AvatarUX would probably have benefited from going with a more mainstream theme on their firstPopWin mechanicreleases. TikiPop is much more pleasing to the eye than the initial titles in this series, even if the Polynesian island theme is somewhat of a cliché. The gameplay is still all about popping those wins, and adding rows to the grid as you go.
As we’ve mentioned in previous reviews, we still feel that something is off with the pace of the game. There is an annoying pause after the winning symbols have popped, and filling up the empty positions one by one takes way too long. The bonus round is certainly capable of exciting thrill rides here, like in previous titles, but we have to wonder how long AvatarUX can stretch this series with only minor changes to the features.
The PopWins mechanic is at the heart of everything here, and fans of the series will already be well acquainted with it. Every winning combination “pops”, and this creates 2 new symbol positions where only 1 existed before. This also means that the reel set increases in size, and you can add up to 2 extra rows per reel in the base game.
If you manage to increase all 5 reels to the maximum size of 5 rows, your total winnings will be subject to a2x multiplier boost. The win ways increase from468 to 6,250 in the base game, and these high numbers are also due to the win both ways setup.
You trigger the bonus round by landing at least 3 scatters on the same spin. You get7, 11 or 15 free spinswhen you land3, 4 or 5 scatters, respectively. You can choose to gamble to win more spins before the feature starts however, and you have a 50/50 chance of upgrading your bonus round to the next tier. If you don’t win, you’re kicked back to the base game with no mercy.
You will start with a randomly chosen reel configuration, where the least expanded is4-3-3-3-4. It goes all the way up to a fully expanded base game grid of5x5, but you can add 2 extra rows to that in the bonus round. You will now benefit from aprogressive multiplierthat increases with+1 for every PopWin. The multiplier comes with no upper limit.
Instead of resetting to the default setup, the bonus round reels decrease down to the shortest achieved reel size. If you manage to upgrade all reels to the maximum of 7 rows, that grid size will remain for as long as the bonus round lasts. This gives you33,614 win ways, which is the most you can achieve in this game.
You get2 to 4 extra spinswhenever you fully expand a reel. If you manage to expand all reels to the max, theprogressive multiplierwill increase with+2 per PopWin, instead of +1. Non-UK players canbuy the bonusround for 100x your total stake. You will then get 7 free spins, with the possibility of gambling for more.
We took advantage of the gamble feature, and got away with 15 free spins in total. The bonus round turned out to be quite lucrative, and bigger wins kept racking up towards the end. We thus landed a pretty solid total win, and you can see how it all played out in the 6-minute highlights video below.
If you’re already a fan of the PopWins series from AvatarUX/Yggdrasil, you will probably enjoy TikiPop as well. Visually, the game is an improvement from the earliest releases, as the symbols are more crisp and easy to distinguish here. The Polynesian-inspired theme comes with nice bright colors, and the PopWins mechanic is still going strong.
There is not enough here to convince any fences-sitters though, as nothing really new is brought to the table. If you reach the multiplier plateau level with a full size grid, things can get really interesting with the +2 increasing multiplier. The32,000xpotential might be a bit lower than some of the previous titles, but it’s still a higher max win than what most games out there offer by far.
Pros
Cons
CherryPop- comes with a glossy fruit slot inspired theme, and you will benefit from an unlimited progressive multiplier bonus round here too. The potential of 56,386x is significantly higher though, and this is perhaps the most popular installment in the series so far.
PopRocks- is AvatarUX PopWins mechanic debut slot, and it comes with extreme volatility. The 72,188x max win potential is equally extreme though, and it can be landed via the unlimited multiplier bonus round.
BountyPop- proved itself only 4 days after being released, when a lucky Swede landed a €170,000 bonus round win. The reels can expand up to 9 rows in the bonus round here, and you can win up to 55,000x your stake. There are 3 tiers to the bonus round, offering up to 100x multipliers.
AvatarUX could have benefitted from choosing a more mainstream theme for their initial releases of the PopWin mechanic. However, TikiPop is visually more appealing than the previous titles in the series, despite the cliché Polynesian island theme. The gameplay remains focused on popping wins and expanding the grid with additional rows. However, there is still an issue with the pace of the game, as there is an annoying pause after winning symbols pop and filling up empty positions takes too long. The bonus round provides exciting thrills, but it raises questions about how long AvatarUX can continue stretching the series with only minor feature changes. The PopWins mechanic is central to the game, and fans of the series will already be familiar with it. Each winning combination causes symbols to “pop,” creating two new symbol positions. This expands the reel set and allows for up to two extra rows per reel in the base game. Reaching the maximum size of five rows on all five reels results in a 2x multiplier boost to total winnings. The base game offers 468 to 6,250 win ways due to its win both ways setup. The bonus round is triggered by landing at least three scatters on a single spin, awarding 7, 11, or 15 free spins for landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters, respectively. Players also have the option to gamble for more spins before the feature begins, with a 50/50 chance of upgrading to the next tier. Starting with a randomly chosen reel configuration, the bonus round allows for expanding the grid to a fully expanded size of 5×5, with the ability to add two extra rows. A progressive multiplier increases by +1 with each PopWin, and there is no upper limit to the multiplier. Rather than resetting to the default setup, the bonus round reels decrease to the shortest achieved reel size. Upgrading all reels to a maximum of seven rows allows for a grid size of 33,614 win ways throughout the bonus round. Fully expanding a reel grants 2 to 4 extra spins, and reaching the maximum reel size increases the progressive multiplier by +2 per PopWin. Non-UK players have the option to buy the bonus round for 100x their total stake, granting 7 free spins with the opportunity to gamble for more. The gamble feature proved lucrative, resulting in a total of 15 free spins and significant wins. TikiPop is a visually improved installment in the PopWins series from AvatarUX/Yggdrasil. The symbols are clearer and easier to distinguish, and the Polynesian theme features vibrant colors. However, the game offers nothing new to convince those who are undecided. Reaching the multiplier plateau level with a full-size grid can be particularly exciting with the +2 increasing multiplier. While the 32,000x potential is lower than some previous titles, it still surpasses the maximum win offered by most other games. Overall, TikiPop is recommended for fans of the PopWins series who enjoy the mechanics and improved visuals. Additionally, other popular installments in the series include CherryPop and PopRocks, offering different themes and high potential wins. BountyPop has also gained attention with a significant bonus round win and the ability to expand reels up to nine rows, providing a potential win of up to 55,000x the stake and offering three tiers of the bonus round with up to 100x multipliers.