On June 22, AvatarUX, an online slots developer based in Malta, released PixiePop™, a pixie-themed slot featuring an enchanting forest full of pixies whose main task is to guide players as they travel through magical lands. However, the game is currently available for its direct integration partners and will be released globally at a later date.
In addition, the game is enhanced with the popular PopWins™ game mechanic. But that’s not all, as the new Pay Anywhere Symbol is introduced for the first time, along with the recently introduced XPRESS option available in some jurisdictions.
Enchanting visual:
True to its title, the main theme of the slot is the aforementioned magical pixies. The game takes place in a forest on the coast on a clear starry night. The soundtrack complements the atmosphere of the game, and the game can be played on any device.
To win, players must form a combination of 5 matching symbols in any row, as long as the matching symbols land on at least 3 adjacent reels, beginning on either side of a dynamic 5×3 grid that is equipped with 243 winning ways. However, the default grid size during the base game is 5×3, but players may double the number of winning ways and thus the grid due to the PopWins™ game mechanic, as the game pays on both sides during the base game and Free Spins.
The basic low-value symbols are the shiny 10-A card ranks, while the high-value bonus symbols are the 6 pixies. A combination of five low-value bonus symbols is worth 1x to 1,5x, increasing to 2x to 6x a player’s bet for a combination of five high-value bonus symbols.
The game has high volatility, a theoretical RTP of 96% and a maximum win of 20,000x a player’s bet.
Slot features:
PopWins – after winnings are assessed, each winning symbol “pops” out of the grid and is replaced by 2 new symbols, increasing the height of the reels. This continues till no more wins are created. During the base game, the reels may extend up to 6 positions in height. However, when the reels come to their full height, the popped symbols are replaced with 1 symbol instead of 2.
Pay Anywhere Symbol – shortly before the bonus game begins, one high-paying symbol is rewarded as a “pay anywhere” symbol, which will pay out if 5 or more of them appear on different reels. However, they will provide payment even if they aren’t connected.
Wild Symbol – this one may appear on any reel and replaces any regular paying symbol to trigger wins.
Nudge – this feature randomly appears on the reels, resulting in an enhanced win. In addition, it can nudge a bonus symbol to activate Free Spins in the base game or additional free spins in the bonus game, a symbol to activate a higher reel height, a Pay Anywhere Symbol or a Wild Symbol.
Free Spins – this feature is activated when 3 or more Scatters land on the reels, further leading to:
- 3 Scatters reward 5 to 7 free spins on a 4-row grid;
- 4 Scatters reward 7 to 9 free spins on a 5-row grid;
- 5 Scatters reward 9-11 free spins on a 6-row grid.
Additionally, if the reel reaches a height of 8 rows, an additional 2 free spins are rewarded. This bonus game also includes a win multiplier that grows after every pop and can also be increased if players get a multiplicative multiplier symbol, which multiplies it by x2 or x11, or an additive multiplier, which adds +5 to +50 when a win occurs. Potential multiplier values vary between natural activators or purchased rounds. The win multiplier lasts until the feature ends and adding a Scatter rewards 1, 2, or 3 additional free spins.
A short time before the feature begins, one of the high-value bonus symbols is randomly selected to be the Pay Anywhere Symbol. If 5 of them land, they activate a payout that is increased by the win multiplier. Therefore, landing 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30 and 31-35 Pay Anywhere Symbols rewards 12.5x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 125x, 200x, 400x or 500x the bet, individually.
Bonus Buy – during this feature, players can purchase these bonus rounds:
- Buy Bonus – 5-7 free spins with 1,024 winning ways for 125x the bet;
- Buy Bonus Plus – 7-9 free spins with 3,125 winning ways for 250x the bet;
- Buy Bonus Premium – 9-11 free spins with 7,776 winning ways for 500x the bet;
- Buy Bonus Max – 9-11 free spins with 7,776 winning ways in addition to higher multiplicative and additive multipliers for 1,000x the bet.
Commenting on the launch, Nicola Longmuir, CEO of AvatarUX, said: “PixiePop™ offers a magical journey through an enchanted wilderness as players search for huge wins, while enjoying the latest iteration of the PopWins™ mechanic. We strive to create engaging, immersive titles that build off familiar mechanics while adding new twists, and this is another great example.”