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6 August 2024 
Dropz Slot Demo Gameplay
Dropz Slot Review 2024
We’re in for a sweet treat in ELK Studios latest release where we can overindulge in everything Candyland has to offer, in Dropz!
One lucky little mouse has found the secret entrance to Candyland! Join this little guy in an epic adventure and try your luck on the Dropz machine which dispenses sweet caramels and candied fruits. No need to rush for that sugar fix because in Candyland, the Dropz machine pays out generously and the sweet treats never run out.
ELK Studios is joining Providers like Hacksaw Gaming and Pragmatic Play as they dive into the world of sugary treats and chocolatey goodies, but will Dropz hit our sweet spot like Sugar Rush and Tasty Treats does?
It’s a rare occasion when ELK Studios step away from their beloved Toro, Nitropolis and Gold series, but when they do, it’s always interesting. A great example of this is Phoenix Graveyard which shows ELK Studios’ darker side and delivers plenty of action through its many features.
Given the confectionary theme, the background shows every sweet-tooths dream with sticky pancake hills, donut mountains and a gloriously gooey stream. Although the theme is rather unhealthy, ELK Studios has thrown in a few fruit symbols for good measure.
Will Dropz play as good as it looks? Let’s play on and find out!
Dropz Base Game and Features
Dropz is a 6 reel slot with up to 262,144 ways to win. In order to form winning combinations, you will need to land 3 or more of the same symbol type from left to right, starting from the left-most reel.
During gameplay, only 3 symbol positions per reel will be unlocked and the remaining 3 will be blocked by Chocolate Squares, which can be unlocked during any Cascade. If any chocolate squares that are removed happen to unlock a Special symbol or Feature, it will automatically trigger.
The minimum bet available here is £/€0.20 per spin and the maximum bet available is £/€100 per spin, with a small selection of betting options in between the two. Dropz has a theoretical RTP of 94.00% and a maximum win capacity of 25,000x.
Dropz features Cascading Reels. Each time a winning combination is formed, all winning symbols will be removed from the reels and new symbols will drop down from above, filling all the empty reel positions. Once a cascade occurs, there is a chance that more winning combinations will form.
In terms of symbols, the highest paying regular symbol in Dropz is the Liquorice 7, followed by Strawberries, Apples, Grapes and Lemons. Low-paying symbols fall to a collection of Red, Green, Blue and Yellow hard-boiled Sweets, which all share the same pay value. There is also a Wild symbol present which substitutes for all High and Low-paying symbols.
Special Symbols & Levels
As mentioned above, the reel set starts off with 3 symbol positions unlocked per reel and the remaining positions are blocked by Chocolate Squares. Certain chocolate squares are covering Special Symbols which can be unlocked through the help of a Cascade.
There are 4 special symbols available to unlock, these are as follows.
- Dropz – Awards between 1 and 2 extra Drops.
- Wild symbols – Any regular wild symbol that is unlocked will count towards any winning combinations and then removed.
- Locked wild – Once unlocked, the Locked Wild symbol will stay on the reels and last for 3 wins.
- Level up – Triggers the next level with more rows.
Another symbol that is locked in what looks like Caramel is the Bonus Scatter. This can also be unlocked through the help of a Cascade which is then collected and stored above the reel set during that paritcular spin.
Looking further into Levels, Dropz has 3 levels available with expanding rows. The base game will always start off on Level 1 and unlocking a Level Up symbol will upgrade you to the next available level.
- Level 1 – 6 Rows available with only 3 rows in play and the remaining 3 blocked by Chocolate Squares.
- Level 2 – 7 Rows available with only 3 rows in play and the remaining 4 rows blocked by Chocolate Squares.
- Level 3 – 8 Rows available with only 3 rows in play and the remaining 5 rows blocked by Chocolate Squares.
All current Multipliers, Pair-matching meter progression and collected bonus Scatters at the time of levelling up will be carried over to your new Level.
Symbol Pairs & Multipliers
In the top right corner of the reel set sits a Pair-Matching meter, revealing 2 random symbols from the paytable and a starting Multiplier of x1.
During gameplay, when the pair-matching symbols appear on the reels adjacent to each other, they will come together and be collected and stored in the Pair-matching Meter. The good news is that the paired symbols can still contribute towards a winning combination.
Once the paired symbols have come together and all wins have been paid, they will explode and be removed from the reels. Symbols above and below the paired symbols (including Chocolate Squares) will also explode, except for Wilds.
Once the pair-matching Meter is full, the respective Multiplier value will be applied to the current Multiplier. Each time a winning combination is formed with the new Multiplier value, all subsequent wins will be automatically multiplied by this value. Once no more wins or Cascades occur, the Multiplier will reset back to x1 for the next spin.
Dropz Free Spins
Collecting 3 Scatter symbols above the reel set during the base game, triggers the Free Spins round, awarding 5 Free Dropz. Once active, the Free Spins round is played out on the Level 3 reel set, with only 3 rows active and the remaining 5 blocked by Chocolate Squares.
During this round, the Chocolate Squares do not regenerate between spins and Special symbols are present within the squares. In addition to this, Wild symbols remain between Free Dropz until fully used and there is no available level progression during this round.
Dropz X-iter
Dropz is another to feature ELK Studios famous X-iter Bonus Buy, but this option is only available to those outside the UK. Here you will be granted 5 Bonus Buy options, as follows.
- Super Bonus – Guarantees the Super Bonus with a starting Win Multiplier of x10. This option will cost a total of 500x your current bet.
- Buy Bonus – Guarantees the Bonus round for a total cost of 100x your current bet.
- Locked Wilds – Awards 3 active Locked Wilds in the first drop for a total cost of 25x your current bet.
- Feature Crescendo – Awards more Features or ‘7’ symbols across the reels for a total cost of 5x your current bet.
- Bonus Hunt – Doubles your chance of triggering the Bonus round by dropping in more Scatters. This option will cost a total of 2x your current bet.
Dropz: Our Verdict
Is Dropz a Candy Crush game for adults? Quite possibly. It’s certainly sweet, but we beware of a few frustrations that may leave a sour taste in your mouth.
A fair amount of momentum is needed if you’re to see Dropz at its full potential, so you’ll be hoping for a fair amount of luck along the way. Without the consecutive wins, you’ll be back to where you started, which can be a little annoying. Games like this are certainly interesting in the way that they play with different features to keep things rolling, yet they’re up there as some of the games that can send you off the edge.
If you do get to see Dropz in full swing, then you’ll appreciate a multitude of exciting and meticulous features built just for Dropz, and you’ll certainly appreciate the level of ingenuity behind it.
in terms of potential, Dropz actually looks pretty insane. 25,000x is the highest available win, and the mind boggles at what sort of insanity you’d need in order to see it.
Overall, Dropz isn’t quite an ELK classic or even a favourite of ours, but it’s another to showcase their skills in creating an interesting experience for players.
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