by expanding winning clusters.

Special Wild Effects can add multipliers (up to x50), transform clusters, or drop instant cash prizes.

The Free Spins Bonus offers multipliers up to 100x and a maximum win of 10,000x your bet.

Here are the full game features in Jack Hammer 4: Chasing the Dragon.

Sticky Wins

The core mechanic from the original returns stronger than ever. Cluster wins stick and trigger respins, increasing in size for more powerful payouts. The tension builds as clusters grow, and it’s as exciting as ever.

Corner Wild Features

Each of the four corners houses potential bonus wilds that only activate when part of a winning cluster. These include:

• Multiplier Wilds (x2–x10)
• Upgrader Wilds that boost the cluster to a higher-paying symbol
• Cash Prize Wilds (0.5x–2.5x)
• Expander Wilds that add up to 4 new matching symbols to the cluster
• Question Symbols, which can randomly turn into:
  • Super Multipliers (x30 or x50)
  • Super Upgraders
  • Super Cash Prizes (10x or 25x)
  • Super Expanders (add up to 16 symbols)

Free Spins Hold ‘n’ Win

Triggered by 5 scatters, this mode gives you 3 respins and starts with 3 sticky multipliers on the board. Each new multiplier (1x–100x) resets the spin count. Four special corner boosters are also present:

• Unlock: Adds an extra row (up to two).
• Generate: Adds 3 random multipliers to empty spots.
• Double: Doubles values of adjacent multipliers (up to 3x).
• Collect: Sums and removes all multipliers in view.

Elevate Feature Buy

For players who want to jump straight into the action:

• Free Spins Hunt (2x bet) – Doubles your chances of triggering free spins.
• Wild Activator (10x bet) – Guarantees a feature activates, boosts free spins chance.
• Buy Free Spins (100x)
• Super Free Spins (300x) – Guarantees 3 wilds and 5 scatters on a triggering spin.
• Lucky Draw (150x) – Random chance to trigger either normal or super free spins.

NetEnt’s sharp visual style and bold animations translate beautifully on mobile. The cluster system, sticky mechanics, and corner bonuses are all optimized for smaller screens without losing their tactile fun. Gameplay remains smooth and responsive whether you’re spinning on iOS, Android, or tablet.

Theme, Visuals & Sound

Jack Hammer 4 trades grimy city alleys for glowing neon and bustling Chinatown energy. The noir-style visuals remain consistent with the comic-book look, but there’s a distinctive Asian twist now—paper lanterns, dragons, and calligraphy blend with classic detective tropes. The soundtrack walks a fine line between jazzy tension and cinematic flair, fitting the undercover drama perfectly.

Our Experience Playing Jack Hammer 4

The gameplay loop in Jack Hammer 4 kept us engaged, especially thanks to the Sticky Wins feature, which often turned small clusters into meaningful wins. The corner wilds were a highlight—smart, well-balanced, and capable of transforming the board dramatically. We triggered the free spins bonus a few times, and while the hold ‘n’ win format isn’t groundbreaking, it had enough variety (with Unlocks, Doubles, and Generates) to feel satisfying.

One 7,200x win during super free spins really demonstrated the game’s potential. We appreciated how NetEnt moved away from Jack Hammer 3’s weaker payouts and returned with something much punchier.

How We Rate Games

We base our slot reviews on the following criteria:

• Gameplay Mechanics (Sticky Wins, bonus variety, pacing)
• Theme Execution (coherence, originality, immersion)
• Graphics & Audio (style, performance, atmosphere)
• Mobile Optimization (smoothness, UI, accessibility)
• Win Potential (RTP, volatility, max payout)
• Innovation (new features or meaningful twists on old mechanics)