The Chicken Run slot is a farm-themed online casino game developed by Microgaming, one of the pioneers in the gaming industry. The game’s release coincided with the popularity of the animated film "Chicken Run," which served as its inspiration. In this review, we’ll delve into the intricacies of the game, examining its theme, design, symbols, payouts, wilds, scatters, bonus features, free spins, RTP (Return to Player), volatility, betting range, max win, gameplay, mobile playability, and overall player experience.
Theme and Design
The Chicken Run Chicken Run slot is a 5-reel online casino game with three rows of symbols. The game’s theme revolves around farm animals trying to escape from the clutches of their predator, Mrs. Tweedy, played by Mel Gibson in the film adaptation. Players are transported to a rural setting, complete with rolling hills and fields filled with sheep, cows, and other livestock. The slot’s color scheme is bright and vibrant, featuring hues of green, blue, yellow, red, and brown.
The game’s design exudes an animated feel, reminiscent of the 2000 film "Chicken Run" itself. Each symbol on the reels has a distinct animation, adding to the overall visual appeal of the game. The game’s soundtrack is equally engaging, with uplifting background music that complements the lighthearted farm theme.
Symbols
The Chicken Run slot features an assortment of animal symbols, including chickens (high-paying), ducks, pigs, cows, and even a sly fox as the low-paying symbol. Each animal has unique animations when it appears on the reels.
In addition to these animals, players will encounter standard card values like 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, which are designed to fit seamlessly within the farm theme.
Payouts
The Chicken Run slot offers a maximum win of up to £7,500 for each line. The chicken symbol serves as the game’s highest-paying icon and awards players 12 coins when it appears in combination with other high-value symbols on an active payline.
To provide some insight into how much a player can expect from this game, let us consider the payouts:
- Chicken: 2-5 chickens = £60 (25-75x stake)
- Duck: 3-5 ducks = £120 (£50-150x stake)
Players must keep in mind that these are maximum wins per line. When considering real-money bets and various line combinations, players will want to calculate the potential winnings based on their wager.
Wilds
The Wild symbol is represented by a giant chicken named Ginger from the movie. It can appear on any of the five reels, replacing other symbols when it’s part of an active payline. While not providing scatter features, wilds allow for enhanced winning opportunities.
Here are some details about how wilds operate:
- The Wild icon will replace non-high-value bird icons in a combination
- They won’t substitute itself for Scatter or Bonus symbols
Scatters
A barn image serves as the game’s Scatter icon. It is not necessary to get all Scatters on any active payline, making this feature more accessible.
Key details about Scatters:
- 2-5 Scattered Barns trigger free spins
- Additional features become available with higher scatter counts
Bonus Features
Two main bonus features are included in the Chicken Run slot: Free Spins and the "Pick ‘Em" Bonus game. The former awards players up to 15 additional turns for triggering specific Scatter combinations.
When playing this feature, note that:
- With three Scattered Barns, five free spins can be earned
- Players who obtain four or more barn images get rewarded with ten extra turns
In the "Pick ‘Em" Bonus game, which is activated when a Chicken (Cluck Norris) appears on the reels in combination with Mrs. Tweedy, players engage in an animated scene reminiscent of the movie’s finale.
Important details about this bonus round:
- Select one bird among many to trigger additional wins
- These picked birds will then reappear and grant prizes based on their original animation
Free Spins
The Chicken Run slot offers 15 free spins as a reward for triggering specific Scatter combinations. This feature can be earned by collecting either two, three, four or five Scattered barn symbols.
Some details about the Free Spin round:
- Up to fifteen extra rounds of play are granted when meeting requirements
- Reels display stacked Wilds during this bonus mode
RTP and Volatility
Chicken Run has a theoretical Return To Player (RTP) percentage value set at 95.15%. While not extremely high, it is still a fairly generous slot compared to many others available in the market today.
To provide more context about its potential volatility:
- Players can expect relatively low risk while engaging with this game
- There may be periods of short droughts followed by higher wins
Betting Range
In Chicken Run, players have the option to adjust their stake per line from £0.40 up to £20 for each hand.
To break down how much one could win on a particular bet amount and based solely on our maximum paytable values:
- A low-bet gamer with two chickens on an active line can earn around 10 pounds (£40)
- Gamers employing higher bets might gain more money in wins, up to £7,500 per combination
Max Win
As we previously mentioned, the Chicken Run slot has a max win of up to £7,500.
To provide players with context about what is achievable in each bet scenario based on their stake:
- Winning up to 375x bet at most (maximum two chickens times six line combinations)
- With bets as high as twenty pounds, gamers could stand the potential for an average win ranging from thirty to one hundred and fifty per spin.
Gameplay
In summary, gameplay in Chicken Run can be summed up by stating that it offers engaging visuals combined with moderately rewarding payouts. Players will want to consider several factors such as line combinations when attempting high-scoring outcomes:
- This farm-themed slot is simple enough for both beginners or experienced players to use and navigate.
- No excessive time commitments required.
Mobile Play
The game supports mobile playability through either download-based systems (for desktop) on handheld devices. In a more traditional approach, developers provided users with an instant-play solution accessible directly via the browser. Users will discover no significant issues while experiencing it on their device:
- Smooth and responsive performance during gameplay sessions
- Full functionality of in-game controls available