Lava Lava

Lava Lava Overview

Created by Thunderkick, Lava Lava transports players to the fiery precipice of a volcano on the exotic island of Hawaii. The impressive graphics, intense soundtrack and generous bonus feature content, make this one of Thunderkick’s best slots yet. Not only does this game provide an engaging gaming experience with a tremendously energetic theme, but it also has a pretty tasty winning potential. This is thanks to Lava Lava’s high top win of 10,000x the stake, solid RTP of 96.14% and lucrative features. If you’re looking for a super-hot slot with plenty of varied gameplay, Lava Lava could be the right slot for you.

The features for this game start with the wild multiplier feature concerning the wild multiplier symbol, which can substitute for other regular symbols whilst also boosting any win that they are a part of. The more wilds on the board, the bigger the multiplier. Next is the scatter bonus feature. The scatters in this game explode and remove all symbols apart from other specials. They are also collected in a bonus meter that triggers ten free spins when full. This game also operates an avalanche mechanic, which brings new symbols into place when scatters explode in the base game. However, the avalanches occur every time there is a win in the bonus game. All features will be explained in more detail later on in the review.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game, although not entirely original, is one of the rarer themes used and makes for an explosive and enrapturing scene on the reels. The theme is the fiery volcanos of Hawaii. Thanks to the various tiki symbols and large volcanoes observable across the screen, this is apparent. Just out of interest, it is worth noting that Hawaii has plenty of active volcanoes which continue bubbling today and draw thousands of tourists to them every year. However, the theme here is more about the visceral impact of the fiery mountains than the tourist perspective of viewing them from a safe distance.

The background for Lava Lava puts players at the very epicentre of a ring of volcanoes that explode every now and then, throwing tons of ash and lava into the sky above them. The sky itself has been filled with so much debris, and smoke that it is has transformed into a carpet of billowing black clouds, blotting out the sun’s rays. The two main volcanoes in this game appear ominous and veined with thick streaks of lava from previous eruptions to the left and right of the playing board. The scene is one of chaotic natural energy.

The playing board for this game is a window of orange-red glow into which stone tablets with symbols encased within them slide into place.

The symbols for this game are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols. The low-paying symbols are the 9, 10, J, Q, K and A in playing card royals. The most valuable of these is the A, worth 5x the stake for the top combination. On the other hand, the more valuable symbols are the tiki heads in various colours. The most valuable of these symbols is the purple head, worth 15x the stake for the top combination. However, the most valuable symbol in this game is the yellow hibiscus, worth a huge 30x the stake for the top combination. The specials consist of the goddess scatter and the W wild.

Game Play

Lava Lava is played on a 4-reel, 3-row machine with 15 fixed pay lines. To win combinations, players must land three or more matching symbols on pay lines moving from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel.
The betting range for Lava Lava is 10p to £100 per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stake up and down using the tool located at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.

Further information, including a short tutorial and a display of the paytable, can be found via the menu button in the right-hand corner of the screen. The spin and auto spin buttons are located in the centre of the screen.
Volatility for this slot is rated in the high range. The return to player percentage for Lava Lava is 96.14%, which is above average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 10,000x your stake.

Features

The wilds in this game come with multipliers attached to them, so not only do they substitute in for other regular paying symbols, but they also boost the wins that they are involved in. The more wild symbols present on the reels, the bigger the multiplier.
The scatter symbols also have multiple uses in this game. Their first function is that they explode and remove other symbols from the board. However, they are also collected in a meter. When you manage to collect three scatters, you will trigger the free spins game. This will give you ten free spins.

The free spins game starts with between one and three wilds on the board, each of which has three lives. When they are used as part of a win, they deplete their lives. When they reach zero, they will also explode, helping to find more wins.
This game operates an avalanche feature in both the base and free spins game. In the base game, an avalanche will be triggered every time a scatter explodes, causing new symbols to fall into the vacant positions of the exploded symbols. However, an avalanche will occur every time a win is registered in the free spins game.

Conclusion

With features aplenty and a fun theme, Lava Lava is up there with some of Thunderkick’s best slots. It also has a decent winning potential which will endear it to plenty of players. The high volatility is a little bit of a worry here, though, as features are a little hit and miss. Overall, this is a good product from the studio and one that has the potential to sire sequels in the future.