Buggin Slot by ELK Studios: Free Demo & Game Review 2024

Buggin Review

ELK takes you into an idyllic garden in this game, at least at first glance, but it’s crawling with bugs and critters when you take a closer look. Buggin is filled with charming character bugs on the 7x7 grid, and it’s a colorful and mood-lifting cluster pays game. Fans of lengthy cascading sequences will be satisfied by all the modifier action prolonging your winning streaks, and the game revolves around merging multiplier wilds and 5 unique feature wilds.

The symbol values may curb your enthusiasm a bit though, as even longer cascades can lead to measly wins without the help of solid multiplier wilds. Winning symbols are collected to add up to 5 different modifier wilds in escrow, and multiplier wilds merge between spins to increase the wild multiplier. You get more of the same in the bonus round, and prefilled feature wilds action in the enhanced super bonus round. The max win of 10,000x is decent, but we know that the 94 % RTP is a deal-breaker for some players.

ELK Studios - Slot Developer

ELK Studios is known for feature-rich games with stunning visual presentations, and this Swedish developer started in 2012. They are a quality provider for sure, with more than 100 video slots out there by now, but we only wish they would consider RTP ranges instead of the 94 % RTP they’ve been going with lately.

Slot Theme And Storyline

Even the most idyllic garden is usually full of bugs if you look closely, and anything else wouldn’t be natural. The bugs are humanized to a certain degree in Buggin slot, and the dolled-up ladybug even cheers you with a glass of red wine. The presentation is bright and charming, and we like how you get to see through the grid before the symbols drop.

Buggin RTP, Volatility, And Max Win

The Buggin RTP of 94 % is well below average, which is not uncommon for ELK releases these days. The volatility is on the higher side of medium, scoring 7 out of 10 on ELK’s volatility scale. The Buggin max win is 10,000x your stake, which is well above the industry average according to our numbers.

Buggin Slot - Reels Screen

Buggin Rules And Gameplay

You can place bets between €0.2 and €100 per spin in Buggin slot, which is a solid bet range that should suit most player types. This is a cluster pays game, meaning that you win by landing 5 to 12+ matching symbols in a cluster anywhere on the 7x7 grid. You get plenty of different Wild symbols in this game, and they all have in common that they substitute for any pay symbol to help complete or improve cluster wins.

Symbols And Paytable

Buggin Bonuses And Special Features

ELK has crammed a lot of features into Buggin slot, that’s for sure, and everything revolves around wilds that merge to increase their multipliers. Feature wilds are unleashed as well, and you get more of the same in the bonus round. Let’s dive in!

Cascading Wins

Winning symbols are removed via the Cascading Reels mechanic, with new and existing symbols dropping down to fill the gaps. This repeats as long as your winning streak lasts, but wilds that partake in a win are never removed. An x1 multiplier wild will be generated in one empty position if no regular wilds partake in the cluster win, and all wilds in the same cluster win merge into one between drops as their multipliers are added together.

Big Symbols

You can land larger versions of the pay symbols, and sizes 2x2 and 3x3 are possible at any time.

Progress Bar & Feature Wilds

Winning symbols are collected to fill the progress bar above the grid, and you get a random feature wild in escrow each time the meter is filled in the same cascading sequence. The feature wilds you have in escrow are all released simultaneously when the current cascading sequence comes to an end. Only feature wilds that partake in a win activate their respective modifier, and they work as follows:

• Big Wild - transforms a random pay symbol into size 2x2 or 3x3.
• Multiplying Wild - adds its multiplier to all wilds that are not part of any win.
• Random Wild - replaces 2 to 4 random pay symbols with regular wild symbols.
• Removing Wild - removes all instances of the lowest value symbol.
• Upgrading Wild - upgrades all instances of a random pay symbol.

Wild Redrops Feature

A random feature wild of the 5 in the Wild Inventory (escrow) will be marked by a lock per spin. If you activate enough feature wilds to reach this locked feature wild, it unlocks the Wild Redrop feature. The prefilled feature wilds are all released in this redrop, while regular wilds remain active in their respective positions.

Buggin Free Spins No Deposit & Super Free Spins

You win 7 free spins when you land 3+ bonus symbols in view, and you get 7 super free spins if the bonus round is triggered by at least 1 super bonus symbol. The regular bonus round plays out like the base game, and you win +3 extra free spins from 3 bonus symbols in view in both tiers of the feature.

You can upgrade to the super bonus round if one of the retriggering bonus symbols is a super bonus symbol. The super bonus round comes with a prefilled feature wild inventory where all inventory wilds are locked. These are activated when collected the first time, and they drop on the next free spin.

Buggin Bonus Buy (not UK)

Eligible players can take advantage of the X-iter bonus and feature buy menu. This does not change the RTP, and the menu comes with the following options:

• Bonus Hunt - pay 3x your stake to boost your bonus round chances by more than 3x.
• 2 Feature Wilds - pay 5x your stake to get 2 prefilled feature wilds released.
• 4 Feature Wilds - pay 10x to get 4 prefilled feature wilds released.
• Bonus - pay 100x the stake to get the bonus round.
• Super Bonus - pay 500x the stake to get the super bonus round.

Buggin Slot - Reels Screen

Review Summary And Verdict

There’s no doubt that ELK knows how to deliver action-packed games with plenty of stuff happening on the grid. It’s rare to only get a single win in this game, as cascades tend to pile up extra wilds, and usually, feature wilds are added to the mix as well. This happens quite often actually, but the result is not always that impressive in terms of winnings. You get plenty of bang for your buck in terms of entertaining cascading sequences at least, but you may get tired of the measly returns after a while.

The symbol values are low to balance out all the wild and multiplier wild action, we get that, but it’s also a bit annoying to have the number of wilds reduced all the time as they merge. The mayhem can more easily reach a crescendo in the bonus round, especially the super version, but it’s a hit-or-miss affair most of the time. When things go your way the feature can go on for a good while, and larger payouts tend to come via beefed-up multiplier wilds towards the end. The 10,000x potential is solid enough, but you get the annoying 94 % RTP as usual from ELK.

Pros And Cons Of Buggin Online Slot

How To Play Buggin At An Online Casino

Perhaps you’re itching in the trigger finger to get started playing for real money, but we still suggest you test the free demo version of the game first. We have given you our take on the game in the Buggin review verdict above, and you need to make up your own mind about it before you play for real. If you feel ready, however, follow these simple steps:

• Hit this link to find a verified Buggin casino at the top of this page (below the demo game).
• Sign up with your chosen casino and deposit money to claim your welcome bonus.
• Head to the game lobby and search for Buggin slot.

Similar Slots To Try

If you love Buggin, you can also try:

Propaganda - comes with a far more somber theme, but this ELK release utilizes similar features and modifiers as the game at hand. You’ll benefit from cascades, combining and splitting multiplier wilds, and winning symbols building the overall win multiplier. It never resets in the free spins feature, for payouts up to 25,000x your stake.

Elemento - is a cluster pays release from Fantasma, and it comes with 4 different wild modifiers based on the 4 elements of nature. They can remove symbols, upgrade symbols, as well as add extra wilds in different ways. You get a multiplier that can increase up to x99 in the bonus round, and the max win is 16,000x your stake.

Dam Beavers - is a charming ELK release with their innovative CollectR win mechanic. There are 4-floor levels these busy beavers can drop down to, and collecting symbols trigger modifiers of different kinds. Uncover the mega max win coin on the lowest floor to crack the 10,000x potential.

Play Buggin Slot On Your Mobile

We can assure you that Buggin game is optimized for all handheld units, and you can play this game on both mobile phones and tablet devices. Choose between Android or iOS units as you see fit, and you don’t need to download any app to play either. The game works directly in your mobile browser, the same as all demo games on this website and in the mobile casinos we recommend.

Strategy And Tips For Winning

The bonus hunt may be pricy at 3x your stake, but it’s something to consider as part of your Buggin slot strategy if you can afford it (and are eligible). It more than triples your bonus round chances after all, but you may be better off simply purchasing the bonus or super bonus round instead. The base game can go on for a good while thanks to the lengthy cascades, so these are strategic options to consider.

Buggin Demo Version And Free Play

We recommend that you check the free Buggin demo game via this link to the top of the review page. Testing the demo game risk-free is the best way to understand what you’re up against when things get real at a casino. Get a sense of the ebb and flow of the volatility and test the different bonus features via the buy menu. When you feel ready, you will find casinos confirmed to carry this title right below the demo game.