MonkeyPop

MonkeyPop Overview

Avatar UX, the smaller studio within the Yggdrasil provider, is back with yet another exciting slot game that relies on the expansive and potentially lucrative PopWins dynamic originally devised by Stakelogic. The PopWins dynamic means that when a win is registered on the board, all the winning symbols are removed and then replaced with two new symbols in their place. This results in a board that steadily grows in size, culminating finally in a playing board with as many as 33,614 ways to win. Apart from this thrilling mechanic, this game has a few fun features and a top win of 10,744x your stake. The RTP here is 96.33%, and the volatility rating is medium.

The features for this game begin with the base game unlock feature. This is triggered when players expand the reels to their maximum height of 7 rows. When this happens, a random selection of low-value icons is removed from the reels, and two free spins are granted. These spins also come with an attached multiplier. Next is the free spins game triggered when players land three or more of the bonus scatter icon on the board simultaneously. However, before the free spins start, a reward reel is spun to determine what type of free spins you will play. Finally, this game also has a bonus buy option.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is a Japanese theme that focuses on the famous red-faced Macaque monkeys that soak themselves in natural hot springs. The monkeys and the scenery have all been beautifully created in a traditional Japanese wood print style that adds a layer of interest and authenticity to the board. Each monkey has also been somewhat anthropomorphised to give each a character that is entertaining. If you are interested, the real monkey park is called Jigokudani Monkey Park and is located northeast of the town of Nagano on the main island of Japan.

The background for this game is a classically styled Japanese woodland scene representing the mountainous area in which you find these hot springs. The wood print style used here and indeed famous globally now is called Ukiyo-e and was originally created to produce images of famous Kabuki theatre actors and other celebrities that were part of what is called the 'floating world' in Japan. They are usually simple and beautiful. Only much later, however, in the art form's development, did artists start to depict landscapes like the one shown in this game.

The board for this game is a free-floating arrangement of paper tableaus that fits perfectly with the delicate theme.
The symbols for this game are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols. The low-paying symbols are the 10, J, Q, K and A in playing card royals. The most valuable of which is the A that pays out at 0.6x the stake for the top combination. The more valuable symbols are the six different monkeys immersed in the hot springs. The most valuable of these icons is the monkey with a gold headrest and necklace. This special monkey pays out at 2.5x the stake for the top combination. This game's specials are the Kanagawa bonus scatter wave and the golden wild symbol.

Game Play

MonkeyPop is played on a 5-reel, 3-row machine with up to 33,614 depending on the PopWins dynamic. 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 MonkeyPop is 20p 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 medium range. The return to player percentage of MonkeyPop is 96.33%, which is above average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 10,744x your stake.

Features

The features for this game start with what is called the base unlock bonus. It is triggered when players manage to extend the reels to 7 symbols high via the Popwins dynamic explained earlier. When this happens, a random number of low-value symbols are removed from the reels, and two free spins are awarded. The free spins then start with a multiplier of either 1x, 2x or 3x the stake. The multiplier then grows by plus one or plus two for every free spin.

The main feature in this game, however, is the free spins game, activated when players land three or more symbols simultaneously. Before the game begins, players will spin a reward reel that will determine the type of free spins they will play.

There are four sets of free spins available. These are explained below.
Starting free spins – 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
Starting ways – 486, 2,048, or 6,250.
Starting multiplier – x1, x2, x3, x4, or x5.
Multiplier growth - +1, +2, +3, +4, or +5.

All free spin rounds benefit from a growing multiplier, and the size of the reels does not reset between spins. Expanding the reels to their greatest height will also award you with an extra two free spins as well as remove a range of low-value symbols. Collecting scatters in this game also helps to upgrade the available icons on the board for more valuable wins.
Lastly, this game has a bonus buy option that allows players to purchase their access to the free spins. However, this option is not available in the free spins round.

Conclusion

Stylish, feature-led and fun, this game has plenty going on and could be a real contender for one of the best PopWin slots. The level of detail, the quality of the board, and all the graphics lift this game, giving it a sense of class that many slot games do not have. Winning potential wise things aren't too shabby either. The RTP and max win are good, and the features are generous. The volatility is also in a decent range. This is a well-rounded slot that any player should be happy to spin away at.