By Yggdrasil
RTP 96.14%
Min bet $0.20
Max bet $40
Max Win bet x 56386
Popularity Medium
Min bet $0.20
Max bet $40
Max Win bet x 56386
Gamble Feature Max. lines, Freespins, Expanding reels, Paylines from both sides, Multiplier
Layout 5x3
Devices Support all devices
Configurable Winlines No
Volatility High
Progressive Jackpot No
CherryPOP might look like a standard classic fruit machine version of the video slot at first glance, but give it a couple of spins and you’ll notice hidden depths. The game features Paylines From Both Sides, expanding reels and free spins.
Developed and released by Yggdrasil as recently as 2020, you wouldn’t be wrong expecting something new in this slot. As is often the case, the veteran studio doesn’t disappoint and offers us a rather unique slot. Don’t let the screenshots fool you, there is a lot here that messes with the standard gameplay in interesting ways.
To start with, the game has a 5-reel, 3-row playing field but whenever there’s a win, the reels with the winning symbols will expand by 1 row. As the game uses consecutive reels to calculate wins, the more rows there are the bigger the odds at getting another win. This way, the reels can expand almost indefinitely. It’s no wonder that the game starts with 243 paylines but this can expand to a whopping 59,049.
The game uses classic slot symbols to fill the reels, using both fruits and card letters but these have been adapted slightly to the modern concept. Whenever a win is triggered, for example, the winning tiles don’t just light up but we see the winning symbols phase out of existence before causing the reel to grow. This gives an interesting visual sign that something is happening because of the win.
CherryPOP brings a lot of the most familiar symbols to the reels by having them as ultra-realistic drawings. The card letters were in my opinion a bit underdeveloped, looking a little small and thin compared to the tile-filling higher paying symbols. Due to the clear colour scheme, things did not get confusing for the eyes.
Even though the game has such a massive number of potential paylines, it should not come as a surprise that it also has High Volatility. The game heavily depends on the player getting a series of wins in a row to stack up the individual payouts, as a single win will only payout a tiny amount. There are also quite a lot of different symbols, making it harder to get a win at all.
Because of this, the two features that make it easier to facilitate a win, paylines from both sides and consecutive reels, are direly needed to have any sort of opportunity at getting regular wins. When the game does help you get a number of wins in a row however you can expect it to quickly steamroll and create a massive win, and that is even without the free spins mode.
As far as the symbols in the game go, they are ranked here by importance:
CherryPOP offers a standard gameplay experience that is augmented by some additional features. The game also doesn’t work exactly the same as other slots when it comes to activating the free spins mode. To start with, a quick overview of the features you can find in this slot:
Players will not have much trouble getting the game to play since it basically plays itself. Even the free spins mode will be triggered automatically when reaching the appropriate height of the reels. The fact that this is how the mode is activated was actually something I thought was interesting.
It does make it hard to activate the free spins though, and I only saw it activate once during my time playing. This also adds to the volatility, as the free spins mode has a big part to play in creating bigger wins. I personally wouldn’t advise using the gamble wheel since it can instantly end the free spins mode and make all the effort to get into it obsolete.
Bonus type: No Deposit, Low Wagering, Free Play, Sign Up, Free Money, Welcome Bonus, Registration
Min Deposit: No Deposit
Bonus type: Coupon, Code, Welcome Bonus, Registration, Sign Up, Deposit Bonus, First Deposit Bonus
Min Deposit: $10
Wagering: 60x
CherryPOP is a good example of how Yggdrasil can take a rather standard looking slot and make it play very differently than similar slots. It does not require a lot from the player as I found the features to be well-explained through context clues alone but it will offer some variety to a familiar gameplay loop.
The game also plays around a lot with its appearance, using familiar symbols but giving them a little twist by having their animations be slightly different whenever they’re part of a win. It also adds to the rather futuristic touch that the game obviously plays with.
If you’re someone who enjoys the thin line between classic slots and innovative gameplay you might want to give this slot a try. It does offer some interesting new approaches to the standard game while also making sure the player stays engaged.
