The Chicken Run slot machine game is a poultry-themed online slots game developed by Blueprint Gaming, released in 2019 as part of their farm-tastic series. This medium-to-high volatility game has five reels and three rows of symbols with multiple bonus features that offer thrilling rewards.
Theme and Design
Chicken Run takes its inspiration from the classic animated movie ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Aardman Chicken Run,’ released in 2000, by DreamWorks Chicken Run Animation. Set amidst a colorful farm backdrop where chickens are trying to escape their enclosure, this game is visually appealing with cartoon-style graphics that add a lighthearted and entertaining feel.
The symbols used on the reels are carefully selected to fit the farm theme, including picture icons of Wallace & Gromit’s famous hatching chicks, runaway chickens, egg-laying hens, and an escape artist hen trying to evade capture. These cartoon-style illustrations not only make for visually pleasing visuals but also bring life and character to the gameplay.
Symbols
The symbols used in this slot machine game can be categorized into two groups: low-value symbols (LVS) and high-value symbols (HVS). The LVS include common card symbols from 9 through Ace, while the HVS consist of six specific items tied to the farming/fowl theme:
- Chick (x2): Represented by Wallace & Gromit’s famous hatching chicks.
- Hen: Pictured as a typical farm hen laying eggs.
The remaining high-value icons are based on characters from the movie ‘Chicken Run’:
- Ginger
- Bunty
- Buck
These HVS symbols offer the highest rewards, with Chick (x2) being the most rewarding at 250 coins for five appearances, while Ginger and other character-based HVS symbols reward up to 500 coins.
Payouts
As is typical in slot machines, payouts are earned based on combinations of three or more matching symbol occurrences from left to right across a single payline. Players should note that the RTP (Return-to-Player) for Chicken Run slots game can vary slightly depending on their jurisdiction, but generally falls between 96% and 97%, providing decent returns.
The highest payout per spin is 2500 coins when five Chick symbols align, with less significant rewards coming from lower combinations of LVS. The payouts are relatively average compared to other slot games, making the overall experience exciting due to its volatility rather than extremely lucrative wins.
Wilds
In Chicken Run slots game, a wild icon represented by Buck is introduced as the substitute symbol for all regular symbols except scatters and bonus icons. While it has no direct monetary value on its own, the presence of the Buck wild can significantly increase chances of winning due to its ability to fill missing pieces in combinations.
Scatters
Scatter symbols are particularly significant in any slot machine game, as they usually award free spins when three or more appear anywhere across the reels. However, Chicken Run slots offer two different scatter icons with distinct roles:
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Aardman (Wild Scatters): Triggers Free Spins Bonus and becomes part of it.
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Scatter Hen: Frees up 10 games in its presence.
Bonus Features
Chicken Run is notable for incorporating multiple bonus features to enhance the player’s experience. They include the following key components:
Free Spins
As mentioned earlier, scatters play a vital role by triggering different free spin rounds depending on their type and how they land. The Scatter Hen icon can activate 10 free games directly when three of it appear anywhere on the reels.
Meanwhile, Aardman scatter (wild scatters) contributes to both Wild Free Spins Bonus and normal scatter-based 10 Free Games with multipliers from three or more.
Wild Free Spins
The Buck wild (Aardman) can activate a bonus feature if players get five on one of their paylines. During the active feature, all six Aardmans on that reel expand into ‘wild’ symbols and serve as substitutes throughout its 10-reel sequence.
However, in line with every slot’s unique twists, for a more thrilling twist – after completion of the wild free spins round or when five scatter icons become visible anywhere at one time – two other features begin:
Free Games with Multipliers
Herein lies another significant component that can significantly amplify earnings: if 5 scatter Hens arrive in an initial sequence without triggering any special functions, then both multipliers increase up to x25 each spin of the ten.
On the opposite end of these multipliers – where wilds expand beyond one reel or become visible outside five paylines within its base games mode (i.e., with regular payouts) on every fifth appearance. However in this slot game that are known as ‘Free Games Feature’.
Infinite Free Spins and Multiplier Unlocking
It’s not a surprise here, but when two of these symbols show up in an initial spin before any wild expansion – ten additional free spins become accessible.
By focusing the player experience, Blueprint has crafted Chicken Run into what feels like countless hours or gaming minutes if the multipliers stack accordingly. Players can choose their coin value and set anywhere from 10p to ££25 a bet.
Volatility
While there are several factors contributing to slot machine volatility, including payout amounts and RTP percentage, it’s evident that Blueprint has pushed for some higher returns via introducing varied payouts and wild symbol usage within Chicken Run. Thus considering the overall experience of playing this game – we can categorize its level as medium-high.
Betting Range
When choosing any betting range in online slots games or casinos across gaming platforms, multiple factors need consideration: one such factor is what you are willing to part with per round/spin and which your selected budget. Here’s how the betting parameters of Chicken Run align:
- Minimum bet = £0.10
- Maximum bet = £25