Candy Glyph Slot Review 2024
Swedish software house Quickspin has dusted off its trademark suite of features for another outing with the release of Candy Glyph!
Previously, we’d been whisked to the hallowed plains of Ancient Egypt to partake in some cluster-playing fun where Power Wilds and a fistful of Power-Up Features were central to the action.
Well, purists may be saddened to hear that the newest Glyph installment is for all intents and purposes a clone of the former Quickspin Glyph entry, with towering statues and imposing monuments replaced by an assortment of bright candy, sombrero-wearing cacti, and pinatas, set among a Mexican-inspired, whimsical fantasy world.
It’s aesthetically pleasing enough – a picture not uncommon in the industry but one that has been meticulously executed in typical Quickspin fashion. Fans of cult favourite Candy Crush and the like should feel right at home with what the developer has cooked up for its latest release.
Candy Glyph Base Game & Features
Scored as medium volatile by its creator, Candy Glyph’s action unfolds over a 7×7 game matrix that sees 49 symbols tumble in upon hitting spin. Candies in a variety of colours make up the game’s paying symbols, yielding payouts maxing out at 250 times the wager for winning combinations of 15 symbols or more.
Wilds have various roles to play in Candy Glyph, starting with the regular type that steps in for all symbols bar Power Wilds or Pinata Glyph Wilds to help pull regular cluster wins together. Symbols forming part of a win vanish from the grid, prompting a new batch to drop in from on high, with the process continuing in this way for each subsequent successful cascade.
Power Wild
After winning symbols have been removed from the grid, a Power Wild occupies one of their vacant spaces before the ensuing cascade. Power Wilds carry the same values as regular wilds, but when this variant is part of a win, a Power-Up sat to the side of the reels is triggered. More about each of those below. On a final note, whenever the Free Spins Power-Up is brought into play, all unused Power-Ups are converted into wild symbols.
Power-Up Feature
Before each spin, you’ll notice a total of 5 randomly chosen Power-Ups framed in a bar beside the reels, with the last Power-Up always Free Spins. One of the following Power-Ups is then unlocked if Power Wilds are used in a win. After a base game tumble sequence, activated Power-Ups enter play sequentially according to the order in which they were triggered.
Here’s what each is capable of:
- Bonbon Bomb – the Bonbon Wild explodes symbols belonging to its row and column, with each removed symbol awarding the equivalent of 1/20 your wager level.
- Lollipop Rocket – this Power-Up selects a low-paying symbol at random and all instances of that symbol are then removed, each affected symbol paying out the value of 1/20 the bet.
- Bouncy Bean – watch as the Bouncy Bean injects between 4 and 10 random wilds onto the reels.
- Bonus Pinata – 9 Free Spins are granted when the Bonus Pinata is activated. Free Spins are explained in the next section
Candy Glyph: Free Spins
A starting haul of 9 Free Spins is yours for triggering the Bonus Pinata Power-Up. Now, once the round gets underway, a Pinata Glyph Wild is placed in a randomly chosen position.
The Pinata Glyph Wild comes with a multiplier value beginning at 1x and rising by 1x upon every winning cluster involving a Pinata. It also serves a dual role of symbol substitution just like any other regular symbol.
What’s more, Pinata Wilds remain on the grid throughout Free Spins with their value continuing to rise progressively up to a ceiling of 99x, taking up a new location on each spin. On a final note, an additional 3 spins are granted for each activation while the round is in play.
Conclusion
From a technical perspective, there’s nothing here that hasn’t been seen before since, as mentioned, Candy Glyph is little more than a reskin effort that’s been given a vibrant makeover with a lively soundtrack to match. For those undeterred by the game’s copycat status, then this entry is another playable, entertaining creation that makes use of classic Quickspin features to good effect.
The quintet of Power-Up modifiers all bring something unique to the table, highlighted by a roaming wild in Free Spins with the added benefit of a progressive multiplier bolted on as an extra sweetener. Max win, at 13,185x the stake remains the same as before, representing solid value for players seeking a feature-rich, cluster pays release dressed in a popular theme.
Not the studio’s most innovative release since the underlying numbers are unchanged. That said, if you’re up for some pinata-bashing while chasing down a sizable top payout, then Candy Glyph represents a worthy addition to the growing pile of candy-filled slots on the market.
It really just comes down to personal preference: pyramids or pinatas?