Octopays Pokie
A cute orange baby octopus brightens up the reels of this deep sea adventure from Microgaming. It’s a 5 reel pokie that comes with a format where symbols just need to stop on adjacent reels to make up a winning combination, while some nice bonus features are triggered by the cuddly cephalopod when he lands in the right places.
Mollusc Magic
At the bottom of the ocean we find a sunken ship part hidden in the gloom and forming a backdrop to the reels. They are framed by planks of wood, with the ones to either side highlighting the 243 Ways to Win that come with this pokie, while underneath, further bits of driftwood act as the control buttons.
These are used to determine the bet per spin, with players having the option to stake as little as 0.01 per coin for a total of 0.30, or the value of a coin can be increased to 1.00, and up to 10 coins can be activated, which equals a maximum stake of 300.00.
The payout table reveals what each symbol is worth when at least 3 of a kind land, with the standard playing card icons, 9 through to A being the low value ones. These may be the same symbols that appear on numerous other pokies from Microgaming, but there’s a subtle octopus silhouette behind each one to give it a slightly unique appearance.
Octopays
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The 9 is worth between 10 and 100 coins when it stops on 3 to 5 reels at once, while landing the A symbol on 3, 4 or 5 reels pays 15, 50 or 150 coins.
Various bits that are found at the bottom of the sea (well, maybe not in real life, but never mind), make up the higher value wins, with an anchor, old fashioned diving helmet and treasure chest being joined by a hammer-head shark. Up to 800 coins is the reward for landing the treasure chest, but there are also some bonus symbols to bring in some extra cash.
Our eight-legged friend is a wild symbol, landing on reels 2 and 4 only, but acting as any other main symbol if by doing so he can complete winning combinations. Getting him on both of these reels at once is the trigger for the Kraken feature, which sees a legendary giant squid take over proceedings in the solitary bonus round.
The Kraken is famous for destroying ships, and even makes an appearance in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but here the big beastie is our friend, awarding 12 free spins and reaching out across the reels to add up to 4 extra wild symbols to the mix.
The black octopus makes an appearance in this round, landing on reel 3 only and acting as an additional wild symbol, while also doubling the value of any winning combinations that he helps to create. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to re-trigger the spins if more wilds appear on reels 2 and 4, so players will have to wait until they land them again in the base game to enjoy the extra winning chances that can pop up in the free rounds.
The Verdict
With the exception of some very standard playing card symbols, it’s a good looking pokie that has an appealing central character. He bobs around a bit when completing a winning line, and of course pays out some nice wins during the free spins games, but it’s a shame there’s no chance of getting a bigger prize just by landing a line of the octopus on his own.
Having the ever-present playing card symbols dilutes the visual impact as well, although lots of people like to see familiar icons which they know will be the lower value ones, so it’s a matter of personal preference as to whether these are a good feature or not.
The 243 Ways to Win system has become very popular with Microgaming pokies recently, as players don’t need to memorise any invisible paylines, although it can lead to smaller, if more frequent wins.