Macarons slot review

By Endorphina

Macarons Basic info

Game provider Endorphina

Release Date 3/2015

RTP 96.00%

Game Technology HTML5

Popularity Low

Min bet $0.01

Max bet $100

Max Win bet x 5000

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

Layout 5x3

Devices Support all devices

Configurable Winlines No

Volatility High

Progressive Jackpot No

Macarons are a tasty snack that a lot of people with a sweet tooth have fond memories of. These chocolate treats are the basis of an Endorphina slot with Stacked Wilds, Multipliers and Free Spins to give it some extra appeal.

This slot was released in 2015 but still looks great, with not only all the different symbols made to fit the theme but there are also plenty of animations to enjoy. The game makes use of a selection of different types of macarons to represent the majority of symbols in this 5-reel, 3-row slot.

There are a number of different characters that are present in the game as well, showing something that might be a romance story. There are symbols with just the man, just the woman and one of them both dancing under the Eiffel Tower. I liked this subtle storytelling that isn’t drawing any attention but is there for those that notice.

The free spins mode, unfortunately, doesn’t change things up a lot when it comes to the look and feel of the game. The reels have a different colour but other than that I didn’t really notice any changes.

Symbols

Macarons has a large collection of symbols, each of them unique for the slot. They all fit the setting perfectly, with the big eyecatcher the bottle of wine that acts as a Stacked Wild. I think that was a clever way of implementing the feature without disrupting the theme! Even the card letters that they use for the low-paying symbols are made to look like frosting on a macaron, cleverly integrating it into the design. I would love to see more developers use this kind of creativity to inject them into their games.

The symbols are all made to look distinctly different and spotting a win on one of the 10 paylines is made easier at the same time.

The symbols have the following payouts:

  • Bonus: The Bonus Symbol acts as a Scatter. Get 3 or more on the screen to activate the Free Spins mode. Max. 500x your bet with five-of-a-kind on the screen.
  • Wild: The Wild substitutes all other symbols in the game, except the Bonus Symbol.
  • Dancing Couple: Max. 500x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Man: Max. 100x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Woman: Max. 100x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Strawberry Macaron: Max. 50x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Orange Macaron: Max. 50x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Pistache Macaron: Max. 20x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Blueberry Macaron: Max. 20x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Ace: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • King: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Queen: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Jack: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.

Features

The game has a small collection of features, which is something I’ve come to expect of Endorphina slots. At least the features feel like a part of the game, which I’ve had issues with before.

  • Wilds: Wilds act as any other symbol in the game to create a winning payline, except for the Bonus Symbol.
  • Stacked Wilds: The Wine Bottle is the Wild in Macarons and can appear to fill the entire reel. It will count as a Wild for all paylines that run over that reel.
  • Free Spins: Get 3 Bonus Symbols on the screen to activate the Free Spins mode. Players receive 20 free spins to play with. It’s possible to re-trigger additional free spins during this mode.
  • Multipliers: During the Free Spins mode, all wins have a 4x multiplier applied to them.

Macarons doesn’t activate the Free Spins mode very often which means players are set to play in the base game most of the time. This isn’t too bad since the base game looks great and still offers the Stacked Wilds to facilitate wins. Not that wins are too easy to come by since Macarons does have High Volatility. Expect quite a few spins between wins, and often these wins still won’t be very high.

The game does do a good job at making the Free Spins mode stand out through its features. Even though it still looks roughly the same as the base game, the 4x multiplier is active the entire time and counts for all wins. There is also the possibility of re-triggering free spins, making the potential payout even larger. No wonder the max. win is set at 5,000x your bet!

macarons spin1 macarons spin2

Players that are feeling adventurous can pick a bet between $0.01 and $100 per spin but considering the volatility, I would always advise players to start off with a lower bet to get a feel of the slot. Only after you have an idea of the payout rate should you decide if a larger bet is worth it.

I had a nice time playing Macarons, even though it does very little new or different. The main draw for me were the graphics and the Stacked Wilds. The Free Spins mode very much felt like an exception to the gameplay and I didn’t consider it integral to the experience.

Conclusion

If you have played any Endorphina games before, you will probably consider Macarons one of their better ones like I have. If you have a lot of experience with slots by other developers you will probably consider this game somewhat average. The graphics are nice but the game is getting up there in years and they won’t stay as impressive for much longer. The features are simple but effective, but can also be found in dozens of other slots.

Players that are looking for a simple classic slot with enough variety to keep them interested for a while will have a good time with Macarons. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it really doesn’t have to to offer a solid game experience.

The few features it does have are a nice addition that will appeal to most regular players. Only those looking for something truly unique or revolutionary won’t find it here.

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.