In their latest slot game, Crazy Tooth Studio takes us to the skies on a balloon ride with The Incredible Balloon Machine. This unusual slot may throw many fans for a loop due to its distinct lack of a grid or reels.
Crazy Tooth Studio is known for pushing the boundaries of the slot gaming world. The Incredible Balloon Machine not only pushes, it throws those boundaries to the wind.
| The Incredible Balloon Machine Slot Summary | |
|---|---|
| Software Provider | Microgaming and Crazy Tooth Studio |
| Payline Number | 0, new game type |
| RTP | 96.75% |
| Minimum Bet | $0.20 |
| Maximum Bet | $50.00 |
| Wild Symbol | No |
| Scatter Symbol | No |
| Bonus Features | WiNCREASE, Multiplier, Pick Bonus |
| Jackpot | 3,082x bet |
Symbols and Winning Combinations of The Incredible Balloon Machine Slot
One of the first things you’ll notice about The Incredible Balloon Machine is a distinct lack of design features. Gameplay takes place against a backdrop of a blue sky where clouds meander across the screen lazily. The main play area is enclosed by uninspiring bronze latticework, the most interesting graphic on-screen is the bronze pipe apparatus holding the spin button and pressure gauge.
As for gameplay, The Incredible Balloon Machine deviates from the traditional slot by doing away with the grid and reels entirely. It is replaced by a central spin button, pressure gauge, and balloons to inflate. You play by holding the spin button to inflate a balloon, once the pressure gauge reaches the yellow section your wager is placed. From there, numbers appear on the surface of the balloon and the aim is to inflate the balloon as much as possible and clicking the ‘Collect’ button before it pops. The bigger your balloon gets, the more you win. This is the WiNCrease feature at play.
This may sound like simplicity itself, however, each balloon has a random popping point. You will also encounter many dead spins as well, this is where the balloon will pop before reaching the Wager stage of inflation. These elements counter potential strategies of consecutively collecting small wagers. This gameplay style is repetitive at best and frustrating at worst.
The music also left a lot to be desired. The backing track is a jazz-funk drum track interspersed with the release of a steam valve. Overall, the music felt out of place with the game setting and we ended up muting it.
Bonus Features of The Incredible Balloon Machine Slot
Thankfully, The Incredible Balloon Machine does have a couple of special features to break up the monotony.
The multiplier feature triggers randomly during base gameplay, a series of light bulbs numbered x2, x3, x4, x5, x7, and x10 appear on the screen and will light up until settling on one. The highlighted multiplier will then be applied to your win amount, so you can win big if you’re lucky enough to land a high multiplier.
The second special feature is the Pick Bonus mini-game. This feature will also be triggered randomly during base gameplay with the appearance of a black or gold balloon. Regardless of whether it pops or inflates to the full size the mini-game will start. You’re led to a new screen where you choose one balloon from the several on-screen. Once clicked, your chosen balloon will reveal a prize which may be credits or a multiplier. Balloons can also reveal the text ‘Advance’, which leads you to the next level, or ‘Continue’ which will end the mini-game and bring you back to the base game.
Verdict
Despite its 96.75% RTP and medium volatility, The Incredible Balloon Machine is a relatively low earner even with the multipliers and enticing wins of up to 3,082 times the bet.
We felt that despite its unique gameplay, The Incredible Balloon Machine does not live up to the potential inherent to innovative play styles. This slot quickly became a repetitive chore with too few features to offset that.
The Incredible Balloon Machine is a definite miss for us. However, if you would like to try your hand at balloon inflating we recommend playing the demo version first to avoid spending coins unnecessarily.