Casino Bonuses
| Provider | BGaming |
| Reels | 7 |
| Rows | 7 |
| Paylines | Cluster Pays |
| Bonus Rounds | 1 |
| Bet Range | 0.20 - 20 |
| Volatility | High |
| Max Win | 12,000x |
| Bonus Buy | Yes |
| RTP | 96.25% |
| Our Rating | 7.3 |
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Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Game Overview
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed since the turn of the year, it is that some developers have really upped their game in terms of output, and BGaming is one of them. So far this year, the developer has, including this one, released seven new slots. However, rather than churning out new titles for the sake of it, each of them has impressed me as they all offer something different from the other. You’ll see what I mean in this review of Pop Zen, a slot that has taken inspiration from the Pop-It toys that have taken the world by storm over the last few years. You know, the ones, the toys that ease stress by mimicking bubble wrap. I know many of you are now hitting Google to find out what they are, and while you do that, I’ll fill you in on this 7×7 cluster pays slot with a 12,000x max win and a 96.25% RTP.
If you’re a fan of the cluster pays mechanic and cascading reels, I get the feeling you’ll love BGaming’s latest creation. The base game is full of random modifiers and features, including big symbols, backlit symbols, re-spins, and a progress bar feature that triggers one of four other exciting features. By the way, filling that bar up to the top starts the main feature, which, from my experience, can deliver some epic payouts.
Does the above have fidgeting in anticipation? Then, settle your nerves early by loading up the Pop Zen slot demo below. There’s no need for stress here, as you can spin for free!
Pop Zen Slot Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols
Usually, in this part of the review, I would recommend slots with the same theme for you to check out, but I’m fairly confident in saying there are no other slot games based around fidget/stress toys, so the closest I can think of is mobile puzzle games, and there have been plenty of cluster pays slots designed to look like these and some have gone on to become super successful. Pragmatic Play, for example, is responsible for some of the best played titles here on our site, with the Sugar Rush demo play slot, Sweet Bonanza demo and Sugar Twist free play slot racking up the spins here on our platform each day. Can Pop Zen join this list of ultra popular games? Let’s dig in further and find out.
The next step in this review is to see what goodies are on the paytable, and as I already had a glance earlier, I can tell you there are some impressive combination wins available. The best of these is the Star, which, in a 15-symbol combo, will reward 750x the stake, whilst there’s quite a drop to the other high-paying symbols with rewards of 300x, 150x, and 75x on offer for the respective Heart, Diamond, and Circle icons. Finally, we come to the lower pays with the Blue, Green, Turquoise, and Pink symbols, all sharing a 10x payout when landed in clusters of 15 or more.
Ending this section, we jump over to the possible bets that can be placed on BGaming’s Pop Zen, with the minimum stake to get the reels rolling costing €0.20, whilst the maximum price per play reaches €20.
Pop Zen Slot Base Game & Modifiers
With the symbol payouts cleared up, let’s look at how we land those wins. As mentioned in the intro, Pop Zen is a 7×7 slot that uses the cluster pays mechanic, meaning there are no paylines, as combos are created when five or more matching symbols are connected vertically or horizontally anywhere on the reels. A refilling feature removes winning symbols from the reels, leaving gaps behind. All symbols above drop-down, while others fall from above to fill the vacant positions left behind – which, as most of you will know, means the chance to create more combinations.
Big Symbols
If there are two sets of 4×4 symbols next to each other, they both transform into a 2×2-sized single symbol and, if involved in a winning combination, will double the combo’s standard payout. If multiple 2×2 symbols are involved in the same winning combination, their 2x multipliers are added together before applying to the combination win.
Backlit Symbols
On every spin, a random number of low-value symbols will begin shining, and should they contribute to a winning combo, they’re replaced by two wild symbols.
Respin Feature
You don’t need to be an experienced slots player to understand the frustration of winless spins. Well, on Pop Zen, each time this happens, there is a chance a re-spin feature will be triggered. A random number of symbols are transformed into wild symbols so that we get a second chance to create a winning spin.
Progress Bar Feature
The most exciting base game feature is, without a doubt, the Progress Bar feature, which can trigger one of four modifiers. At the bottom of the reels is a progress meter, which fills by 1 point up to a maximum of 100 for each symbol involved in a winning combination on a spin. At each 25-point milestone, one of the following modifiers will trigger:
- Wild Blast: Between 3 and 6 wilds are added to the reels, each removing 4 neighbouring symbols. New symbols land near the wilds, potentially creating winning combinations.
- Smash: All low-value symbols are removed from the reels, allowing only high-paying symbols to fall into the empty positions left behind.
- X-Lines: A wild symbol appears directly in the middle of the grid, and all symbols on the diagonal directions of the wild turn into the same matching symbol.
- Clone: Converts one type of symbol and all other instances into the same type of another regular symbol.
Pop Zen Slot Bonus Features
It’s not often the base game gives me more to talk about than the bonus features, but I’m certainly not complaining, as one of my pet hates is a boring base game. In fact, you could argue this bonus is also a base game feature, but as it’s available in the Buy Bonus, I’m sticking it in this section.
The Pot
Once the progress bar fills on a single spin (meaning 100 symbols were involved in winning combinations), the Pot feature/modifier triggers. A 3×3-sized Wild symbol appears on the reels, guaranteeing a win. That’s not all, however, as on the second refill, the wild splits into two 2×2 symbols, and on the third, into 9 separate wilds.
Bonus Buy
For those of you who want to get into that bonus quickly and without having to enjoy a spin with 100 winning symbols, there’s a buy bonus feature you can use to the left of the reels. The only catch is it costs 100x your bet, so you’ll need to recoup a win of at least that amount to break even.
Pros
- Above average RTP.
- Wild Frames feature keeps the base game fun.
- The bonus game is entertaining
Cons
- Low maximum win.
- The theme is a bit confusing
Pop Zen Slot Review Final Thoughts
If you're a regular player of our Reactoonz slot demo then you'll have recognised that BGaming's Pop Zen shares more than a few similarities. That being said, Pop Zen brings a fresh look to these game mechanics, and the addition of the bonus buy brings instant gratification to those players who don't have the patience to fill the progress bar meter.
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