Introducing the first underwater release by AvatarUX, which is essentially a revamped version of their previous game, PiggyPop. However, there have been some notable changes to the math model, including a more favorable 96% RTP. ReefPop offers stunning visuals of the underwater world and employs the PopWins mechanic to expand the grid from 6×4 to a maximum of 6×6 in the base game. To trigger the bonus round, players must fill the grid to its maximum size of 6×8, where it remains locked for the duration of the feature. Each PopWin also increases a multiplier by +1, which never resets and has no upper limit, making it possible to achieve the game’s maximum potential of 10,000x. This visually appealing game allows wins from both directions and offers between 8,192 and 524,288 ways to win thanks to the dynamic grid. Symbol values range from 1x to 3x your stake, but there are no wild or scatter symbols. The PopWins mechanic removes winning symbols and replaces them with 2 new random symbols, expanding the grid and increasing the number of win ways. In the base game, up to 6 positions per reel are possible, but to trigger the bonus round, all 6 reels must have 6 positions each. The grid can expand to 8 positions per reel during the bonus round. Reels reset to the lowest achieved height between free spins, and players start with only 3 free spins. However, landing a win resets the free spins tally to 3, and the global win multiplier starts at x1, increasing by +1 per PopWin for the duration of the bonus round. The Golden Shark symbol carries a multiplier equal to the number of symbols in view, and maxing out the grid with 8 positions per reel increases the Golden Shark multiplier by +2x per symbol. Before the bonus round begins, players have the option to gamble and increase the default grid height. However, losing the gamble results in the loss of the entire bonus round. The Bonus Buy menu offers three options, including purchasing the standard bonus round for 100x the stake, paying 100x the stake to activate the Gamble Wheel feature (with the risk of losing the payment), or paying 400x the stake for a bonus round with a 6×6 starting grid. The game review video showcases a starting grid of 5×5 with 18,750 ways to win, achieved after three unsuccessful gambles. The bonus round starts at 1:27 in the 3:16-minute video. ReefPop has a decent hit rate of 1 in 172 spins for the bonus round and a hit rate of 1 in 10,035 spins for wins between 5,000 and 10,000x your stake in the regular bonus round. The hit rate increases to 1 in 2,543 spins in the maxed out version of the bonus round, and the win cap hit rate is 1 in 29,069 for the top-tier feature. Purchasing the top-tier bonus round gives players a 33.47% chance of getting their money back. However, one notable drawback of this release is the awkward spin pace, with a pause after each spin before the spin button becomes active again. This issue has been encountered in previous AvatarUX releases and remains a concern.
