Lava Loca slot review

By Booming Games

Lava Loca Slot

Lava Loca Basic info

Game provider Booming Games

Release Date 5/2018

RTP 96.33%

Game Technology HTML5

Popularity Low

Min bet $0.01

Max bet $200

Max Win bet x 1303

Gamble Feature Stacked symbols, Multiplier wilds, Wilds, Freespins, Scatter symbols

Layout 5x3

Devices Support all devices

Configurable Winlines No

Volatility Medium

Progressive Jackpot No

Lava Loca imagines a place out in the Caribbean, perhaps on an isolated island where an indigenous tribe worships a volcano and it might erupt with wins!

This slot with a series of highly colourful and original symbols was created by developer Booming Games and released in 2018. The game takes on a tropical setting, taking inspiration from Hawaiian culture with Tiki statues and Tiki torches framing the 5-reel, 3-row playing field. Just as with most of their slots, this game has 20 paylines.

I felt like the graphics of this slot were a lot better done than many of their other games, having a little more personality than most and with a whimsical nature. The background is quite disappointing in contrast, a barely visible and minimalistic rendition of a sandy beach.

Of course, this setting is popular among many developers which is why there are quite a few similar slots available. One of them is Spina Colada by Yggdrasil, which has better graphics but essentially the same gameplay. Meanwhile, Aloha! Cluster Pays by NetEnt might be one of the most popular games in thetropical island setting.

The music is very acceptable despite being rather unoriginal. It plays something, everybody associates with tropical islands, consisting of a lot of drums, maracas and guitars. In contrast, the wins were accentuated by a short jingle that didn’t fit the theme. When triggering the free spins mode, I was treated to a different tropical song which helped keep things interesting.

Symbols

The symbols in Lava Loca can be divided into low- and high-paying symbols. The high-paying symbols are original drawings based on Tiki masks, each with their own expression and appearance. Having their own colour also keeps things clear. The low-paying symbols are unfortunately based on the high cards that we’re so familiar with, but at least they were designed to fit the theme somewhat. These symbols look like they’re made out of wood with flowers added to help in setting the mood.

From highest to lowest they are:

  • Scatter: Get 3 or more Scatter Symbols to trigger the Free Spins mode. Max. 200x your bet with five-of-a-kind on the screen.
  • Wild: Substitutes all other symbols in the game except the Scatter Symbol. Max. 50x your bet with five-of-a-kind on the screen.
  • Purple Tiki Mask: Max. 25x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • Green Tiki Mask: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • Purple Tiki Mask: Max. 7.5x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • Ace: Max. 3x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • King: Max. 3x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • Queen: Max. 2x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.
  • Jack: Max. 2x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning payline.

The symbols show a simple animation when they’re part of a winning payline, with the Tiki masks moving a bit more compared to the high cards.

Features

As always with Booming Games slots, there are a few features in Lava Loca that are almost the standard when it comes to their games.

  • Wilds: Wilds substitute all other symbols in the game except the Scatter Symbol.
  • Multiplying Wilds: Wilds on Reel 3 can have a multiplier associated with them. The multiplier can be 2x or 3x.
  • Free Spins: Get 3 or more Scatter Symbols on the screen to activate the Free Spins mode. Players start this with 10 free spins. Free Spins can’t be re-triggered during this game mode.
  • Expanding Symbols: At the start of the Free Spins mode a random symbol is selected, which can expand to fill a reel during the Free Spins mode.

Most players will be aware of the individual features of this slot. The game is not difficult to get into and it’s easy to pick up and play. The base game only has the Wilds and Multiplying Wilds to deal with, both of which show up randomly and can help in getting a win.

I found the Wilds to show up pretty regularly, at least every couple of spins. The Multiplying Wilds were a lot rarer, showing up only once every fifty or so spins. Even then, there would be times where they didn’t contribute to a win. I found this feature to be rather disappointing.

When we get to the Free Spins mode, things get more interesting. At the start of the mode, there is a cube spinning around. Pressing Stop will freeze it on one of the symbols, making this symbol an Expanding one during the Free Spins mode.

While the free spins were spinning, the symbol that was selected could become expanding but it didn’t do it every time. I’m not exactly sure what triggered the feature since it could help in getting some big wins. In fact, I found the Free Spins mode to be the prime moment to increase my funds to the point that the base game was just a way to get there.

Conclusion

Lava Loca is one of the prettier slots in the Booming Games assortment with a feature that really helps to get big wins. The Medium Volatility fit the slot in that way since the base game offered few and smaller wins while the Free Spins mode would suddenly create quite a leap in coins.

The designers of Lava Loca seemed to have spent more time working on the different symbols as they actually look decent and fit the theme. The soundtrack might be a bit on the surface but sounds excellent and made me feel like I was actually on a tropical island.

If you are interested in a classic slot with updated graphics and some simple but effective features I would suggest you give Lava Loca a try! Pick a bet between $0.01 and $200 per spin and go for the max. win of 1,303x your bet.

Leticia Miranda

Leticia Miranda

Slot Games Analyst

Leticia Miranda is a former gambling reporter who knows everything about slot games and is happy to share her knowledge. She has covered a broad swath of topics and trends on gambling and is always full of new ideas and energy. Leticia also has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and is passionate about writing.