Star Pops Slot Game Review: RTP Details & Key Features Explained
Set against a backdrop of clear skies, Star Pops’ 8×8 grid is a joyful sight to behold. It might be all the colourful balloons that cover every inch of the screen or the possibility of landing a max win of 14,165x, but the slot is certainly attractive. Relax Gaming has joined forces with Electric Elephant to bring players this balloon themed adventure, complete with a roster of base game features and free spins to make for a memorable online slot.
Star Pops Features
With a healthy mix of base game mechanics and a sturdy free spins bonus, Electric Elephant has managed to create a dense experience. The floating nature of the balloons is used both as an in-game effect, as well as a bridge to many of the slot’s features. Wins in Star Pops are followed by a Cascade feature that will have new balloons float up to replace the ones that got away. It comes with a multiplier feature that starts at x1 and increases with every cascading win.
The multipliers are divided according to balloon colours, and these are all levelled accordingly. Star Pops’ features work in tandem to connect the base game and free spins in innovative ways which complement each other perfectly.
Star Balloon Wild
Apart from replacing pay symbols to complete winning lines, the Star Balloon Wild also comes with a maximum multiplier of up to 1,000x. The symbols are sticky during the Cascade feature and can move around the grid accordingly. They also serve as the slot’s scatter symbol with 3 of a kind resulting in 7 free spins. During the free spins segment, Star Balloon Wilds are sticky, carrying over their multipliers and resetting them only at the end of the bonus rounds.
Destroyer Balloon
The Destroyer Balloon mechanic can trigger randomly after a non-win spin or a cascade. A symbol gets randomly picked and gets destroyed, taking with it a double diagonal line of symbols. Think of the Destroyer Balloon as the centre of an X shape that gets destroyed on the grid. A cascade automatically triggers, opening the door for additional wins.
Buy Feature
Players can opt straight into free spins thanks to the Buy feature. For the price of 100x, players can access the bonus directly and reduce RTP from 96.59% to 96.52%. The RTP is pretty odd, yet it comes with the buy feature nonetheless.
Star Pops Free Spins and Bonus
Free Spins are activated via 3 Star Balloon Wilds, awarding players 7 bonus rounds. During bonus play, all existing multipliers are carried on and remain in play until the end of free spins. Wild symbols are sticky in free spins and remain so for the duration of the bonus too.
Star Pops Theme and Symbols
Initially, Star Pops’ theme can be quite endearing, resembling a Candy Crush style of game. Animations are subtle and enjoyable, yet after a while, you realise that nothing much ever changes on the reels and the whole ordeal can get quite boring really soon. Still, it’s a fair presentation, with visuals, animations and sound that uphold the provider’s high standard of quality.
Star Pops RTP & Volatility
An RTP of 96.59% falls in line with what similar slots tend to offer. Yet despite its pretty visuals, players must bear in mind that Star Pops is a highly volatile slot and as such wins will be quite infrequent. An odd modification with the RTP happens when the Buy feature is activated. Generally, these kinds of features increase your RTP, but this time round, Star Pops decides to go the other way, reducing the value instead. The buy feature will set the RTP back to 96.52%. Not that big of a change, but it still raises a few questions.
How to Play Star Pops
With 8 rows and 8 reels to form its grid, Star Pops is full of life and colour with wins being paid out using a Cluster Pays system. To play, simply select your preferred bet from €0.20 to €50 and press the spin button to watch the reels unfold. All of the slot’s instructions and information are available in-game and an auto-play function has also been included – but always be wary of your budget.
Slotsia’s Review
With colourful visuals and a host of varied features, Star Pops manages to hit its mark, offering players a great ride throughout both the base game and free spins. It represents another intriguing modern slot from Relax Gaming.
Maximum win potential of 14,165x
Base game multipliers that combine and transfer to free spins
A multi-functional wild symbol with a multiplier of up to 1,000x
Presentation is a bit unimaginative
