CritterPop™ Slot

Inspired by the wonder and beauty of space, CritterPop™ is among AvatarUX’s most enchanting slot games. The game is an AvatarUX slot through and through, given the presence of the developer’s iconic PopWins™ feature and the plethora of extra mechanics that can be activated during gameplay.

The slot’s RTP of 96.14% is a bit higher than the industry average, which is always a welcome sight, and the game can feature up to 65,536 ways to win. Suffice it to say, players will have plenty of opportunities to score lucrative wins, and the maximum possible win if 20,000x the player’s bet is more than enough encouragement for many a gambling enthusiast.

CritterPop™ Slot Summary
Game Provider: AvatarUX	Release Date: 2022
Game Type: Video Slot	Theme(s): Animals, Space
Reels: 5	Wild Symbols: Yes
Rows: 8	Scatters: Yes
Paylines: 65,536 ways to win	Free Spins: Yes
Payout/RTP: 96.14%	Bonus Game: No
Volatility Level: High	Progressive Jackpot: No
Min Bet: 0.2	Autoplay: Yes
Max Bet: 100	Max Win: 20000x

CritterPop™ Theme

CritterPop’s stunning backdrop gives gambling mavens a good idea of what is to come when they open the game for the time. The main CritterPop™ aesthetic is centered around outer space, as is evident by the space-themed menus and many of the icons. Furthermore, the slot’s soundtrack is a perfect fit for a game with a sci-fi setting, with its futuristic beats, synth sound effects, and epic choir that can be heard during the Free Spins feature.

There is an aspect that defies expectations when it comes to the space setting, and it is the game’s animal symbols, or critters, as we are inclined to call them, given the slot’s name. Essentially, the most generous CritterPop™ symbols feature art depicting various animals, although the colors and shading make them look otherworldly. All of these celestial creatures seem to be emerging from a portal in space, which further leads us to believe that these animals are anything but ordinary.

How CritterPop™ Compares to Other Slot Games

Experienced gaming enthusiasts have likely run across slots that are set in outer space or that feature an animal-inspired theme with artwork of various wildlife creatures. These themes are not typically combined, however, and yet AvatarUX has decided to do just that—together with the space aesthetic, the CritterPop’s mystical-looking animal illustrations make for quite the unique visual experience for CritterPop™ players.

Of course, the graphics are not the slot’s one distinctive aspect. The game’s PopWins™ mechanic, for example, can only be found in other AvatarUX titles and nowhere else. The fact that the free spins feature is accompanied by plenty of extra bonus mechanics also serves to make spinning the reels feel quite novel.

More similar slots:

• Blobsters Clusterbuster by Red Tiger Gaming
• Elements: The Awakening by NetEnt
• HelioPOPolis™ by AvatarUX
• Buffalo Coin: Hold The Spin by Gamzix

CritterPop™ Symbols and Payouts

If you are an AvatarUX fan and familiar with their other slot titles, you will not be surprised to learn that CritterPop™ has a potential 65,536 ways to win. Three copies of a symbol are needed for a group of icons to form a win, provided the said identical symbols are located on adjacent reels. What is more, the subsequent series of icons needs to start from either the leftmost or the rightmost reel.

The starting number of ways in the base game is 486, while Free Spins can commence with starting ways of between 2048 and 15,552, depending on how many Bonus icons trigger the Free Spins mechanic. The ways are increased further via the PopWins™ feature, which creates additional cells on the game’s reels when a player lands wins.

There are two types of paying symbols in CritterPop™. The first one features ethereal illustrations of various critters, and the Golden Mammoth has payouts ranging between 1.5x and 6x the player’s bet, which means that it is the best-paying icon in the entire game. The rest of the critter icons are also designated as high-paying, although their payouts are not as good as the Golden Mammoth’s rewards. CritterPop’s second icon set comprises the game’s low-paying icons, and stylized card values Ten through Ace serve as the symbols’ artwork.

Bonus Features Overview

CritterPop’s dazzling artwork is not the only aspect of the game players will marvel at. Slots buffs will have the opportunity to be treated to a myriad of interesting bonus mechanics whenever they play CritterPop™, and the game’s entertainment factor is through the roof. PopWins™ is present, as is the case with most of AvatarUX’s top slots and free spins that can include plenty of extra goodies.

If the thought of winning the Free Spins feature sounds exciting, but you are not looking forward to waiting a while before you are able to access it via RNG, the developers behind CritterPop™ have got you covered. You can choose to double your chances of triggering the free spins mode by placing an Ante Bet worth 0.25x your base wager.

Alternatively, if you wish for a certain way to enter the free spins, you can look into the Buy Bonus options. The first one costs your wager times 125, and it comes with 2048 ways, and you are granted a random prize from the Rewards Reel. Then there is the Buy Bonus Plus option. For 250x your bet, you will begin the Free Spins mechanic with 6250 ways and improved rewards. Last but certainly not least, purchasing the Buy Bonus Max for 500x your bet will net you 15,552 ways and the best of what the Rewards Reel has to offer.

Wilds and Scatters

CritterPop™ has two symbols that have unique functions. The first one is the Bonus, that is, the Scatter, and landing between three and five Scatters teleports players to the Free Spins feature.

CritterPop’s complimentary spins are special in plenty of ways, of which a notable one is the presence of the Wild, the game’s second special symbol. Any Wild that lands on the reels plays the role of a substitute for the rest of the icons, excluding the Scatter.

Visually, both of the icons are a bit abstract, and both seem to convey an animated ball of energy. The Wild resembles a black hole, which is quite fitting given the game’s celestial theme.

PopWins™

AvatarUX games are in high demand among passionate casino devotees thanks to the developer’s unique features. CritterPop™ also boasts the signature AvatarUX mechanic PopWins™.

PopWins™ activates each time a series of identical symbols succeed in forming a win. Each participating symbol then “pops”, leaving an empty cell that splits and makes the reel taller. Finally, new icons land on each pair of cells.

The mechanic can be re-triggered so long as the new symbols continue to achieve winning combinations, and a given pop-round ends once no more wins are scored. The slot layout can reach a six-row height during the base game, and base game reels default to their original height between PopWins™ instances. During free spins, however, the reals adjust so that they are as tall as the shortest reel, and the slot grid can reach the height of eight symbols. Essentially, if a player ends a pop-round with one reel that has the height of seven rows and four reels that are eight icons high, the end of the PopWins™ instance will reset the height of the said four reels to seven icons.

Free Spins

CritterPop’s Free Spins feature comes with an initial number of five complimentary games and a starting multiplier of x1 that increases with each win. It is important to mention that the number of Scatters which trigger the Free Spins feature is also relevant, as it affects the number of starting ways:

• 3 Scatter Symbols – 2048 Starting Ways
• 4 Scatter Symbols – 6250 Starting Ways
• 5 Scatter Symbols – 15,552 Starting Ways

The Free Spins feature has plenty of extra bonuses in store for gaming mavens. The type and size of the said prizes are determined during the Rewards Reels phase, which is activated before the complimentary spins commence. Players are granted one Rewards Reels spin, and there are several types of goodies that can be granted. The first possible prize involves free games, and players can win between one and three additional spins that are free of charge.

A Starting Multiplier of x1, x2, or x3 is another possible reward, as is a Multiplier Growth prize of +x1 or +x2. The latter affects the growth of the multiplier when a win is achieved. Then we have Mega Symbols, which are icons that cover four cells on the slot grid. Giga Symbols are another possibility, and these icons are 3×3 in size. Random Wilds and High Symbol Multipliers (1x, 2x, or 3x) and the final potential rewards.

Once the Rewards Reels mechanic is done and a player is granted their gifts, they are taken to the Free Spins feature where the free spins will be spun. As established, the PopWins™ mechanic is different during this feature, seeing as the layout size can grow to be 8×5 and progress between pop-rounds is not reset fully. When the height of all Free Spins reels reaches eight symbols, a reward of two additional complimentary games and an +x2 Multiplier Growth prize are granted. Speaking of which, we should mention that if the slot grid’s size reaches 6×5 during the base game, the player receives two free games.

Multipliers

All Free Spins instances have a starting multiplier of x1, and the said starting multiplier can potentially be made larger via the Rewards Reels from the beginning. The possible additional multiplier values can be x1, x2, or x3. Players will be pleased to learn that more than one multiplier reward may land during the Rewards Reels spin.

By default, the multiplier is also increased by x1 each time a win is scored while the complimentary games are underway. This increase can be larger, however, which is possible via the Multiplier Growth rewards (+x1 or +x2) that can land during the Rewards Reels segment. For example, if you get an +x2 multiplier prize, each win during a complimentary spin will increase the multiplier by x3 as opposed to x1. Additionally, the multiplier will stay as is or continue to become larger until the end of the Free Spins. The final Reward Reels prize that comes in the form of multipliers affects specific high-paying icons, which can gain an additional multiplier of x1, x2, or x3.

Pros & Cons of CritterPop™

✅ What We Like about CritterPop™

• The PopWins™ mechanic makes wins more rewarding
• The slot’s theme is unique
• CritterPop™ has a Free Spins feature

❌ What We Dislike about CritterPop™

• The slot’s high volatility can result in a long string of losses
• Wilds can only land during the Free Spins feature
• Buy Bonus is pretty costly

CritterPop™ FAQs

• What is the maximum bet size I can wager with?
• CritterPop’s bet range gives gamblers the option to bet up to €100 per spin. Do take care to not enable the autospin feature if you do not wish to wager this much on multiple spins, however, since autospin always wager with the bet that initiated that instance of autospin.
• Is CritterPop™ a slot that can be played on a smartphone?
• Yes, CritterPop™ is mobile-friendly. The game is compatible with a variety of smartphone browser apps, with Chrome and Firefox being the most notable examples. Moreover, the game will run effortlessly on both iOS and Android devices.
• Does the PopWins™ mechanic disappear during complimentary games?
• No, PopWins™ is still available while the Free Spins feature is active. In fact, the free spins PopWins™ mechanic is actually an improved version of the one in the base game. This is due to how making the reels taller is easier, thanks to the fact that the layout will snap to fit the height of the shortest reel present, as opposed to returning to its original height.

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