Introduction to Cygnus 6
Cygnus 6 is a casino slot from ELK Studios, extending the cosmic series to another mysterious location, this time inviting us to engage in some stargazing over the Lost City of the Incas. The mighty constellations have graced us with their ancient powers above such iconic landmarks as the Egyptian Pyramids in the original Cygnus, the Colosseum in Cygnus 3, and the City of London in Cygnus 4, and now it's time for the South American night sky hanging over Machu Picchu to show what it's capable of. Following the format of previous instalments, we'll be playing with round symbols rolling down the grid, pulled by gravity, hoping to lead them to the bottommost positions to activate their respective features. For the first time in the saga, we'll have the opportunity to directly benefit from the constellations displayed underneath the grid whenever we manage to activate two or more stars from their pattern. Completing a constellation leads to the Cygnus Realm, a plane beyond time and space, where you'll be gathering mystery symbols throughout 3 resettable spins for a chance of otherworldly wins up to 50,000x the bet.
If you don't feel like astronomy is your strong suit yet, you can study the constellations and other secrets of the cosmos safely in the demo mode available at the top of the page.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Cygnus 6 is a video slot from ELK Studios with 6 reels, 4-8 rows, and up to 262,144 ways to win. You can choose your stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.2 up to a Max.bet of 100. The game offers a default RTP of 94.00%, which is significantly lower than the industry standards that oscillate around 96%-96.5%, so be mindful of potential lower long-term returns. The math model combines medium-high volatility, which prioritises the higher average value of the big wins above their frequency, with a max win capped at 50,000x the bet. The base game hit frequency is 24.3%.
For the sixth part of its stargazing series, ELK Studios picked Peru and its national treasure, Machu Picchu, as the setting for watching the sky in search of powerful constellations. A majestic view spans the main scene, showing mountains towering on both sides with ancient Inca structures scattered on their hills and vast lands far toward the horizon. Since the stars are our main object of interest, it's night, and the skies are mostly clear, with occasional clouds lazily floating across. The atmosphere is permeated with the feeling of spirituality and mystery, as well as infinite energy pouring from outer space into two massive obelisks flanking the playing grid. The stone structure on which we'll be arranging symbols into wins glows with a mystical turquoise aura, letting us know that it's ready to burst with fantastic prizes anytime. You can try to release all that power by playing the game on any modern device, whether you prefer to use a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
The paytable carries two sets of distinct symbols responsible for delivering standard wins whenever at least 3 matching instances land on adjoining reels, starting from the leftmost one. Low-paying symbols take the form of blue, green, and red gemstones, awarding 0.2x the bet for sets of 6 on a winning way. High-paying symbols are represented by crystal emblems depicting a vulture, a snake, a tiger, and a star, offering a payout range of 0.3x to 5x the bet for landing a 6-of-a-kind combination. Alongside regular symbols, reels are also populated with special ones like Wilds, Multipliers, Star Chargers, Bonus, and Max Win.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Cygnus 6?
You can win up to 50,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Cygnus 6?
The features are Avalanche, Multiplier, Star Charger, Star Constellations & Starlight, Cygnus Realm, Bonus Game, and Feature Buy (X-iter).
Avalanche
After every win, the involved symbols disappear from the grid, allowing the remaining ones to roll down to the left or right, depending on the available space. Next, new symbols are added to complete the view, while increasing the total number of active rows by 1, up to a maximum of 8. On a fully expanded grid, the maximum number of ways to win is 262,144.
Multiplier
A Multiplier symbol, represented by a white 'X', will increase the multiplier tower on the left by one step once it reaches the bottommost position of the grid or touches the said leftmost column. Following that, it transforms into a Wild.
Star Charger
A glowing orb of energy in a gold frame is the Star Charger symbol. Whenever it reaches the bottom of the grid, it activates between 1 and 3 stars in the currently active constellation and then turns into a Wild.
Star Constellations & Starlight
The active constellation is always shown on the right obelisk, and its pattern will be present on the grid underneath the symbols. Creating a winning combination over such a position activates the corresponding star. When two or more stars from the same constellation have been activated, the Starlight feature is awarded, turning all symbols along one or more of its lines into matching instances. After triggering Starlight, Bonus Round, or Cygnus Realm, the game advances to the next constellation in order.
Cygnus Realm
Once you activate stars on all four constellations, you'll be awarded the Cygnus Realm feature. The round consists of 3 drops on a full 6x8 grid, during which only mystery, premium mystery, and blocker symbols can land. Each mystery symbol locks into its position, and premium mystery symbols additionally reset the number of drops back to 3. Once all drops are used, all active positions turn into the same paying symbol.
Bonus Game
Bonus symbols ending up on the bottommost position before the next Avalanche are removed and dropped at the top of an adjacent left column. When the Bonus symbol reaches the left multiplier tower, the game releases 7 free drops. If the multiplier was increased during the triggering round, it will be carried over to the bonus, where it will not reset throughout the entire game. After every winning round during the bonus, the safety level rises by 1 row, and leading another Bonus symbol toward the left column awards 3 extra spins.
Feature Buy (X-iter)
Like most from ELK Studios, Cygnus 6 comes with the X-iter menu that contains several options for triggering features and bonuses for a set price.
2.5x = Bonus Hunt with more than a three times higher likelihood of triggering the Bonus Game.
5x = Mega Hunt with more than eight times higher likelihood of triggering the Bonus Game.
50x = Cosmic Spin, played with a random multiplier and a maxed-out grid.
100x = Regular Bonus Game.
500x = Shooting Stars feature, guaranteeing a Cygnus Realm trigger with a random multiplier and mystery symbols.
Final Thoughts on Cygnus 6
ELK Studios has proven multiple times that transforming a successful release into a long-lasting series is something they excel at in sequels like Tropicool 4, Nitropolis 5, and Pirots 4. Cygnus 6 is another example of an ongoing saga that spans over six years and doesn't give any signs of slowing down. At times like this, we wonder how challenging it is to come up with new ideas when releasing yet another instalment revolving around the same theme and mechanics that must follow certain rules to remain familiar. However difficult and time-consuming the process, ELK has pulled it off again, with a visually spectacular setting that stays both comfortably recognisable and refreshingly different from the previous parts. Even though all episodes of this cosmic journey have been visually captivating, each following release brings something original to the scene, and this time it's a magnificent view of South American mountain ranges housing the legendary Inca city. The ancient settlement makes a solid impression acting as the background, while the spectacular effects poured into the grid, its symbols, and feature triggers make the entire narrative feel even more mystical and powerful. The omnipresent extraterrestrial energy makes itself known more intensely than ever before.
As befits a fifth sequel, the core mechanical setup remains almost identical, with six reels and up to eight rows making up the main stage, with a familiar rolling motion of symbols and an increasing multiplier on the left column. What's new is the progressive element in the form of constellations, which need their individual stars activated by creating wins in specific positions and triggering certain features. Once you manage to tick them off, they'll reward you with transforming their corresponding lines on the grid into matching symbols, which proved to be a welcome assist during our testing. Not a game-changing one, yet one that we couldn't help but keep an eye out for. The culminative moment of the journey through four constellations is the Cygnus Realm, a mighty bonus of three respins, during which you get to pack the grid with as many mystery symbols as possible. That's one extremely volatile beast, but you can clearly see how fruitful it could be, given you play on a full 6x8 grid, potentially also with a multiplier if you manage to build it up during the triggering base game spin. Closing the line-up is the standard Bonus Game with a persistent multiplier and rising safety levels, plus the usual selection of X-iter options for those who yearn for a more risky approach.
Cygnus 6 is a surprisingly original, given the extent of the series, successive follow-up to the cosmic saga, with spectacular visuals and fresh additions to the gameplay.
