Winning Ways on the Fowl Trail with Chicken Road 2
In the world of online slots, it’s not often that a game comes along and really sticks its neck out. But that’s exactly what happens when we take a look at Chicken Road 2 from Betsoft Gaming. This slot is the sequel to an original title, but don’t let that fool you – this is no rehashed version of the first. Instead, it’s a bold new direction for the series, one that combines quirky charm with seriously sharp gameplay.
Theme and Design
Let’s start with what we’re working with here: Chicken Road 2 has got to Chicken Road 2 be one of the most eccentric themes in all of online slots. That may sound like faint praise, but bear with us – this is actually a very clever design decision. By embracing its own weirdness, Betsoft creates an immersive experience that’s hard to resist.
On screen, we’ve got a wacky world where chickens are the undisputed rulers. These aren’t your average clucking hens either; they’re giant, cartoonish birds in shades and sunglasses, sipping coffee on sun-drenched streets filled with neon lights and retro-style billboards. It’s like a fever dream of 1970s Las Vegas meets chicken-themed utopia.
Symbols
But what really makes Chicken Road 2 stand out are its symbols – or at least some of them. We’ve got the usual suspects: A, K, Q, J and 10 playing card icons in red and gold, but then we’re also presented with a range of bizarre poultry-themed tiles, featuring an endless parade of different breeds alongside what can only be described as some sort of psychedelic hen.
The highest paying symbol here is the giant golden chicken – and trust us when we say that this thing brings home the bacon. Five in a row will reward you with 5 times your stake for just one spin.
Payouts
On the surface, the payouts on Chicken Road 2 seem fairly standard fare. You’ve got low-paying symbols (A through J) worth x0.1x bet per combination, then you’ve got mid-range poultry icons paying out from x10 to x50 your stake for four or five of a kind respectively.
Wilds
Of course, there’s also the obligatory Wild symbol – this time taking the form of our beloved golden chicken once again. It substitutes all other symbols except Scatters and bonus symbols in winning combinations; these do seem to have been thoughtfully incorporated into the design so as not to break any of the existing visuals.
Scatters
The Scatter icon is also fairly unassuming at first glance, with a small image depicting what looks like an egg-cellent fusion between an owl and…well, another animal altogether (the designers did promise us ‘some truly strange new ideas’). It doesn’t pay out anything on its own but will still multiply any win that includes it by x5x multiplier. Land three Scatters across the first three reels at once for a guaranteed free spin.
Bonus Features
And speaking of which – what really gets this slot jumping is its bonus round, ‘Chicken Dash’, triggered when five or more scattered Chickens appear anywhere on screen during play (even non-winning). This then sets off an extended sequence of rapid spinning and consecutive payouts from any number of symbols until all chickens disappear from the reels.
But that’s not even close to it; hidden within Chicken Road 2 lies a hidden treasure trove full waiting for those prepared enough – two randomly triggered mini-games. During ‘Fowl Play’, each reel has equal odds, resulting in multiple consecutive spins being used up quickly but could pay out seriously well due solely because this doesn’t end like most others – when they land exactly seven birds’ heads displayed.
And then there’s the option to choose from five progressive free games: 5 Chicken Wilds plus all normal chicken symbols; Five chickens each worth x1000 your stake per combination at time of landing and so forth…
Free Spins
As for those bonus spins themselves, in standard mode you’ll receive up to eleven at once when winning (max) or just six if losing but this can go over much higher value. Each one promises x500 multipliers combined! That’s a lot more free cash potential compared with Chicken Road 1 which had somewhat restricted possibilities – though it made good for higher variance overall.
RTP and Volatility
In terms of its internal mechanics, we should note that Betsoft Gaming has opted to employ an RTP (Return To Player) rate around %96 here. Not too shabby; this indicates quite a bit less volatility compared with what’s often encountered at slot machines today since losing sessions may become fewer still…but perhaps not always immediately following winning ones either.
The minimum bet begins at $1 while maximum goes up to 250 dollars per spin – offering some flexibility depending how far you’d like your gaming experience take place from simple casual spins over towards something more committed investment approach.