Alien Invaders Slot Overview
Alien Invaders is a casino slot from Pragmatic Play, taking players on an extraterrestrial journey to discover new methods of creating winning combinations. If you're a child of the '80s or '90s, the title may feel somewhat familiar, sounding similar to an old-school shoot 'em-up video game Space Invaders released in 1978. Depending on how you look at it, the two can have plenty or not much in common, but we'll explain that later. In any case, each tries to bring a dose of novelty into its genre through original gameplay mechanics. Alien Invaders introduces a brand-new base winning system that discards all the other familiar formats, like paylines, ways, or clusters. Additionally, it's charged with classic elements like Wilds, Multipliers, and Free Spins that fuse the old with the new. Let's see what's cooking in the distant world of quirky aliens.
Alien Invaders is a video slot from Pragmatic Play with 5 reels, 5 rows, and no traditional paylines, which have been replaced by a winning system originating from 3 matching symbols on the bottom row of the grid. Players can choose their stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.2 up to a Max.bet of 240. The game offers a default RTP of 96.50%, although two lower variants of 95.50% and 94.50% are also available for operators. Players will experience high volatility, with a max win capped at 5,000x the bet. The probability of winning the top prize is, on average, 1 in 27,472,527 spins, while the bonus game triggers at a rate of 1 in 206.71 spins. The expected base hit frequency is 34.48 %.
Aliens are very attached to their fortunes, so it will take a bunch of powerful features to convince them to let them go. The features of Alien Invaders are Marked Row & Cascading, Wild Symbol, Scatter Symbol, Win Multiplier, Free Spins, Ante Bet, and Feature Buy.
Alien Invaders Slot Information
Despite the game's title suggesting it's humans that might be invaded by aliens, we find ourselves on some barren planet in outer space. Whether it's their home or just a beachhead from which they will launch the attack, it's difficult to say. All we can see are stars shimmering in the deep blue sky and a rocky reddish surface spanning from side to side. However, upon entering the bonus round, we’ll be transported to a human settlement to witness the alien fury. On the right, a quirky, seemingly innocent big-eyed creature floats in its tiny spaceship, guarding the playing area sitting in the middle. The grid is enclosed in a futuristic frame equipped with light panels and an active laser beam separating the bottom row from the rest of the board. That lowest line is crucial, as you need to score at least 3 matching symbols on it to trigger a winning combination and collect other identical symbols from the activated reels. Players can set out on this intergalactic voyage from any modern device, whether they're using a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
The paytable contains a line-up of 9 regular symbols. Each has only one payout level and combinations are evaluated based on the amount of symbols included in them. The low-value icons comprise emblems from playing cards, like 10, J, Q, K, and A, awarding 0.05x to 0.1x the bet per instance. High-paying symbols are represented by various alien creatures in different colors: yellow, teal, blue, and orange. Those pay from 0.25x to 1x the bet for each unit in a combination. Additionally, players will see Wilds in the form of a scary purple alien and Scatters appearing as falling meteors.
Alien Invaders Slot Features
What is the max win in the slot Alien Invaders?
You can win up to 5,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Alien Invaders?
The features are Marked Row & Cascading, Wild Symbol, Scatter Symbol, Win Multiplier, Free Spins, Ante Bet, and Feature Buy.
Marked Row & Cascading
The bottom row of the grid is always highlighted and it's a starting point for any winning combinations. On each spin, every column will receive between 3 and 5 random symbols. Whenever at least 3 identical icons appear on the bottom row, they will create a winning combination to which any matching instances from the respective columns above will be added. Next, winning symbols will disappear and trigger a cascade that drops all others down the grid to potentially award more hits.
Wild Symbols
Wilds appear only on the middle reel during the base game and on reels 2, 3, and 4 during free spins. Traditionally, they substitute for any other regular symbols in winning combinations, but only when they end up on the bottom row. Also, they can carry a multiplier of 1x, 3x, 3x, 5x, 10x, or 25x.
Scatter Symbol
Upon reaching the bottom row, the Scatter symbol explodes and removes all symbols adjacent to it horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. All removed symbols pay according to their paytable value like they would when forming a winning combination.
Win Multiplier
On every base game spin, the starting value of the win multiplier is x1. For every 10 symbols exploded, the counter grows by +1x. Additionally, any multipliers achieved from Wilds reaching the bottom row will be added to the total win multiplier value.
Free Spins
Collecting 3 or more Scatters during a single spin activates 7 free spins, plus 3 extra spins for every additional Scatter beyond the third. During the game, the number of symbols on each reel is set to 3, but can randomly increase on any spin. In such a case, the number of symbols remains higher until the end of the bonus. Throughout free spins, any multiplier increases are persistent, Wilds can carry additional higher values of 50x and 100x, and Scatters hitting the bottom row award +1 spin.
Ante Bet
Players can activate the Ante Bet for a double chance to activate the bonus in exchange for an increased base bet by 25%.
Feature Buy
There's also a possibility to trigger free spins instantly in one of two modes for a fixed buy-in.
65x = Regular Free Spins
400x = Super Free Spins with a starting win multiplier set to x50.
Alien Invaders Slot Conclusion
As mentioned in the article's intro, Alien Invaders might have been inspired by the retro Space Invaders video game. And while the resemblance may not be as specific as in Orbitfall by ELK Studios, there are elements (aside from the title) that could be construed as a subtle connection. For one, the bottom row being the central part of the game can remind us of the line on which the player's ship moves in Space Invaders. Secondly, fired shots could only travel upwards in straight lines, just like winning combinations can only collect matching symbols from the activated reels. On the other hand, it all may just be one big coincidence. Still, it's worth highlighting that Pragmatic tried something new here, as opposed to countless remakes and sequels that usually come from their assembly line. It's definitely different but is it innovation that brings something new to the table or simply an attempt to rearrange the base elements to create an impression of novelty? It's difficult to judge, but the points for effort are due. On top of that, mixing this unique winning mechanism with traditional, familiar features feels like the right step in this case to not flip every single part of the game on its head.
On the audiovisual front, the game offers a likable yet relatively plain space theme populated by a bunch of quirky aliens. The design style follows what we've seen in many other releases from Pragmatic Play, like Rocket Blast Megaways or Monster Superlanche. As usual, the quality of the graphics is there but the content offers a relatively generic experience.
Alien Invaders scores points for inventing a new base win format but ultimately may not be original and gripping enough to become a new trend.
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