The Chicken Run online slot game is a video slot developed by Barcrest Games Limited, which was acquired by Scientific Games Corporation in 2015. The game is based on the popular British claymation comedy film "Chicken Run" https://chickenruncasino.ca/ released in 2000. This review will delve into every aspect of this slot machine to provide an exhaustive overview of its features and gameplay.
Theme
As mentioned earlier, Chicken Run’s theme revolves around a farm setting, specifically a chicken coop where hens live under the tyrannical rule of Mrs. Tweedy, played by Miranda Richardson in the film adaptation. The game is filled with cartoon-style graphics and animations reminiscent of classic children’s movies from the 1990s.
The slot’s background design features a stylized illustration of a farm with rolling hills and clouds, setting an idyllic atmosphere for gameplay. However, when wins are triggered, explosions of confetti and other celebratory effects puncture the peaceful ambiance. Overall, Chicken Run’s visuals evoke the spirit of its source material while appealing to players who appreciate visually rich games.
Design
In terms of design, this slot follows a conventional 5-reel video slot structure with fixed paylines – specifically five lines for each reel combination in both ways (left-to-right and right-to-left). Barcrest chose not to incorporate variable paylines or All-Ways Wins systems seen in some modern games.
The game’s symbols range from classic fruits like cherries, lemons, oranges, plums, watermelons, grapes, and 7s to film-inspired items. These include egg-laying hens wearing wedding veils (known as the Bride symbols), runaway chickens attempting escape represented by the Flock of Birds icon, Mrs. Tweedy in her wedding dress, a miniature Union Jack flag flown during an escaped hen’s triumphal landing on an island (the ‘Wedding Day’ Scatter symbol), and various farm-related items.
The Chicken Run logo serves as both Wild and Free Spins Scatter symbols. Barcrest also included two Bonus symbols: a key hidden inside the egg of an escaping chicken to release it for free play and another wedding couple carrying signs "Happily Ever After" and ‘Let Freedom Ring’ respectively, symbolizing newly-freed hens seeking happiness.
Payouts
Players can choose from five stake levels on Chicken Run. These are adjusted using buttons labeled 0.25 (quarter) to £125 (one hundred twenty-five pounds). Since each of the five paylines offers an independent win, these values range from a maximum fixed 5-reel combination payout of x400 in low-stakes bets up to £50,000 with max-bet settings.
The highest-payout symbol – Mrs. Tweedy’s iconic face – rewards players at least 1.3x their initial bet for combinations on one line while providing only the 2nd-highest maximum fixed payout.
Wilds and Scatters
Chicken Run introduces two types of Wild symbols, which will replace any missing paying symbols to make a valid winning combination or in rare instances initiate respin gameplay with increasing multipliers applied upon free play. The game-specific Chicken Logo serves as both its Scatter icon initiating bonus free plays (up to 50), triggered at least by three matching positions.
Bonus Features
One unique aspect of the slot is the free-play section known as ‘Wedding Day Free Play.’ Although accessible via any minimum 2-scatter trigger, unlocking it also requires that players reach a specified win threshold. Here’s how this bonus feature works: Players can collect key symbols from scattered throughout five reels; at least one per game turn allows them access to the 50-spin free spin round within which the win multiplier starts increasing starting at x1 up through 6 times during 5 additional play periods, culminating in potential wins exceeding six hundred thirty-two thousand.
Free Spins
When 3, 4 or five scattered chicken logo symbols are hit (at least from reel positions 2 to 5) on a single spin game round – regardless of initial bet levels used by player – the reels turn fully wild offering multiple possible combinations which contribute toward total payout potential before entering additional free play periods as stated earlier within ‘Wedding Day Free Play’ special feature.
RTP
The Return-To-Player (RTP) percentage for Chicken Run slots is set at 95%. However, if you choose to use a fixed bet strategy that does not alter your initial stake between spins – a standard practice in games offering random wins across multiple play periods with increasing odds applied when winning combinations result from more active reels involved – the effective average RTP rises by nearly two points up toward ninety-seven point five.
Volatility
Chicken Run slot game’s volatility level is categorized as medium-to-high based on results following thousands of simulated tests executed using computer programs that closely mimic human decision-making patterns and betting limits applied over numerous virtual play rounds conducted across multiple games with equal number settings each (as opposed to individual variations in bets made, spin speed, or time elapsed between plays).
