Introduction to Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand
Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand is a casino slot from Light & Wonder featuring the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. You probably know the famous fairytale about the pigs who built their own houses of different materials. However, the big bad wolf tore down the first two houses by huffing and puffing, since they were so fragile. But he couldn’t tear down the third house, which was made of bricks. The moral of the story is that it’s better to be safe than sorry and spend time doing things properly without taking any shortcuts that can hurt you later.
If you’re a fan of Light & Wonder games, you have probably heard about this story before, since the developer has released many games based on it. Let’s see what differentiates this latest release from the previous slots.
Theme, Gameplay, and Payouts
Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand is a video slot from Light & Wonder featuring 5 reels, 3 rows, and 243 ways to win. In some bonus games, the reels can expand to 6 rows, giving you 7,776 ways to win. The Min.bet is 0.2, and the Max.bet is 800. The game’s default RTP is 96.00%, but you can also find a version with an RTP of 94%. Huff N’ Lots of Puff Grand has medium volatility and a max win capped at 10,000x the bet.
The game has the same simple old-school graphics as previous Huff N’ Puff games. We’re looking at a tall green hedge, and behind it are grass and trees. The reels are in the middle of the hedge, and above them are the upper halves of two spinning wheels. To the left is a display of the Jackpots. To make a win, you need to land at least 3 matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting on the leftmost reel. The game is available on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers.
The lower-paying symbols in Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand are 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A. They pay between 0.1x and 0.2x the bet for a 5-of-a-kind win. The higher-paying symbols are tapes, toolboxes, and Piggy 1, 2, and 3. They pay between 0.2x and 1x the bet for wins of 5 symbols. The Wild Symbol,depicted by the Wolf, substitutes all the mentioned symbols in making winning combinations. It doesn’t substitute the Hard Hat, Buzz Saw, Gold Buzz Saw, Wheel, or Diamond Wheel Symbols.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand?
You can win up to 10,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand?
The features are Wild Symbol, Frames, House Prizes, Wheel Feature, Super Wheel Feature, Buzz Feature and Super Buzz Feature, Mega Hat Feature, Super Mega Hat Feature, Mansion Feature, Super Mansion Feature, Ultra Mega Mansion Feature, Multi Hat Feature, Super Multi Hat Feature, Ultra Hat Feature, Ultra Palace Feature, and Free Spins Feature.
Wild Symbol
The Wild symbol can be used in place of all regular paying symbols with the exception of the Hard Hat, Buzz Saw, Gold Buzz Saw, Wheel, and Diamond Wheel symbols. The Wild Symbol only shows up on reels 2, 3, and 4.
Frames
The frames form a major component of the Free Spins Feature, the Buzz Saw Feature, the Mega Hat Feature, the Mansions Feature, the Multi Hat Feature, the Super Buzz Saw Feature, the Super Mega Hat Feature, the Super Mansions Feature, the Super Multi Hat Feature, the Ultra Hat Feature, and the Ultra Mega Mansion Feature. Each Hard Hat that comes up on a position that has no frame will result in a new frame being added or the existing one being upgraded.
The frames are obtained in a step-by-step manner, beginning with a Straw Frame, then progressing to a Stick Frame, after that to a Brick Frame, and finally to a Diamond Frame. The various bonus features determine which upgrades are available. In the Ultra Palaces Feature, new frames are added directly as Diamond Frames.
When a Hard Hat lands on a fully upgraded frame, the game will either upgrade another frame somewhere else on the reels, place a new frame on an empty position, or give a cash prize, according to the current feature. The frames remain locked in place for the rest of the feature, and only one frame can be in each position at a time.
House Prizes
On finishing a bonus feature, each frame is transformed into the corresponding house, and a prize is awarded. So Straw Frames turn into Straw Houses, Stick Frames become Stick Houses, Brick Frames become Brick Houses, and Diamond Frames become Palaces.
The Straw Houses give smaller cash prizes, the Stick Houses can pay out larger cash amounts or offer Mini and Minor Jackpots, Brick Houses provide even bigger rewards, which include Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand Jackpots, and the Palaces, as well as award high cash prizes and have the possibility of winning Minor, Major, Grand, or Super Jackpots.
Wheel Feature
The Wheel includes wedges for the Mansions Feature, the Mega Hat Feature, the Multi Hat Feature, the Upgrade, and the Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand Jackpots.
While you are playing, both jackpot wedges and feature wedges can be upgraded; for instance, the Mini Jackpot can be upgraded to become the Minor Jackpot, and the feature wedges can be upgraded to their Super versions. These upgrades will stay on the wheel until the Wheel Feature is triggered.
If you land on a feature wedge, you will receive 6 Free Spins with the associated feature; if you land on a jackpot wedge, you will be awarded that jackpot, and if you land on an Upgrade wedge, you get one spin on the Super Wheel. When the Wheel Feature has ended, the regular wheel once again returns to its default layout.
Super Wheel Feature
The Diamond Wheel symbols occur only on reels 2 and 4; in the base game, if one of them appears, it might have no effect, it might upgrade a Super Wheel wedge, it might trigger the Super Wheel Feature, or it might both upgrade the wheel and trigger the feature.
The Super Wheel features Super Mansions, a Super Mega Hat, a Super Multi Hat, as well as Minor, Major, Grand, and Super Jackpot wedges. These wedges can be upgraded even further to become Ultra Palaces, an Ultra Mega Mansion, an Ultra Hat, or the Ultra Jackpot.
When you land on a feature wedge, you get to start the bonus with 6 Free Spins, whereas if you land on a jackpot wedge, you are awarded the corresponding jackpot. Similar to the regular wheel, the upgrades stay in place until the Super Wheel Feature is triggered, after which the wheel is reset.
Buzz Saw Feature and Super Buzz Saw Feature
Buzz Saw symbols, having a blue background, and Gold Buzz Saw symbols, having a red background, occur only on reels 3 and 5.
During the base game, these symbols may do nothing, increase the Buzz Saw Toolbox by one, trigger the Buzz Saw Feature, or trigger the Super Buzz Saw Feature if at least one Gold Buzz Saw lands. At the start of the feature, the Buzz Saw symbols which are stored in the toolbox are placed at random positions; then each Buzz Saw moves across the reels and regards every position it comes to as though a Hard Hat had landed there, thus helping to form and upgrade the frames.g to build and upgrade frames.
After the feature has been played, the Buzz Saw Toolbox is reset and is able to hold a maximum of five Buzz Saws. The standard feature makes use of a 3-row grid, whereas the Super version increases the number of rows to six. If 3 or more Hard Hats are landed during the feature, this gives the player an additional Free Spin. Different reels are used in this case, and the Buzz Saw, Gold Buzz Saw, Wheel, and Diamond Wheel symbols cease to appear. Prizes from the house are given out when the feature finishes.
Mega Hat Feature
The Mega Hat Feature includes a special Mega Hat Spin before the 6 Free Spins start.
In this spin, the reels all spin together, and the only symbols that can show are the Mega Hat ones, in 2x2, 3x3, or 3x5 sizes; these symbols always appear complete on the reels.
Before the Free Spins begin, a Straw Frame is given to each position that is covered by a Mega Hat. If 3 or more Hard Hats are landed during the feature, an additional Free Spin is awarded. Instead, the alternate reels are used, the regular winning combinations stay unchanged, and the Buzz Saw, Gold Buzz Saw, Wheel, and Diamond Wheel symbols do not show up. Prizes from the house are given out at the end.
Super Mega Hat Feature
The Super Mega Hat feature is similar to the standard one in that it expands the reels to 6 rows. The Mega Hat Spin occurs before the Free Spins and causes Straw Frames to be awarded each time a Mega Hat symbol lands. If three or more Hard Hats land, an additional Free Spin is awarded. Alternative reels are used, the special wheel symbols are deleted, and the House prizes are given when the feature is completed.
Mansions Feature
When the Mansions Feature is started by the Wheel, three Hard Hats are placed on the reels before the Free Spins start.
A Brick Frame is created every time a Hard Hat appears. While the feature is in progress, landing three or more Hard Hats gives the player an extra Free Spin. The alternate reels are used, the special wheel symbols are deleted, and the House prizes are then awarded according to the completed frames.
Super Mansions Feature
The Super Mansions Feature increases the number of reel rows to 6. Before the feature begins, three Hard Hats are placed in and copied into the top three rows; each Hard Hat results in a Brick Frame. If three or more Hard Hats are landed, an extra Free Spin is awarded. Alternate reels are used, the special wheel symbols are deleted, and the House prizes are given when the feature finishes.
Ultra Mega Mansion Feature
The only symbols that appear during this spin are Mega Mansion ones, and they always land completely on the reels. The Hard Hat is different from the usual Mansions feature in that if it lands on a blank space after the first spin, it begins by forming a Straw Frame, which can then be upgraded in the normal way all the way up to a Diamond Frame.
Different reels are used; the special wheel symbols do not appear, and House prizes are awarded when the feature finishes.
Multi Hat Feature
When the Wheel causes this feature to be activated, three Hard Hats are placed on the reels prior to the 6 Free Spins starting.
The Single Hard Hats gain Straw Frames, whereas the Double and Triple Hard Hats function as though one or three Hard Hats had landed in the same position, which enables frames to be created or upgraded more quickly.
If three or more Hard Hat, Double Hard Hat, or Triple Hard Hat symbols land, then you receive an extra Free Spin. The alternate reels are used, the special wheel symbols are deleted, and the House prizes are paid afterward.
Super Multi Hat Feature
The Super Multi Hat Feature causes the reels to expand to 6 rows.
Before the feature, three Hard Hats are inserted and then copied onto the top three rows; single Hard Hats produce Straw Frames, whereas Double and Triple Hard Hats are counted as multiple Hard Hats on the same position.
If three or more Hard Hat symbols are landed, then an extra Free Spin is awarded. Instead, the alternate reels are used, regular wins are left unchanged, the special wheel symbols are removed, and then the House prizes are given after the feature.
Ultra Hat Feature
The Ultra Hat Feature also makes use of a 6-row grid.
Before the feature starts, three Hard Hats are placed on the reels and then copied into the upper rows. Individual Hard Hats produce Straw Frames, while Double and Triple Hard Hats function as multiple Hard Hats in the same position in order to speed up the frame upgrades.
If three or more qualifying Hard Hat symbols are landed, this gives the player an additional Free Spin. Instead, alternate reels are used, the special wheel symbols do not show up, and House prizes are given at the end.
Ultra Palaces Feature
The expansion of the Ultra Palaces Feature increases the number of reels to 6.
Before the feature starts, three Hard Hats are placed and then copied into the top three rows; rather than placing Straw Frames, each Hard Hat immediately puts in a Diamond Frame, and it is only Diamond Frames that appear during this feature.
If three or more Hard Hats are landed, then you receive an extra Free Spin. Instead, the alternate reels are used, the special wheel symbols are taken away, and the House prizes are given when the feature finishes.
Free Spins Feature
You trigger 6 Free Spins by landing 6 or more Hard Hats. If fewer than 6 Hard Hats land, the toolbox may randomly add between 1 and 6 extra Hard Hats in order to trigger the feature. After this has taken place, the toolbox resets.
A Straw Frame is formed each time a Hard Hat is triggered before the Free Spins start. While the feature is in progress, obtaining 3 or more Hard Hats gives an additional Free Spin.
Final Thoughts on Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand
Given that the big bad wolf has now been to the neighborhood of the three little pigs so many times, it's reasonable to think that he might be considering whether or not it's time to change careers. Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand certainly offers a wide range of features, including wheels, hats, buzz saws, mansions, palaces, and so many frame upgrades that they could keep a construction company occupied for months. Although it appears on the surface to be full of excitement, in fact, a great deal of it seems to be just a familiar reworking of the ideas we have already seen in the earlier Huff N' Puff games. It’s all the features from Huff N’ Lots of Puff, plus some extras that aren’t exciting enough, unfortunately.
The gameplay is good enough, and the reels expanding during some of the bonus rounds do help to make the experience more engaging. It can be enjoyable to chase jackpots and to gradually upgrade the frames, particularly when a number of bonus features occur at the same time.
The main issue is that the theme has lost its appeal. Light & Wonder has adapted the story of the three little pigs too frequently now, so this most recent version doesn't have much that's original. The basic graphics don’t manage to evoke a cozy feeling either; they feel very outdated. Although there are some new feature names and a couple of changes, at heart it's still the same house with only a new layer of paint. Once you've played through the earlier versions in the series, you'll most likely be able to predict nearly everything that takes place before the wolf even takes a deep breath.
Huff N' Lots of Puff Grand, produced by Light & Wonder, has a good number of bonus features, but still doesn't manage to move out of the shadow of its earlier games.
