The PopWins series of games from indie developer Avatar UX is really hitting its stride. TikiPop, the fifth installment in the series, is one of the more commercially successful themes to date, alongside arguably its fruitier sibling CherryPop. Tiki-themed fun, including expanding reels, PopWins, multipliers, and free spins awaits us in this Pacific Ocean-set slot.
As is usual with the Tiki aesthetic, Avatar UX has opted for a vivid color scheme. The reels are filled with bright and colorful Tiki symbols, and there is lots of Pacific flora woven throughout the grid. The tunes in TikiPop are equally as upbeat, providing satisfying sound effects whenever a combination is completed or a victory is recorded. During the free spins, the setting changes to a fiery red temple, and the intensity of every aspect of TikiPop is amplified, giving the game a very darker tone. Let it enough to say that TikiPop brings a riot of color to the genre.
Bets range from 20 percent up to $/€50 every spin, so players can get their totem on whatever of the gadget they’re using. So far, PopWins has been all about highly volatile mathematical models, and that’s exactly what we discover here. Wins stack up and the reels explode when it’s on. Meanwhile, the return to player percentage (RTP) of 96.10% is respectable and on par with what comparable PopWin slots have provided.
The PopWins mechanism serves as the range’s centerpiece. When a winning combination appears, the corresponding symbols explode and are replaced by two new symbols, increasing the potential for more wins. This increases the height of the game’s default 5×3 grid to a maximum of 5 rows. If every reel is completely out, your round victory is doubled. Expanding rows, as you would guess, also affect the number of possible chances to win, which go from 243 in the normal game to 3,125 during free spins. Keep in mind that TikiPop is a game that offers payouts in both directions (left to right and right to left), for a total of 486 6,250 possible winning combinations.
All five high-paying symbols are Tiki-themed, with payouts ranging from 2.5 times to 6 times the wager for a full house. The jewel-encrusted Super High is much more costly, paying out 10 times the wager for a full house. At the very bottom of the payout scale are images of the J through A cards in a tribal design. You won’t find a wild card here, but the pay both ways structure and more options will make up for it.
Tiki Pop Slots Bonus Rounds
When 3, 4, or 5 scatters appear anywhere on the reels, the player receives 7, 11, or 15 free games, also known as Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 free spins. A player can wager for extra spins at the beginning of the round. It is possible to risk Level 1 in exchange for Level 2, and Level 2 for Level 3. You have an equal probability of success. But remember, if you lose, you’ll have to start over from the beginning. You may also get free spins and then go right to the bonus if you want to.
When the bonus rounds begin, the grid size and shape is changed, going from 4×4 to 5×5. The bonus goes through a few revisions. One of the most notable is the inclusion of a progressive multiplier, which begins at x1 and increases by x1 with each PopWin, potentially reaching an infinite value. The height of the grid also does not return to normal between turns. As an alternative, it decreases to the lowest possible reel height. Once all 7 spots on all 5 reels have been unlocked, the game will stay at that height for the duration of the round, giving players a total of 33,614 possibilities to win.
In addition, the multiplier doubles to x2 instead of x1 and an additional 2–4 free games are added when all reels are activated. There are several advantages to opening the grid as soon as feasible.
For those who would rather not invest in the game’s foundation, TikiPop offers a bonus purchase. Seven more spins are awarded at 100x the wager, and can be gambled or collected as usual.
Slot Judgment in TikiPop
TikiPop is a worthy addition to the PopWins line, and further proof that the series is thriving. High volatility and large payouts will appeal to the tougher crowd, while the game’s colorful but traditional aesthetic will please the others. It’s hardly the most dangerous or lucrative PopWins animal. While we have yet to see proof of its purported potential, no sequel has come close to matching the original PopRocks in this area.
TikiPop, on the other hand, has a more consistent rhythm, scoring victories at a rate that makes it simple to stay enthused as the series progresses. Another motivation to keep spinning is a bonus game that becomes insane after the whole grid has been unlocked. The bonus game on TikiPop is one of the simpler ones available, and it’s better for it. The pay both ways feature and potentially huge multiplier during free spins are the game’s main selling points. Every win, no matter how little, might feel like a jackpot when the multiplier is growing by +2. The huge possible payout of 32,000 times your bet adds frosting to an already enjoyable game.
Overall, TikiPop is a strong addition to a series that is continually getting better. While the fluorescent aesthetics of TikiPop may be too much for some, those who can see past the gaudiness will find plenty to like in PopWins’ future direction.
Fail to Miss
Try out HippoPop, the sixth slot machine in the PopWins series from developer Avatar UX. During the bonus round, its paylines may increase to a maximum of 65,536 and in the best case scenario it can pay out 48,150 times your initial wager.