AvatarUX recognizes a winning formula and expands its PopWins lineup with even another slot machine. HippoPop PopWins, the latest addition to Yggdrasil’s Masters YGS Program, features the reel extension mechanism for the sixth time. The features are rather conventional PopWins additions, and the team hasn’t gone out of their way to be inventive with them this time around. The focus shifted to fine-tuning the gameplay and developing a unique theme to give the game its own identity.

With the exception of CherryPop, all of the other PopWins games have employed some really original flavor themes. HippoPop PopWins is not an exception; it draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources, including Oaxacan art and the visions of the Alebrijes. The latter are spirit guides in Aztec religion, and they take the form of animals that have taken on human traits. The creatures we see here are not from Central America, but rather Africa. Like an Ayahuasca journey in the Amazon basin, but with different species, the studio has taken these divergent notions and presented them in a bright, neon fashion. Certainly an unusual combination, yet one that somehow succeeds and stands out.

Betting ranges from 20 percent to £/€40 are available on any equipment used for “tripping through the bush.” Due to a very unpredictable mathematical model, HippoPop PopWins rewards risk takers with a return value of 96.1%. In this game, the free spins feature is the main attraction, and it activates around once every 240 plays. Losses in regular games occur at a theoretically higher rate of 20.50% of the time.

The 243 possible paylines in the standard game are spread over 5 reels and 3 rows. When wins occur, either from the leftmost reel to the rightmost reel or from the rightmost reel to the leftmost reel, a cascading effect is triggered. Anyone who has ever played a PopWins slot machine knows that a win is never permanent. Each time a player is successful, the winning symbols are removed and two new ones are added to the reel, increasing its size to a maximum of six in the main game. PopWins continues until fresh victories occur, at which point the grid is cleared.

As is customary with Avatar UX, symbols have been organized into four categories. In order of decreasing payout, J through A symbols come first, followed by fish, birds, then frogs. Zebras, cats, and flamingos make up the premium tier, while a single hippo represents the extreme top end. Both of the later types of payouts are worth two to four times the initial investment. The pay-both-ways feature makes up for the relatively low values by doubling them when a winning combination of at least 5 symbols lands. Avatar UX features no wilds or scatters, instead depending on the PopWins function to increase payouts.

Features of the Slot Game HippoPop PopWins

Each subsequent victory in the base game increases a win multiplier shown to the left of the screen until all reels have reached a height of 6 rows. The bonus round is also activated when all reels have their sixth row unlocked.

You start with 5 free spins and can double or even quadruple that number by spinning the bonus wheel, but you may also lose them all if your luck runs out. It’s also worth noting that the win multiplier from the spin that triggered the free spins remains in effect throughout the bonus round.

During the bonus round, the initial 5×3 grid that was used for the free spins might grow to 8 rows high. The win multiplier grows by 1 for each win and does not reset between spins. Rows don’t always go back to 3, and they’ll only go as low as the lowest reel height currently in use. For the duration of the feature, the number of possible combinations will remain at 65,536 if all rows are at their maximum height of 8. Also, gaining access to the reels grants an additional two bonus spins. Finally, the hippo payouts 2, 3, or 4 times their initial sum when all rows are 6, 7, or 8 high, respectively.

In eligible games, the bonus purchase will cost 85 times the initial wager. The initial multiplier ranges from 2x to 4x, and you earn 5 free spins if you do this. You may also spin the gamble wheel to begin with a starting multiplier of up to x10 and up to nine extra spins.

Slots Say HippoPop PopWins

There isn’t anything new about HippoPop PopWins outside the theme that sets it apart from its forerunners. It’s not as obvious a cultural fit as Egyptian or Irish, but it’s refreshing nevertheless. So far, AvatarUX has avoided the most cliched themes. But at the pace they’re pumping out these PopWins games, it’s only a matter of time before they run out of steam and resort to the tried-and-true.

Gameplay-wise, AvatarUX hasn’t done anything to further its PopWins system. There are no noteworthy advances or surprises. Games in the past have included little things like unique wilds to liven things up. Unlike HippoPop PopWins, one of the simpler choices available. It is also one of the more refined PopWins slots, with AvatarUX polishing up the game’s animations and other extras.

HippoPop is similar to its kind in that players must wait for a single massive spin to activate the bonus game before they can begin constructing rows and multiplying their winnings. The only real novelty this game offers is a bonus to the super high pay symbol when all reels are in play. It’s possible to win as much as 157,590 times your initial wager.

To put it simply, HippoPop PopWins is just the same game in a flashy new setting. There is nothing here that would turn off a PopWins devotee, but there also aren’t any must-see features that would make non-believers want to sign up. The consistency of HippoPop makes it seem like AvatarUX has perfected their trade to the point that they can create games like this in their sleep.