The Chicken Road slot machine is a game developed by Playtech, a renowned gaming software company known for its innovative and engaging slots. Released in 2015, this five-reel, twenty-payline video slot has captured the attention of players worldwide with its unique theme and exciting gameplay features.
Theme Chicken Road and Design
Chicken Road is set in rural countryside, where a group of farm animals are on their way to reach the promised land. The game’s background depicts a serene landscape of rolling hills, fields, and villages, while the reels themselves feature cartoon-style illustrations of chickens, eggs, and other farm-themed symbols.
The overall design of Chicken Road is colorful and whimsical, with intricate details that make each symbol look unique and interesting. The sound effects are also noteworthy, as they accurately capture the sounds of nature, such as chirping birds and clucking chickens, adding to the immersive experience.
Symbols
As mentioned earlier, the symbols in Chicken Road are farm-themed and include:
- Low-paying symbols: Ace (A), King (K), Queen (Q), Jack (J)
- Medium-paying symbols:
- Hen
- Egg-laying hen
- Farmer’s hat
- Scarecrow
- Barn door
- High-paying symbols:
- Golden egg-laying hen
- Chicken and egg combo
Each symbol has its own payout structure, with the golden chicken-egg combination being the most rewarding, paying up to 1,000 coins for a five-of-a-kind combination.
Payouts
Chicken Road offers payouts in both directions – left-to-right (L2R) and right-to-left (R2L). The base game pays between x1x to x10x of the player’s initial bet. For example, landing three scatters awards 20 free spins with a multiplier value ranging from 5 to 100.
Wilds
The wild symbol in Chicken Road is represented by the ‘Farmers’ Hat’ logo and substitutes for all symbols except the scatter (Scarecrow). When multiple Wilds appear on adjacent reels, they will expand and cover entire reels. The expanding Wild can also trigger a free spin round when it appears on reel 5.
Scatters
The Scarecrow serves as both wild and scatter in Chicken Road. Landing two or more scatters triggers the Bonus game feature. There is no separate Scatter bonus; instead, the Free Spins mode begins immediately upon landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere in view.
Bonus Features
Chicken Road offers a free spins round that can be activated by:
- Free Spins : Three Scarecrow scatter symbols award 20 initial spins.
- Multipliers and Bonuses : These are awarded randomly during the Free Spin mode, ranging from x5 to x100 multiplier values.
The Bonus feature also includes ‘Fowl Play’, which replaces a random symbol (except wild/scatter) with an additional Wild on each spin until three wild symbols have accumulated.
Free Spins
As mentioned above, landing three Scarecrows triggers the Free Spin round. This 20-spins mode can be retriggered upon landing two or more scatter symbols within those spins. The Bonus round also includes Multipliers and Fowl Play (replacing a symbol with an additional Wild).
RTP and Volatility
Chicken Road’s Return to Player percentage is around 96%, indicating relatively high payouts. Its volatility level, however, falls in the medium-range spectrum – neither too low nor too high.
Betting Range
Players can adjust their stake from as little as $0.01 per line up to a maximum of $100 per spin.
Max Win
Chicken Road’s theoretical max win is not explicitly mentioned; it does pay out large sums for rare combinations, though – particularly during the Free Spin rounds when multipliers are applied to the wins.
Gameplay
Players can enjoy Chicken Road on desktop and mobile devices. Navigation is intuitive with customizable buttons that adjust the coin value (0.01 to 5.00) per spin. The AutoPlay feature allows for automated spinning up to a maximum of 100 automatic spins while wagering controls remain active.
Mobile Play
The game’s design adapts seamlessly on mobile, providing an identical gameplay experience compared to its PC counterpart. Navigation is fluid and responsive across all touch-enabled screens.
Player Experience
Based on user reviews and ratings from reputable platforms like TripAdvisor and TrustPilot, Chicken Road appears to have gained a generally positive response from players worldwide. Users praise the game’s unique theme, engaging bonus rounds, and potential payouts that can reach substantial amounts during Free Spin mode activations.
However, there are some criticisms regarding the low RTP of 96%, with a few users stating the slots are infrequently rewarding despite numerous attempts. Others have pointed out minor technical issues such as occasional lags or crashes when playing on mobile platforms – which Playtech promptly addresses in subsequent updates.
Overall Analysis
Chicken Road is an enjoyable video slot with impressive visual and sound effects that evoke rural settings while maintaining engaging gameplay features like Wilds, Scatters, Bonus rounds, Free Spins mode. Although it carries average volatility levels and does not excel in payout frequencies for some users, the substantial max payouts potential (especially during Free Spin rounds) justifies considering this title as an exciting option.
With its fun, lighthearted atmosphere, Chicken Road can be enjoyed by players seeking medium-range volatility slots with a relatively high RTP – making it worth exploring.