Chicken Road 2 is a casino slot game developed by InOut, a software company specializing in creating engaging online gaming experiences. As its name suggests, the theme revolves around farm animals, particularly chickens, set against the backdrop of a country road. This review aims to delve into the intricacies of this game, providing an in-depth analysis of its design, mechanics, and features.
Theme and Design
Upon launching Chicken Road 2, Chicken Road 2 players are greeted by a serene countryside scene featuring lush greenery, rolling hills, and farm animals wandering about. The slot’s color scheme is predominantly warm, with shades of brown, beige, and golden hues that evoke feelings of comfort and tranquility. The background image displays the rural setting in all its glory, complete with fluffy clouds drifting lazily across a bright blue sky.
The game window itself features five reels arranged horizontally, each consisting of three symbols. A standard set of icons is used, including high-paying animal characters (such as cows, pigs, and horses) alongside lower-paying items like cherries, lemons, grapes, and diamonds. The title logo "Chicken Road 2" proudly displayed above the reels serves as a visual anchor.
Symbols
As with most online slots, Chicken Road 2 features a mix of standard symbols that contribute to basic payouts and special icons that trigger various bonus mechanics. Each symbol has its own individual value based on its rarity, ranging from low-paying (cherries, lemons) to high-paying (animal characters). A breakdown of the symbols’ values is as follows:
- Low paying: 3-10 times total stake for three matching cherries or lemons
- Medium paying:
- Grapes: 50-100 times total stake for three consecutive grape combinations
- Diamonds: 60-150 times total stake for a sequence of diamond symbols
- High paying: Various animal characters offer varying rewards (400-5000 times the total stake) depending on their positioning and combination
Payouts
Each symbol has its unique payout structure, which can be observed in the slot’s paytable. Players should note that only adjacent reels from left to right contribute towards forming winning combinations.
A significant detail about payouts is that all basic symbols (cherries, lemons, grapes, diamonds) do not award free spins when matched on three consecutive positions; however, this does allow for a boost in potential wins if these low-paying symbols appear frequently during gameplay. The high-paying animal characters are where the real rewards reside.
WILDS & SCATTERS
Chicken Road 2 features two special icons: WILD and BONUS (or Scatter). A ‘Road Wild’ symbol appears as an egg-laying chicken with sunglasses; it acts like a substitute for any standard icon, helping complete winning combinations when needed. When three or more scatters land anywhere on the reels, they unlock up to 30 free spins.
The absence of a separate BONUS or Bonus Wheel feature is striking in this game; however, there’s no denying that the free spin bonus brings its own set of opportunities and thrills to what might otherwise be considered basic gameplay mechanics.
Bonus Features & Free Spins
During the free spins round triggered by Scatters (BONUSES), reels 2-5 are locked with a chicken symbol. The objective here is not just accumulating credits but having each spin potentially expand wilds, re-spins, or award multiple wins due to the expanded Wild symbols.
Free Spin Mechanic: Expanding Wild & Multiplier
Reels 1 and 3 turn into bonus reels that feature expanding chickens (the Wild symbol), leading to two new outcomes:
- Re-Triggering Free Spins with multiplier benefits
- Double-or-quadruple-reward on specific animal combinations due to their placement within the game.
Gameplay & Volatility
In terms of gameplay, Chicken Road 2 does not stray from standard procedures; press a button for spins and follow results. Since it has five reels (with only three positions per reel), high-value hits are somewhat less common compared to slots with multiple symbols across each line or six-in-one layouts.
To provide insight into its mechanics: It maintains an average hit rate of around 4-6 times, while keeping the maximum possible win at a more significant than expected $25,000 (1000 coins). The high potential gain combined with lower volatility results in relatively higher and less frequent payouts.