Animal Themed Slot Games
Do you want to bring a bit of wild action into your gaming? Playing slot games that have an animal theme allow you to enjoy some wild themes, while at the same time learn about creatures that you wouldn’’t regularly encounter and win real money. We have examined some of the coolest series of slot games that have fun animal themes and also address current issues related to ecology and the need to protect endangered species.
You might also be interested in reading our best horse racing themed slots article with free spins.
The Untamed Series from Microgaming
Theme & Symbols
This series of four slots has the explicit intent of drawing players’’ attention towards endangered species. Microgaming has selected Bengal Tiger, Giant Panda, Wolf Pack and Crowned Eagle from the list of fast disappearing animals. Each slot game is dedicated to one of the animals and presents it and its natural habitat as the high paying symbols. The game logo is the wild symbol and the eye of the particular animal is the scatter symbol.
Gaming Features
All four slot games, though they showcase different animals, have a common slots engine and identical gaming features.
- In the Collect a Wild feature, a wild symbol landing on a reel is collected below that reel. When four wild symbols are collected on the same reel, that reel becomes wild for the next four spins.
- The free spins are triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. The Lucky Nudge feature creates an additional chance of triggering the free spins. If a scatter symbol is just one spot above or below the reels, it will be nudged to bring it into play. The wild symbol takes on a special property during the free spins, which is different in each of the slot games in the Untamed series.
- The gamble game is different from the one usually found in Microgaming video slots, where you can try to double or quadruple your win. Your Gamble allows you to stake either half the win or the entire amount. You can set the multiplier up to 20 times, but the probability of success is proportionately reduced.
Structure
The Untamed video slots all have 243 ways to win structures.
Crystal Waters from Realtime Gaming
The ocean has a greater wealth of life, which has been at risk at the hands of global warming and pollution of the seas. Crystal Waters slot game provides an insight to what we could lose if corrective action is not taken immediately.
Theme & Symbols
The reels are set under the ocean. It creates an impression of snorkelling or scuba diving. The high paying symbols are sea animals like turtle, fish, sea horse and shell. The low paying symbols are the usual playing card icons. The dolphin is the wild symbol. It can appear only on reels 2 and 3. The yacht is the scatter symbol and awards payouts multiplied by the total bet.
Gaming Features
- When a winning combination is made with the help of a wild substitution then the payout for that combination is doubled.
- Three or more yacht symbols appearing anywhere on the reels trigger 15 free spins. During the feature a new Bonus fish symbol may appear on the third reel and act as an extra wild symbol. If the symbol results in a winning combination then a randomly determined payout multiplier will apply. This could be 2x, 4x or 8x. The free spins can be retriggered in the usual manner.
- A randomly triggered progressive jackpot can be won after any spin.
Structure
Crystal Waters slot has the 5 reels and 3 rows structure with 40 selectable paylines
Birds of Paradise from WGS Technology
The bird of paradise is one of the most beautiful of the avian species. It takes centre-stage in this slot game.
Theme & Symbols
The reels are set in the background of a forest. The bird of paradise with is orange plumage is the wild symbol and it also awards the highest line payout. The other high paying symbols are toucan, canaries, binoculars and flower. The nest is the scatter symbol. The low paying symbols are colourful playing card icons.
Gaming Features
- Three or more nest symbols appearing anywhere on the reels award 20 free spins. All payouts are doubled in the feature. The free spins can be retriggered.
- The slot game has high volatility. Hit five bird of paradise symbols in an active payline and win 10,000 times your line bet.
Structure
Birds of Paradise slot has the 5 reels and 3 rows structure with 25 selectable paylines.
Wild Safari From Rival
The most popular of the animal themed slots is the African safari genre. Every major games supplier has at least a few safari themed slots. The African safari is one environment where animals are safe in their natural habitat and the only way to shoot them is through a camera.
Theme & Symbols
The African Safari theme is depicted to perfection. The introductory clip shows the game warden taking photographs of the safari animals. The game is played over two reel sets. The first one features the entire range of animals that include elephant, hyena, hippo, ostrich, buffalo, crocodile, zebra, cheetah and chimpanzee. The giraffe is an expanding wild. The rhino triggers the free spins feature and the lion triggers a bonus game. The win animations are awesome. The second reel set depicts the human aspect of the safari with symbols like jeep, camera, binoculars and backpack.
Gaming Features
- Three scatter symbols trigger 10 free spins, four symbols trigger 20 free spins and five symbols trigger 75 free spins.
- The bonus symbol triggers a feature on the second screen. You first choose from three different safari locations, which are grasslands, savannah and watering hole. Four different animals roam around in each location. You have to get the animals in view finder of your camera and take a photograph. The bonus amount depends on how many good photographs are taken in five attempts. After this interactive bonus feature the game toggles to the other reel set.
Structure
Wild Safari slot has the 5 reels and 3 rows structure with 25 selectable paylines.
Written by John Holmes 