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24 July 2024 
CritterPop Slot Review 2024
CritterPop from Avatar UX continues the long-running PopWins series with other-wrodly visuals with enchanting gameplay to match.
CritterPop is the thirteenth instalment in the PopWins series, yet Avatar UX are finding ways to keep it fresh, but is CritterPop another to push the boundaries of the PopWins mechanic? or is it feeling a little stale after so many instalments?
Some may argue that the PopWins series has had its day, and that Avatar UX should move onto new horizons with other games.
Perhaps even Avatar UX themselves think this way. After all, their upcoming slot Zombie aPOPalypse features a new MultiPop mechanic. CritterPop could well be the final PopWins slot, but will it go out with a bang?
Let’s travel to a world unlike our own to explore the nebulas of the ethereal CritterPop
CritterPop Base Game and Features
CritterPop is a 5 reel slot with up to 65,536 ways to win. Winning combinations are formed when 3 or more of the same symbol type land from left to right or right to left on adjacent reels, starting from the left-most or right-most reel.
The minimum bet available here is £/€0.20 per spin and the maximum bet available is £/€100 per spin, with plenty of other options in between the two. CritterPop has a theoretical RTP of 96.1% and a maximum win capacity of 20,000x.
Sticking to tradition, AvatarUX are putting their PopWins mechanic to the test once again. Each time a winning combination is formed, all winning symbols will ‘pop’ and disappear from the reels. All empty symbol positions will be replaced by 2 new symbols, increasing the reel height.
The reels will continue to expand as long as there is winning combinations present on the reels, up to 6 symbols in the base game and 8 symbols in the Free Spins round.
In terms of symbols, the highest paying regular symbol in CritterPop is the Mammoth, followed by the Tiger, Fox, Owl, Bird and Frog. Low-paying symbols are standard Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten. There is also a Wild symbol present in the Free Spins round which substitutes for all other symbols except Scatters.
Ante Bet
Before you can begin spinning, you will have the option to activate the Ante Bet feature at the bottom right of the screen.
Activating the Ante Bet increases your current bet by 25% but with that comes a certain benefit. Once the Ante Bet feature is active, you will Double your chances of entering the Free Spins round.
Base Game Unlock
Another nice touch from AvatarUX is the Base Game Unlock feature.
During the base game, if you manage to fully expand all 5 reels to maximum capacity, you will be awarded 2 Free Spins on the fully expanded reel set.
CritterPop Free Spins
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Scatters across the reels triggers the Free Spins round, awarding 2,048, 6,250 and 15,552 starting ways to win respectively.
Before Free Spins can begin, you will be met with a Rewards Reels feature which determines your set-up for the bonus round.
Rewards Reels
During the Rewards Reels feature, you will be awarded 1 Spin which will randomly draw various rewards. These are as follows.
- +1, +2 or +3 additional Free Spins.
- A higher starting Multiplier of either x1, x2 or x3.
- Multiplier growth of +x1 or +x2.
- Random mega symbols in a 2×2 size.
- Random giga symbols in a 3×3 size.
- Random wilds.
- High-paying symbol Multipliers of x1, x2 or x3.
Once the Rewards Reel has determined your set-up, the Free Spins round can begin.
Each time a winning combination is formed, the starting Multiplier will increase by +1 each time and does not reset between spins.
During Free Spins, all 5 reels will not reset to their original starting size but will shrink down to the shortest reel height instead. If all the reels become fully expanded during this round, an additional +2 Free Spins and a x2 Multiplier is awarded. The fully expanded reels will remain at that height for the duration of Free Spins.
CritterPop Bonus Buy
For those outside the UK you may benefit from a Bonus Buy option.
AvatarUX has granted players access to the Free Spins round with 3 options to choose from as follows.
- Bonus 1 – 2,048+ Ways to win for a total cost of 125x your current bet.
- Bonus Plus – 6,250+ Ways to win for a total cost of 250x your current bet.
- Bonus Max – 15,552+ Ways to win for a total cost of 500x your current bet.
CritterPop: Our Verdict
Many PopWins slots in the past failed to distinguish themselves as a stand-out instalment, but we think CritterPop does well in displaying how different the PopWins series can be with a little imagination.
The Reward Reels sets the stage for something unlike anything you’ve seen from PopWins before with an almost Millionaire Rush feel to it. The Reward Reels is capable of bestowing high paying symbol multipliers, Mega Symbols, Random Wilds and much more, which makes CritterPop an interesting and exciting experience.
CritterPop is thematically different from what we’ve seen before too. It’s almost non-sensical to include earthly creatures in an other-wordly environment with an etheric chic, yet it works. CritterPop is seemingly interesting at every turn, but does the stats back it up as one of the better choices for PopWins enthusiasts?
Avatar UX has boasted of bold potential in past games. PopRocks said it was capable of 72,188x, but I don’t think anyone ever saw it.
CritterPop is definitely out of this world, but it’s more down to earth with its winning capabilities. 20,000x is the maximum value here, which is by no means small, and if anything we prefer a more realistic value.
Overall, we’re not sure if CritterPop is the last of the PopWins slots, but if it is, then CritterPop is quite a send off for the series.
Welcome Bonus
