Candy Rush

Candy Rush (Pragmatic Play) Review

It’s hardly the first time Pragmatic Play has invited players to a sweet-flavored experience, and it likely won't be the last time either. Anyway, in Candy Rush the prolific provider has toned down the sweet tooth overload a bit and gone for a more laid-back and tranquil experience. You’re taken to the sugar-dusted shores of a tropical island, where candy coconuts grow on candy-cane palm trees and lollipops pop from the ground like mushrooms. They have come up with a brand new multiplier feature for this game, but let’s cover the basics before we get to all that.

Candy Rush plays out on a 7x7 cluster pays grid, which means you win when matching symbols form clusters vertically and/or horizontally anywhere on the grid. You need at least 5 matching symbols in a cluster to win, and this awards between 0.2x and 1x your stake. Up to 15 winning symbols per cluster are possible, awarding between 20x and 150x your stake. The symbols are a varied assortment of different-colored candy in the shapes of stars, hearts, and flowers, as well as simpler jelly bean-shaped candy as the lowest value symbols.

There are no Wild symbols in Candy Rush, but winning symbols are removed and replaced thanks to the Tumble mechanic. The defining feature of this game is the Underlay Multiplier, which shows up randomly in sizes from 2x2 to a full-grid 7x7. This Underlay starts with an x2 multiplier that boosts all affected winning symbols, and then it doubles per consecutive tumble win until it hits the upper limit of x128. Any wins after that will be boosted by the maxed out multiplier, and everything resets between base game rounds.

Candy Rush Reels Screen

It works the same in the regular bonus round, but you are then guaranteed to land the Underlay Multiplier on each spin. In the super bonus round, you get a guaranteed 7x7 Underlay Multiplier on each spin, and there is even a super bonus round 2 available in the bonus buy menu (together with 3 ante and super bet options for eligible players). Candy Rush is a medium volatility slot game, scoring 3 out of 5 on the in-game scale, featuring bet levels ranging from £0.20 to £240 per spin, an RTP of 96.58% (RTP ranges), a hit rate of 35.33%, a bonus round hit rate of 1 in 431.97 spins, and a max win of 15,000x your stake (hit rate of around 1 in 43.8m).

Candy Rush Features

Before we take a closer look at all the details in the feature department of this game, we would like to remind you that you can test the features for yourself in the Candy Rush free play demo. It’s located at the top of this page, so you can head up there after reading the review. Let’s get started!

Tumble Feature

The Tumble Feature kicks in whenever you land at least one winning cluster, removing all the winning symbols from the grid. The gaps are then filled with existing and new symbols dropping down, and the process repeats as long as you keep landing new winning clusters. This allows for indefinite winning streaks per round in all stages of the game.

Multiplier Underlay

The Multiplier Underlay can appear in sizes ranging from 2x2 to 7x7 in the base game, and as the name of the feature indicates, it appears beneath the symbols. The Multiplier Underlay’s initial value is x2, and it applies this multiplier to all winning symbols affected by it. Each tumble win that is affected by the Multiplier Underlay doubles its multiplier value, capped at x128. The Multiplier Underlay is removed between rounds.

Free Spins & Super Free Spins Bonus Round

Landing 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 scatter symbols on the same spin or within the same tumble sequence in the base game randomly triggers either the regular Bonus Round or the Super Bonus Round. This awards 10, 12, 15, 20, or 30 free spins or super free spins, respectively, and you are guaranteed a Multiplier Underlay of a random size per free spin. In the Super Bonus Round, you get a 7x7-sized Multiplier Underlay per spin, affecting the full grid. During either of the features, you win 10, 12, 15, 20, or 30 additional free spins from landing 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 scatters in view on the same spin or within the same tumble sequence, respectively.

Ante Bets & Bonus Buy (not UK)

Eligible players can choose between 3 Ante Bets and 3 Bonus Buy options in Candy Rush. Here is a complete overview of what’s on offer, starting with the Ante Bet options:

• Ante Bet - pay 4x your stake to increase your bonus round chances by 10 times (from 1 in 431.97 spins to 1 in 43.19 spins).
• Super Spin 1 - pay 10x your stake to get a randomly sized Multiplier Underlay with a random starting multiplier of x2 to x8 (bonus round cannot trigger on Super Spin 1).
• Super Spin 2 - pay 100x your stake to get a 7x7-sized Multiplier Underlay with a random starting multiplier of x2 to x32 (bonus round cannot trigger on Super Spin 2).
• FS or Super FS - pay 100x your stake to get one of these features randomly.
• Super FS 1 - pay 300x your stake to get FS with a guaranteed 7x7-sized Multiplier Underlay per spin.
• Super FS 2 - pay 750x your stake to get a randomly sized Multiplier Underlay per spin where the multiplier does not reset between spins.

Candy Rush Free Spins Gameplay Screen

Theme & Graphics

Candy Rush takes you to a tropical paradise where the palm trees are made of candy canes and lollipops shoot up from the green hills. Glazed donuts lie around on the beach like they’re on vacation, but other than that, the backdrop is not as loaded with sugary items as most candy world slots. A yellow star is taking a bath in the calm blue sea, and the tranquil soundtrack creates a relaxed spa-like atmosphere. The reels are filled with candy items of various shapes and colors, and they pop against the off-white symbol backdrop.

Candy Rush Free Play

Before you make up your mind about whether to play this game at a casino, we suggest you sample the free Candy Rush demo located at the top of this page. You can head up there after reading our verdict of the game below, and then you can see if you agree with our conclusion. Of course, you can take full advantage of the ante bet and bonus buy features and get a solid impression of what you are up against. When you’re satisfied with your Candy Rush free play session, casinos carrying this title await below the demo game.

Pros and Cons of Candy Rush

Our Verdict

Pragmatic Play has seen great success in the candy world genre, and given their ‘pragmatic’ nature, it’s no wonder they keep returning to this popular theme. I do like that Candy Rush ditches the usual sugary overdose and instead settles for an idyllic tropical setting with more space to breathe. This cleaner aesthetic is a breath of fresh air in this crowded genre, and it also allows the symbols to shine a bit more. The soundtrack is perhaps a bit too slow and sleep-inducing, though, not least for a game with ‘rush’ in the title.

That being said, the bright visuals and pleasant pacing (with 2 turbo options) make the experience feel just like you would expect from Pragmatic Play. We have to give them credit for being creative with the multipliers they keep coming up with for these types of games, and the Multiplier Underlay is an interesting twist and innovation. You never know what size it shows up in during base game play, and it can certainly do damage when filling the screen.

However, more often than not, you get a smaller size in the base game (and in the regular bonus round), which is to be expected. Also, it can be frustrating when you finally land a 7x7 Underlay, only to not land any wins to benefit from it. With the multiplier doubling per tumble, things can escalate quickly when you’re on a winning streak. During testing, I had far more luck in the Super Free Spins 1 feature than in the Super Free Spins 2 feature, despite the more than double price tag of the latter.

The varying Underlay size in Super FS 2 makes it more of a hit-or-miss affair compared to the consistent 7x7 full grid Underlay that boosts all wins in Super FS 1. Pragmatic Play should consider including a less pricey Ante Bet option for future releases, as 4x the stake is a bit too steep for many players despite the solid 10x increase of the FS hit rate. Overall, Candy Rush is a solid addition to their candy world collection that balances a relaxed atmosphere with high-octane mechanics, and the 15,000x win cap is pretty good for a medium volatility game like this.