Casino Bonuses
| Provider | Elk Studios |
| Reels | 7 |
| Rows | 7 |
| Paylines | Cluster Pays |
| Bonus Rounds | 1 |
| Bet Range | 0.20 - 100 |
| Volatility | High |
| Max Win | 10,000x |
| Bonus Buy | Yes |
| RTP | 94.00% |
| Our Rating | 8.2 |
Latest Slots
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Game Overview
I’ve often observed creatures like ants scuttling around on the ground, going about their daily business, and wondered to myself, do they have any concept of the human world? Do they even realise that I’m here? We may inhabit the same planet, but our worlds could not be more different. Whilst they dig their intricate nests, gather food, and hope to happen upon the jackpot of a sticky lollipop dropped by an unfortunate child, here I am dealing with the complexities of human life. Sometimes, I wish we could swap places. Then again, that would mean that I wouldn’t have the pleasure of reviewing this latest critter themed slot from Elk Studios, so maybe not. It’s titled Buggin, and it’s a high volatility, seven-reel, seven-row game with an RTP of 94% and a potential maximum win of 10,000x.
As the game loads up, we’re introduced to the picturesque setting these cute creatures call home. It’s a graphically rich country park environment featuring a deep blue pond and grassy green foliage. Overset on this scene is the game’s 7×7 grid, on which all wins are achieved by matching five or more symbols in cluster pays style. The wild symbol plays a prominent role, with each winning cluster spawning a new one, all of which can form multiplier wilds. Above the main reels, a meter can be found, which will build with each winning cascade and bring special wild symbols into play, which activate game enhancements such as symbol removal, symbol upgrade, multiplier add, and big symbols. There are two variants of the free spins bonus to hunt for, the standard and super versions, both of which bring even more wild excitement to the party.
As a kid, I was always out in the garden hunting for bugs, even attempting to eat the occasional juicy earthworm if my parents were to be believed. Nowadays, my culinary cravings have evolved, and I’m more likely to be found exploring the latest slot release with a tasty takeaway. You can, too, as we have the Buggin demo slot below, and it’s completely free to play.
Buggin Slot Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols
The natural world provides us with a huge range of interesting insects. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and colours, all bringing with them unique characteristics. This diversity is also reflected in the slot scene, with plenty of bug-themed games on the market. One of those is Wild Swarm 2, a five-reel, four-row game with a potential maximum win of 10,000x, which builds on the un-bee-lievable success of the original Wild Swarm slot by adding multiplier wilds into the mix. If the insect theme is beginning to bug you, but you’re interested in seeing what other games Elk Studios has to offer, why not check out the latest release in their Nitropolis series of slots? Gritty Kitty of Nitropolis has a max win of 25,000x and features an action-packed coin collection bonus, which is heaps of fun to play. For the time being, though, stick around as we’ll be scuttling over to the paytable next, where we’ll begin exploring the features of Buggin in more detail.
A winning combination of just 12 or more is required to activate the top payout value for each symbol on Buggin. The top symbol is the Ladybird, returning 100x the total stake for 12+ symbols. Next, it’s the Snail at 50x, the Bluebottle at 25x, and the final premium symbol, the Cricket, at 20x. The non-premiums featured are the Mushroom, Raspberry, Blueberry, and Leaf, which are worth 3x, 2.5x, 2x, and 1.5x, respectively, for each cluster of 12+.
There are 12 different stakes on Buggin, ranging from a low of €0.20 to a high of €100.00. There aren’t as many options between those extremes as some players may like, particularly in the middle range, but overall, most players will be able to find a stake that suits their style of play.
Buggin Slot Base Game
Buggin uses a seven-reel grid, with seven row positions on each. All wins are achieved in cluster pays style by grouping at least five matching symbols anywhere on the grid. Any symbols involved in a win are removed from the screen, allowing those above them to tumble down through cascading reels and additional random symbols to come into play from the top of the reels.
Wild Generation & Merge
Each winning combination will leave behind a single wild symbol in its place. This wild will stay on the grid between cascades within the same game round. If there is more than one wild symbol on the reels, they will merge into one wild and adopt a multiplier equal to the value of the number of wilds that have been merged. This value can continue to build as more wilds accumulate throughout the spin.
Feature Wilds
At the start of any main game spin, the feature meter above the reels will be reset. Any winning combination will then contribute to building this meter, and once full, one of the five feature wilds will be highlighted. This process can continue until all five feature wilds are lit. Once there are no further wins on the screen, the relevant number of feature wilds that have been accumulated will be placed in random positions on the grid and, along with acting as a wild which substitutes for any pay table symbol, they will each perform one of the following functions:
- Big Feature Wild: Expands a randomly selected symbol into a 2×2 or 3×3 big symbol.
- Multiplying Feature Wild: Adds a multiplier value to all wilds on the screen that are not currently part of a winning combination.
- Random Feature Wild: Turns 2-4 random symbols to wilds.
- Removing Feature Wild: Removes all of one type of low paying symbol from the grid.
- UPGrading Feature Wild: Selects a random symbol and upgrades any on the screen to a higher value symbol.
Wild Re-drops
At the start of each spin, a padlock symbol will be displayed on top of one of the five feature wild symbols above the reels. If the meter is filled enough times during that spin to reach the feature wild shown as locked, then the relevant number of feature wilds will be added to the grid at the end of that spin.
Buggin Slot Bonus Features
With a standard and super free spins bonus round to activate, let’s look at what both have to offer once they have been triggered.
Bonus Game
Landing three standard bonus symbols during any one spin will trigger the bonus game, awarding seven free drops. Wild symbols will remain sticky between each drop during this feature, allowing the number of them present and their multiplier values to build.
Super Bonus Game
Landing three bonus symbols in the same spin, where at least one is a super bonus symbol, will trigger the super bonus game, awarding seven free drops. As in the standard bonus game, all wild symbols will stick between drops; however, in this super version of the bonus, all feature wild symbols displayed above the reels will each have a padlock symbol applied to them. This makes the wild-drops feature easier to activate and, theoretically, will lead to more wild symbols being present on the reels as the feature progresses, increasing the potential for higher multiplier values as they merge.
X-iter
If you’re a regular visitor to our free play bonus buy slots page and have a taste for high-action gameplay, you may wish to indulge in the various opportunities provided by pressing the X-iter button to the left of the screen. These options all come with an RTP of 94% and include:
- Bonus Hunt: Triples the chance of triggering the bonus – Cost: 3x
- Two Feature Wilds: Guarantees two feature wilds – Cost: 5x
- Four Feature Wilds: Guarantees four feature wilds – Cost: 10x
- Buy Bonus: Triggers the bonus game – Cost: 100x
- Buy Super Bonus: Triggers the super bonus game – Cost: 500x
Pros
- There are lots of exciting gameplay options via the X-iter feature.
- Super bonus is particularly enjoyable, and wild multipliers can build to huge numbers.
- Lots of features are included in the base game.
Cons
- Below average RTP of 94%.
- There are frequent dead spins in the base game.
Buggin Slot Review Final Thoughts
Elk Studios often creates very enjoyable, feature-packed games, and Buggin is another one of those. There are some interesting mechanics at play, with the wild symbol performing numerous functions that keep things entertaining in the base game. This wild action becomes even more intense in the bonus rounds, with the super version, in particular, being laden with big win potential due to the huge height that the multiplier values can reach. Although they come at a significant cost, the options included in the X-iter menu provide a route directly into the more enjoyable elements of the game, sidestepping the long runs of dead spins that can occur during normal base gameplay. It’s also interesting to note that the super bonus can also be triggered via the cheaper bonus buy feature if you’re lucky enough, as I discovered during testing.
Good
- Game Types:
- Bonus Buy Slots
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