Carnival Queen 2 Demo
Carnival Queen 2 Slot Review
Carnival Queen 2 from Thunderkick brings the party back to the streets, bigger, brighter, and wilder than ever before. Take part in the dazzling street festival of Carnival Queen 2, where every spin is part of the celebration.
After joining in the festivities of the original Carnival Queen, we’re eager to see what voodoo magic Thunderkick has conjured up this time. Thunderkick are linked to an array of colourful and rewarding slot releases, but they’ve disappeared from our radar as of late.
Unlike Pragmatic Play, who tend to release its games in quick succession, Thunderkick keeps its fans and followers eagerly awaiting the next big release. Next on the agenda is Carnival Queen 2 – a game that follows on from the original Carnival Queen, with a lot to live up to.
The party/celebration theme is not one we come across often, but when we do, it’s always an unforgettable experience filled with fun, bursts of colour, and pumping sound effects – will Carnival Queen 2 be the life of the party?
With a fixed RTP of 94.18% and a high volatility score, our hearts are thumping to the tune of 25,000x the bet. Without further ado, let’s get into the party spirit and find out what Carnival Queen 2 has in store for us.
Base Game & Features
Carnival Queen 2 is a highly volatile 6-reel video slot from Thunderkick, consisting of 5,040 ways to win at the start of each session. Winning combinations occur when 2-6 identical symbols fall upon reels 1-6, starting from reel 1.
The highest-paying symbol falls to Crowns, followed by character icons and A, K, Q, J, 10, & 9 card suits, with payouts fixed between 0.1x and 10x your bet. Additionally, Wild symbols substitute for all symbols except Scatters.
The Avalanche Feature causes all winning combinations to disappear from view, creating additional space for new symbols to fall in from above. This continues until no new winning combinations are available in the triggering spin.
Each spin can reveal reel heights of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 symbols high, up to a maximum of 117,649 ways to win. Please note that a maximum of 2 Wild symbols can appear on the reels in a single spin.
Exploding Wilds
During gameplay, Wild symbols in view will always explode after each win, but they remain on the reels until the end of the Avalanche Feature.
After this, each available Wild symbol will destroy all other symbol instances on its respective reel, and one random symbol from the remaining reels, unless blocked by a winning or protected symbol.
The reel with the Exploding Wild will increase its current height by +1, up to 7 symbols high, awarding up to 117,649 ways to win in a single game session. Wild explosions and reel upgrades only activate after winning combinations are removed from the reels.
Infinite Multiplier
At the start of each base game spin, an Infinite Multiplier, starting at x1, is active. Each avalanche event causes the Infinite Multiplier to increase by +x1. This continues so long as winning combinations persist within the same spin. At the start of a new spin, the Infinite Multiplier resets to x1.
Carnival Queen 2 Free Spins
The Free Spins mode is triggered when 3 or more Scatters land in the base game, awarding 12 Free Spins plus a further +4 Free Spins for each additional Scatter after the third.
At the start of this mode, the current Infinite Multiplier is carried over and does not reset between spins. Finally, landing 2 or more Scatters awards an additional +3 Free Spins, plus a further +2 Free Spins after the third.
Bonus Buy
Players within permissible and acceptable regions can participate in multiple Bonus Buy options, in addition to several Bet+ Features:
- Bonus Boost: Each spin is 2x more likely to trigger the Free Spins mode for 1.5x your bet (94.21%)
- Bonus Boost Plus: Each spin is 5x more likely to trigger the Free Spins mode for 3x your bet (94.23%)
- Bonus Boost Extreme: Guarantees to trigger the Free Spins mode 1 in every 10 spins for 10x your bet (94.26%)
- Firework Frenzy: Guarantees 1 Wild symbol per spin for 5x your bet (94.23%)
- Bonus: Instant access to the standard Free Spins mode for 100x your bet (94.28%)
- Bonus 2: Triggers the Free Spins mode with a minimum of 10,000 ways to win for 175x your bet (94.31%)
Carnival Queen 2 has a max win potential of 25,000x your bet. If a game mode exceeds this figure, the current mode ends, and the player returns to the base game with the qualifying amount.
Our Honest Verdict
Carnival Queen 2 has all the feels of the original release, with the addition of higher ways to win, Bonus Buy/Bet+ options, and bigger payouts. While the original Carnival Queen was good, it certainly looks tired and weathered in comparison the sequel, which comes at a time when optics are at their best.
Thunderkick has kept the majority of gameplay in sync with the original. Fans of the first release will be pleased to see the return of the Infinite Multiplier and Avalanche feature, albeit they have received some much-needed upgrades to make them all the more appealing.
Each spin begins with 5,040 ways to win as standard, with the opportunity to reveal up to 117,649 ways to win through Avalanches and Exploding Wilds. This upgrade, on its own, is quite rewarding in that you can achieve consecutive winning combinations and bigger payouts as the Infinite Multiplier climbs.
One major difference between the two releases, though, is the Exploding Wilds upgrade, which enables paytable symbols in a specific row, as well as random symbol positions on others, to be removed from play, without the need for an avalanche win.
This particular feature comes in handy when you have 2 Scatters on the reels and you need to create space for a third to potentially drop in. Unlike the majority of slots, this game doesn’t leave you feeling disappointed when you fail to achieve the Free Spins mode, thanks to features such as this one, which keep you engaged for longer.
Although the Free Spins mode utilises the same base game features and mechanics, which we love, it could have benefited from additional tools to make it unique to the base game. What we do appreciate, though, is that the Infinite Multiplier carries over from the base game and persists throughout Free Spins.
Thunderkick has labelled Carnival Queen 2 a high volatility slot with 25,000x your bet in max win potential. While it’s not a huge leap from the original (22,700x) max win cap, it’s one we won’t turn our noses up at.
All in all, Carnival Queen 2 is a solid sequel to an unforgettable favourite from Thunderkick. It’s fun, engaging, and bursting with potential – a true representation of Thunderkick’s prowess on the iGaming market.
*The images found in this slot review are currently from Demo Play. On average, our reviews are written prior to the initial release date and before real play is available.
