Past the Post Review and Demo

Past the Post Slot Review

Past the Post is a playful, horse racing-themed slot released by Eyecon in 2018. Its stand-out feature is its Free Games round, which has customisable volatility levels and can be retriggered up to 15 times.

Eyecon is known for creating retro, nostalgic classics such as Fluffy Favourites and Irish Luck. Playtech acquired the developer in 2019, which helped Eyecon reach the large UK audience it has today.

Category	Detail
Game Title	Past the Post
Software provider	Eyecon
RTP	95.25%
Volatility	High
Max Win	500x
Theme	Horses
Key Mechanic	243 ways to win

Past the Post Gameplay

Past the Post is a 5x3 reel slot with 243 ways to win. Much like real horse racing, Past the Post is highly volatile; players should be prepared for some dry spells, but when wins land they’re often substantial.

Players can adjust their stake using the sliding bar in the menu. The minimum betting threshold is £0.25. While this should accommodate for most budgets, other comparable Eyecon slots have adjustable paylines which allow bets as low as £0.01.

If you bet £1, here’s how each winning combination would pay out in the base game:

Symbol	5-of-a-kind	4-of-a-kind	3-of-a-kind
Champagne	40	4	2
Winning Horse	32	4	1.4
Second-Place Horse	20	4	1.2
Third-Place Horse	20	2	0.8
Surprised Horse	8	1.2	0.4
Grey Horse	8	0.8	0.4
Pink Lady, Jockey	6	0.6	0.4
Reporter	4	0.6	0.2
Surprised Punter	4	0.4	0.2

From this table, line wins look relatively small, but since there are 243 ways to win, you’ll often land multiple combinations on the same spin, which can add together to form substantial payouts.

Theme and Story of the Past the Post Slot

Past the Post is set at the races, and the reels are populated with characters you’d expect to see at a meeting. Champagne symbols pay out the highest, followed by horses, then people.

You’ll need to land five of the Champagne symbols to secure the maximum line win of 40x your base bet. The highest-paying combination (50x) is achieved by landing five scatter symbols, which I’ll cover in more detail later in this Past the Post slot review.

Graphics, Sounds and Vibes

The 5x3 reel setup sits in the centre of a racecourse, with the crowd visible in the back. The character design is more expressive than I’ve seen in other Eyecon slots, and gives the game a humorous, modern edge. The spinning animations are smooth, as are the transitions in and out of the bonus feature.

Like most Eyecon slots, there’s no music in the base game. While many users play games on mute (especially mobile players), it’d be nice to be given the option.

Despite this, the sound effects successfully reflect the action on the reels. Each time you land a Tote Bag, there’s an increasingly high-pitched note, creating a crescendo into the Free Games bonus feature. Celebratory trills play each time you land a big win.

When you enter the bonus feature, you’ll hear “And they’re off!” boom over the tannoy as horses dash across the reels. Rousing orchestral music underscores the duration of the spins, alongside the sound effects from the base game.

Past the Post Slot on Mobile

Like all Eyecon slots, Past the Post runs on HTML5. This means you can expect an identical experience on mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Another feature I was pleased to see was the left-handed mode, which I think should be standard across all slots.

Past the Post runs well in both portrait and landscape; regardless of which you prefer, every button is easily reached with your thumb. That being said, the 5x3 reel setup feels better suited to horizontal displays.

During the Punter Pick feature, you’ll choose between five horses: White Wizard, Enchanted Prince, Shamans Dream, Sugar Train and Irish Luck. Then, choose a jockey: Speedy Stevie, Lucky Lenny, Rapid Ronnie, Galloping Gordon or Jumping Jenny. This determines which characters will be shown during the cutscenes and doesn’t affect the gameplay itself.

Lastly, choose your odds, which determine the number of ‘Races’ (Free Games) you’ll receive:

• 2/1: 20 Free Games with all wins multiplied by 2x (low volatility)

• 3/1: 15 Free Games with all wins multiplied by 3x (medium/low volatility)

• 4/1: 10 Free Games with all wins multiplied by 4x (medium volatility)

• 5/1: 8 Free Games with all wins multiplied by 5x (medium/high volatility)

• 10/1: 5 Free Games with all wins multiplied by 10x (high volatility)

If you reactivate the feature by landing additional scatters, a counter will appear in the top-left corner of the screen showing the number of potential triggers remaining.

At the end of the round, your chosen horse and jockey will return before you’re taken back to the main game.

Symbol	5-of-a-kind	4-of-a-kind	3-of-a-kind
Tote Bag	50	10	5

Scatter wins pay in any direction and are multiplied by the total wager.

Past the Post Slot Wagering Details

Return To Player (RTP) and volatility are the two main factors that determine a slot’s payout structure. While Past the Post’s RTP is close to the UK market average, there are a few things to know about its high volatility before deciding if it’s the game for you.

If RTP is the theoretical probability of how much money a slot might pay out, volatility is the measure of how it’ll deliver it. Past the Post is highly volatile. This means that you should expect lengthy dry spells, but the payouts are often substantial. I’d recommend this slot if you’re looking for a session of at least 100 to 200 spins.

As per UKGC regulations, players aged between 18 and 24 can bet up to £2 per round, and those aged 25 and over are subject to a maximum stake limit of £5.

Jackpots and Best Wins

Eyecon has not published Past the Post’s official maximum win. Given that the maximum single payout is 50x (achieved by landing five scatters) and the Free Games bonus feature offers multipliers up to 10x, it’s safe to assume the maximum win is 500x your stake. Hopefully Eyecon will offer some clarity on this at some point.

Past the Post does not feature a fixed or progressive jackpot mechanic.

Setting my stake value to £0.50 gave me 100 spins. I triggered the bonus feature on my sixth spin, selected 10 Free Games with 4x multipliers and won £7. I experienced 6 dead spins (including four stretches of six), which is unsurprising given the game’s high volatility. Unexpectedly, I triggered the feature again seven spins later and won £3.70. My biggest win of the session, £10, came from the base game.

Slot	Developer	RTP	Max win	Volatility	Theme
Past the Post	Eyecon	95.25%	500x	High	Horses
Golden Horsey Winner Grand Chance	Inspired Gaming	94.5%	6,250x	Unclear	Horses
Big Horsey Fortune	Inspired Gaming	94.81%	2,500x	Medium	Horses

Like Past the Post, Inspired Gaming’s Golden Horsey Winner Grand Chance features bonus rounds with adjustable volatility levels – so if you’re a fan of this slot, Past the Post might be worth a try. While Golden Horsey Winner Grand Chance has a significantly higher maximum win limit, the low RTP means that Past the Post is a better choice for most players.

Big Horsey Fortune is another Inspired Gaming title with a higher maximum win than Past the Post. Some may prefer the rhythm of payouts created by its medium variance. Once again, however, I would recommend that players who focus on RTP consider other options, given that it’s 1.19% below the average for UK slot game developers.

Do We Recommend Past the Post?

If you’re looking for a slot that’s playful, volatile and a little bit hectic, absolutely. Past the Post is full of character and never shies away from its theme, particularly in its narrative-driven, adjustable bonus round. This feature doesn’t stray too far from the mechanics of the base game, meaning it’s simultaneously engaging and simple enough for beginners to follow. Past the Post’s mobile optimisation and left-handed mode make it a great choice for both mobile and desktop players. If you can handle its volatility, I’d recommend giving Past the Post a try.