HippoPop

HippoPop PopWins: Slot Overview

AvatarUX Recognizing a successful concept, AvatarUX expands their popular PopWins series by adding a new slot. Accessible through Yggdrasil the Masters YGS Program, the HippoPop PopWins utilizes their beloved reel-expansion feature for the sixth time. This time, there are no groundbreaking innovations in features but a lot of effort has gone into refining the game and adopting a quirky theme that gives it a distinct personality.

Barring CherryPop Previous PopWins games have each had unique themes, and HippoPop is no exception, drawing inspiration from Oaxacan art and Alebrijes—a cultural element in Aztec tradition depicting animals with human traits. While this game substitutes Central American creatures for an array of vibrant African wildlife, it presents the theme vividly and creatively, as if experiencing a visually intense journey through the jungle.

This slot can be enjoyed on any device, with betting options ranging from 20 p/c to $/€40 . It’s marked by a high volatility model providing a 96.1% return rate, great for high-stakes players who seek significant wins. Free spins, the core attraction, activate approximately every 240 spins. Regular wins are more common, occurring about 20.50% of the time.

A typical spin in the base game begins on a 5-reel , 3-row grid that offers 243 winning opportunities . Wins can form left to right or right to left, activating a cascading feature as winning symbols get replaced, introducing two new symbols per win. The reels expand up to 6 rows for bigger wins until no new victories occur, resetting the grid.

The game categorizes symbols into four groups, customary for Avatar UX titles. The lower-value symbols are J to A, with fish, birds, and frogs yielding medium payouts. Premium categories feature zebras, cats, and flamingos, while the highest category is the sole hippo. Winning combinations in the top two tiers pay out 2-4 times your stake , doubled when five-symbol wins occur due to its dual payout direction. Notably, Avatar UX opted out of adding wilds and scatters, trusting the PopWins system's capability for larger wins.

HippoPop PopWins: Slot Features

Reaching 6 rows on all reels of the base game progresses the left-sided win multiplier. Achieving this also unlocks the bonus round.

Initiating the bonus round grants 5 free spins , offering a gamble option on a bonus wheel for a shot at 12 spins. However, there is a risk of losing spins if fortune doesn’t favor you. The round carries any multipliers from the triggering spin over.

During free spins, you start on a 5x3 grid with capacity expansion up to 8 rows per win, increasing the multiplier by +1. Notably, the multiplier retains its value between spins. Rows might reduce to the current lowest height but can consistently stay high, delivering 65,536 winning ways . Reaching 6-8 rows affords increased hippo payouts — x2, x3, or x4 the base value.

Where permitted, the bonus buy Opting for 85x the total bet provides you with 5 free spins and a starting multiplier of x2-x4. Alternatively, utilize the gamble wheel for up to 9 spins and an initial multiplier going up to x10.

HippoPop PopWins: Slot Verdict

Though HippoPop PopWins does not deviate significantly from prior games in the series, its unique theme refreshes the familiar slot format. The game skillfully combines various cultural influences for a refreshing take, while AvatarUX sidesteps overused themes found in many other games.

Tutorial-wise, there are no groundbreaking enhancements to the well-loved PopWins system. Unlike some previous iterations that tinker with special wilds, HippoPop sticks to the core elements yet presents one of the more refined slots, evident in improved animations and other subtle detail enhancements.

In line with its predecessors, patience for a significant win that triggers the bonus is key, leading to opportunities to build multipliers and row expansions. Adding value to top-tier symbols when reels are maximized is a unique twist, creating potential returns as high as 157,590 times the bet.

Although set in a novel, illuminated landscape, HippoPop sticks closely to familiar territory for PopWins fans, ensuring dependability that might suggest AvatarUX has mastered the technique to effortlessly churn out these games.