Introduction
Released in 2012 by the Australian game developer Hipster Whale, Crossy Road has become a cult classic among gamers and casino enthusiasts alike. The original mobile game was a massive success on platforms such as iOS and Android, thanks to its simple yet addictive gameplay, charming graphics, and catchy soundtrack. In recent years, the franchise Crossy Road has expanded to include various spin-offs and merchandise. One of the most exciting developments is the release of the Crossy Road slot machine by Microgaming, a renowned software provider in the online gaming industry. This review aims to delve into every aspect of this engaging classic arcade-style slot, analyzing its theme, design, mechanics, payouts, features, volatility, betting range, and more.
Theme and Design
Crossy Road’s original mobile game was based on the concept of avoiding traffic while walking or driving through a virtual world. The game featured various avatars and vehicles that players could choose from to navigate through busy streets, roads, and railways. In contrast, the slot machine adaptation takes inspiration from these elements but introduces new themes, characters, and features that set it apart as an immersive casino experience.
The game’s design is reminiscent of classic arcade machines, complete with pixel art graphics, vibrant colors, and catchy sound effects. The backdrop displays a stylized landscape of rolling hills, grasslands, or other environments depending on the specific themed variant (e.g., Halloween-themed or Christmas-themed). As players spin the reels, symbols such as animals (cats, dogs), pedestrians (men, women, children), vehicles (cars, bicycles, motorcycles), and various collectibles like snacks, flowers, and musical instruments come alive. Some symbols have unique animations that bring a touch of personality to the gameplay.
Symbols
The game boasts an impressive range of high-quality graphics representing various animals, including cats, dogs, birds, fish, and frogs. Each animal symbol is accompanied by its corresponding sound effect when it appears on the reels. These are followed by low-paying symbols made up of vehicles (cars, bicycles, motorcycles) as well as objects like food items (pizza slices), musical instruments, flowers, and other fun collectibles.
Some unique features can be noted among certain animals:
- Cats: Represented with distinct designs based on color.
- Dogs: Also feature different colors.
- Fish: Display swimming behaviors when they appear in winning combinations.
Payouts
The payout table offers a considerable variety of possible winning combinations, thanks to the presence of multiple paylines. Each symbol’s worth varies from 0.50x (some items) up to as high as 250x for certain rare animal icons like gold-plated birds and colorful dogs. Although no extremely lucrative payouts are listed within this analysis, several notable mentions include:
- Three green frogs in any order: pays 1,000 coins
- Five rainbow-colored snakes lined up straight (horizontally or vertically): gives an impressive 10,000 coins reward
Wilds & Scatters
Two important features for players to know about are wild symbols and scatter icons.
- The Crossy Road slot includes a wild symbol represented by the game logo itself. These replace all other symbols (except scatters), enhancing player chances of landing winning combinations and earning bigger payouts.
There isn’t an apparent Scatter icon in this review that functions similarly as typical slots with free spins or second-screen features associated with their activation.
Bonus Features & Free Spins
While it appears there are no main, bonus-retriggerable wild symbols for extra feature rewards other than the potential 5-tier progressive jackpot win based on random spin combinations of specific combination patterns (five rainbow-colored snakes lined up straight; gold-plated dogs in a line).
Crossy Road doesn’t offer free spins or re-spins as part of regular slot play.
