Overview of Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 5-reel, 10-payline online slot game developed by Barcrest Gaming (now part of Scientific Games). The game is themed around Aardman Animations’ popular stop-motion animated film of the same name. Released in 2000, Chicken Run became an instant classic and has since been followed by numerous sequels and merchandise tie-ins.
The movie’s storyline revolves around a group of farmyard animals attempting to escape Chicken Run their greedy farmer, Mr. Tweedy, with Ginger the intelligent chicken taking center stage as the protagonist. Similarly, the slot game embodies this escapade spirit, inviting players to join in on an entertaining adventure where fortune and fun come together.
Design and Layout
Upon launching Chicken Run, one of the first things that strike the eye is its colorful, vibrant design inspired by the film’s animation style. Players are welcomed into a scenic farm setting with cartoon-style graphics that transport them straight onto the main stage. The slot features large game icons, including Ginger and other beloved movie characters, adding to an overall lively atmosphere.
A subtle farmhouse theme envelops the background, while intricate details are present throughout, ensuring players don’t miss out on any piece of action within the game. Beneath these visual delights lies a clear structure of what’s expected from this slot – straightforward gameplay paired with decent graphics and exciting features that unfold as you spin those reels.
Symbols
Chicken Run boasts an array of symbols inspired by its theme:
- Low-paying Symbols:
- Ace (10)
- King
- Queen
- Jack
These are the standard playing card symbols found in most slot games. With relatively low payouts when compared to other icons, their primary function is to create combinations with higher-valued symbols.
- Medium and High-Paying Symbols:
- Farmer’s Wife : This symbol, accompanied by her sinister smile, offers a payout of up to 50 times the bet.
- Mr. Tweedy & Mrs. Tweedy : As characters from the original film, these two offer payouts ranging from 10-20 times the stake each.
These symbols contribute significantly to winning combinations and often serve as substitutes in bonus rounds or other game features.
- Wild Symbol: Ginger (High-paying symbol)
Ginger is both a medium-high paying symbol but also acts as a Wild. This means it can substitute for any icon (except Scatters) in a combination, enhancing the chances of landing higher payouts or even triggering bonuses.
- Scatter Symbols: The Clucking Hen & Chicken Coop
The Scatters in this game are represented by the ‘Clucking Hen’ and ‘Chicken Coop’. Both icons have two different designs but remain as Scatter symbols. Landing 3+ on any spin awards a bonus, further adding to the fun.
Payouts
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Line Payouts: Chicken Run pays out line wins from left to right for regular winning combinations.
- The maximum payout achievable through Line Wins is x1500
- With all paylines active (Bet Max), a single Ginger Wild can reach up to 300 times the stake in one combination.
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Bonus Payouts: Free Spins, Bonus Features & Scatter Win
In addition to line payouts, Chicken Run offers various bonus rounds where winnings are also calculated differently:
Wilds and Substitution
As mentioned earlier, Ginger serves as a Wild symbol. It can substitute for any standard icon (excluding Scatters) in a winning combination, expanding potential wins.
Scatters & Bonuses
Landing 3+ Scatter symbols awards the Bonus game with either free spins or other special features:
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Clucking Hen: The Clucking Hen’s scatter provides up to 25 Free Spins and can be retriggered once per bonus round.
- In this feature, line wins are tripled in value and paid from left to right regardless of payline alignment.
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Chicken Coop: When the Chicken Coop Scatter appears, it offers between 5-15 Free Games along with a multiplier up to x3 for all symbols during these spins.
This means that even if you trigger different bonus features through Scatters multiple times in succession, each can be used as many times as possible to give your slot experience an extra boost.
RTP (Return-to-Player)
The Return-to-Player percentage is a crucial factor when evaluating slots for potential wins and gameplay. Chicken Run has been reported with an RTP of 96% , which while not among the highest available, still indicates a relatively fair return on investment compared to other games in its category.
Volatility
Chicken Run operates under medium-high volatility levels. While this means it might take longer or come less frequently than slots categorized as low-to-medium volatility, successful rounds do pay out more handsomely due to the increased potential.
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Betting Range: Players can engage with Chicken Run by choosing from a moderate betting range:
- Coin value: $0.01-$2.00 (depending on casino or region)
- Max Bet: Up to £50 per spin
Max Win
The maximum win available in this slot machine is 150,000 coins , which could be higher at various casinos due to their unique multipliers.
This amount can only be achieved if players use the highest bet option while getting five full line wins with Ginger as a Wild and the maximum value (which we calculated using our earlier math).
Gameplay
Engaging in Chicken Run slot is straightforward, suitable for both beginners who appreciate colorful visuals and seasoned gamers seeking something familiar yet intriguing. Each spin features an entertaining animation of farm animals running from Mr. Tweedy’s grasp.
As with most Barcrest slots, players will recognize the presence of a ‘Collect’ button on each line that awards accumulated wins after triggering additional game rounds or bonus rewards not covered within the standard play round results.