The "Chicken Run" casino slot is a theme-based game developed by Microgaming, one of the leading online gaming software providers. The game’s storyline revolves around the Aardman Animations film, where a group of chickens hatch an elaborate escape plan to save their lives from the sinister farmer, Mrs. Tweedy.
Theme and Design
Upon launching the game, players are immediately immersed in the charming animation style reminiscent of the 2000 live-action/animated comedy film. The background graphics feature a picturesque countryside scene with rolling hills, fields, and a farmhouse, setting the tone for an entertaining experience. The game’s interface Chicken Run is user-friendly, making it accessible to both experienced gamers and new players alike.
The game’s layout consists of five reels, three rows, and 243 ways to win, offering numerous opportunities to form winning combinations. Symbols are cleverly designed to match the farmyard theme, featuring various animals such as chickens, ducks, cows, horses, pigs, and dogs. Each symbol has a unique animation effect when part of a winning combination.
Symbols
The high-paying symbols in "Chicken Run" include:
- Farmer’s Daughter : This 10-payline symbol rewards the player with up to 30x their total stake for five appearances.
- Fowl Friends (Chickens) : Five of these birds can award a maximum payout of 20 times the player’s bet amount.
- Other Farm Animals (Ducks, Cows, Horses, Pigs, and Dogs) : Each animal has its respective payouts ranging from 5x to 10x for five matching symbols.
Payouts
The slot offers a relatively standard payout structure with low-to-medium volatility. The highest paying symbol is the Farmer’s Daughter, which can reward up to 30 times the player’s total stake for five appearances on adjacent reels (1-3 or 2-4).
- Farmer’s Daughter : Up to 30x (5 of a kind)
- Fowl Friends (Chickens) : Up to 20x
- Other Farm Animals :
- Duck: up to 15x
- Cow, Horse, Pig, and Dog: up to 10x
The payouts are calculated based on the player’s stake value. To illustrate this:
Suppose a player places a bet of £0.30 (3 coins). If five Farmer’s Daughter symbols appear in an adjacent combination, they would receive £9.
Wilds
In "Chicken Run", the Wild symbol is represented by Mrs. Tweedy herself. She substitutes for all other high-paying and standard symbols to help create more winning combinations. When part of a payout, the wild will expand vertically to cover a full reel (up to 5 positions), enhancing potential winnings.
Scatters
The Scatter icon in this game features a miniature airplane. To trigger free spins, at least two Scattered airplanes must appear anywhere on reels 1 and 2 within a single spin. Two airplane scatters reward five free spins with a multiplier of x2, three award eight free games with a x3 multiplier.
Three or more scattered airplanes trigger the "Big Win" feature:
- Free Spins : At least two Scattered airplanes must appear in reels 1 and 2 for an instant 10 spin free game session (4 to 20 spins).
- Multiplier Bonus : When at least three scatters are on display, they award a multiplier of x15.
- Bonus Guarantee : Four scattered planes on the board guarantee that one will reappear as part of a subsequent five-spin set.
Free Spins
The free spin bonus game features up to 20 free spins with an expanding Wild. If two Scattered airplanes appear anywhere in reels 1 and 2, the player receives:
- 5 Free Spins : x2 Multiplier
- 8 Free Spins : x3 Multiplier
Each consecutive appearance increases by a certain multiplier:
RTP & Volatility
The theoretical Return-to-Player (RTP) value of "Chicken Run" is around 96.00%. However, considering the medium-low volatility nature and potential free spins with expanding wilds, players can expect substantial returns relative to their stakes.
Betting Range
Players have various options for customizing their bets using coins from £0.01 up to £2 each (bet range: £0.30-£100). Adjusting coin values allows for more precise control over betting amounts and helps fine-tune gameplay strategies.
Max Win & Top Prize
The top prize is 400,000 credits, which should provide enough entertainment for enthusiastic slot players looking to take their gaming experience up a notch.
Gameplay Experience
Loading the game, it takes approximately three seconds. The animation transitions are fluid and seamlessly integrated with sound effects creating an engaging immersive environment. It’s not too jarring or over-the-top in terms of visuals or audio cues.
To illustrate gameplay mechanics let us have an example:
A player chooses to place a bet of £0.30 (3 coins) and selects the medium stake value (£1 coin). If they land five matching "Fowl Friends" on adjacent reels, their winnings would be calculated as follows: (5 birds × 20x payout × £1 per credit)
The calculation would result in an award worth a significant sum.
Mobile Play
The game is available for play on mobile devices using HTML5 technology. The responsive design enables smooth and seamless gameplay experience across various screen sizes, platforms (iOS & Android), making it accessible to players with diverse backgrounds.
Player Experience Review
To summarize the slot’s mechanics, overall analysis, key features, betting options, free spins bonus potential, RTP volatility level based on what we’ve seen in-game.
