Yggdrasil Master, AvatarUX, is at it again with yet another PopWin release, and you have to give them credit for stamina and morale, if nothing else. They seem hellbent on making this series succeed at all costs, or perhaps they’ve become content with feeding whatever niche-following they’ve managed to gather since the first release.
Little has been done to evolve the concept with this installment however, and PapayaPop comes with a10,542xpotential, which is unusually low for the PopWin series. The Art Deco fruit theme is nicely done though, and as usual, the game is all about expanding the grid via consecutive popwins. Everything is taken up a notch in the bonus round, not least because of the multiplier that increases per spin.
Winning symbols are ‘popped’ from the grid, and this also expands the reels by doubling each winning symbol position. New symbols fill the empty positions, which might lead to a new winning combo. If this is the case, the process repeats, and the grid expands further which also increases the number of win ways. Each reel can expand from 3 to 6 rows in the base game, awarding up to 7,776 win ways (which is really 15,552 ways, due to the pay both ways engine).
You trigger theBonus Roundwhen you manage to max outall 5 reels with 6 rows, and the feature comes with a2x starting multiplier. You can choose to gamble for more starting win ways up to 6,250, as well as a higher multiplier up to 5x, before the bonus round starts. If you go there, you’ll spin aGamble Wheelto try your luck, but also you risk losing the whole feature altogether, so choose wisely.
You start out with 3 lives, and the feature goes on indefinitely. Non-winning spins takes away one life from your tally, but winning spins reset the tally to 3 again. When all 3 lives are lost, the bonus round is over. You can now increase the grid with up to 9 rows per reel, which equals 118,098 win ways when maxed out.
The grid resets to the lowest row number between free spins, and not the starting size. This means that you can max out the grid at any point, and it will stay that way for the remainder of the feature. The multiplier increases by +1 for each free spins, no matter if you win or not. If you max out the grid with 9 rows per reel however, the multiplier increases by +2 per spin, and there is no upper limit to worry about.
ABonus Buy featureis included in certain jurisdictions (not the UK, for sure). It will set you back75xyour stake to buy the bonus round, and you can improve the feature via theGamble Wheel, if you dare. If not, you will start with a 2x multiplier and 486 win ways. In this context, you should know that the bonus round triggers organically once every 197 spins on average.
The bonus round is triggered after a longer popwin sequence, and you can see the gamble feature play out around 0:45 into the 3-minute highlights video. That’s right, we took our chances and improved our lot with a 3x multiplier and 2,048 win ways. How we fared in the bonus round itself however, you will have to see for yourself below.
Since there is nothing new included in PapayaPop to bring the PopWins concept forward, we might as well nitpick a bit about the pace. We have criticized previous installments for being too slow in filling up the empty reel positions during popwin sequences, something AvatarUX seems to have taken to heart with this release.
The problem now is the weird and annoying delay you get when you hit the spin button, and the pause between each popwin filler. It adds up to an awkward experience, where you hammer the spin button with the turbo switched on in frustration. The PopWin concept is struggling to break into the mainstream already, and ulcer-inducing gameplay like this is hardly helping its cause.
Pros
Cons
CherryPop- is another fruity installment in AvatarUX’ PopWin series, and it comes with a bonus round with a progressive win multiplier. The bonus buy option is included here too, as well as the free spins gamble feature. The volatility is high, and you can win up to 56,386x your stake.
HippoPop- is the 6th installment in the series, and you can expand the grid up to 5×6 also here. The base game comes with a progressive win multiplier, and it’s carried over into the bonus round. It does not reset between free spins, and this can lead to payouts up to 48,150x your stake.
BountyPop- also comes with the possibility of 6 rows per reel in the base game, and 9 rows during free spins. Max out the grid to trigger the multiplier bonus wheel, which can help you land payouts up to 55,000x your stake. The fantasy pirate theme makes this title stick out somewhat, and so does the bonus wheel feature.
AvatarUX, known for their PopWin series, has released a new game called PapayaPop. While the game maintains the Art Deco fruit theme, it lacks innovation compared to previous installments. PapayaPop offers a relatively low potential of 10,542x, which is unusual for this series. The gameplay revolves around expanding the grid through consecutive popwins. The bonus round amplifies the excitement with an increasing multiplier per spin. Winning symbols are removed from the grid, doubling the size of each winning symbol position. New symbols fill the empty spaces, potentially creating new winning combinations. This process continues, expanding the grid and increasing the number of win ways. In the base game, each reel can expand from 3 to 6 rows, providing up to 7,776 win ways. When all 5 reels reach 6 rows, the bonus round is triggered with a 2x starting multiplier. Players have the option to gamble for more win ways and a higher multiplier before the bonus round begins. However, this comes with the risk of losing the entire feature. The bonus round continues indefinitely, with non-winning spins deducting lives and winning spins resetting the tally to 3 lives. Once all lives are lost, the bonus round ends. The grid can be expanded up to 9 rows per reel, resulting in 118,098 win ways when fully maximized. The grid size resets between free spins, but if it reaches the maximum size, it remains that way for the rest of the feature. The multiplier increases by +1 per spin, and if the grid reaches 9 rows per reel, the multiplier increases by +2 with no limit. A Bonus Buy feature is available in certain jurisdictions, allowing players to purchase the bonus round for 75x their stake. It can be enhanced through the Gamble Wheel, but caution is advised as it could result in losing the feature entirely. The bonus round triggers naturally approximately once every 197 spins. The pace of PapayaPop has been improved compared to previous installments, but there is still a delay when hitting the spin button and between each popwin filler, which can be frustrating. Despite these issues, the PopWin series continues to offer entertaining features and high volatility. Other notable games in the series include CherryPop, HippoPop, and BountyPop, each with their unique themes and mechanics.