Chicken Run is a casino slot developed by Barcrest Games, a UK-based gaming company acquired by Scientific Games Corporation in 2015. Released in 2000, it has been a staple in online casinos for over two decades, and its popularity continues to soar among players worldwide.
Theme and Design The game’s theme Chicken Run revolves around the classic British comedy film of the same name, released in 2000. Players are transported to a quaint farm setting where chickens must escape from evil farmer Hugo Z. Hacker (played by Stephen Fry). The design is charmingly retro-futuristic, with colorful graphics and animations that bring the characters to life.
The game’s layout consists of five reels and three rows, set against a backdrop of rolling hills and sky-blue skies. Symbols include main characters like Ginger (the protagonist) and Mac (her love interest), as well as farm-related icons such as chickens, hens, eggs, and Farmer Z. Hacker himself serves as the wild symbol.
Symbols Each game symbol has its own unique payout values and features:
- Wild Symbol : The Farmer Z. Hacker serves as a stacked wild, offering rewards of up to 2000x stake when landing five in a row.
- High-Paying Symbols : Ginger (2500x), Mac (1500x), Cluck Norris (1000x), and other chicken-related symbols pay between 500x and 750x for three of a kind, with payouts increasing for four or more matching symbols.
- Low-Paying Symbols : Card suits A-K offer smaller payouts ranging from 50-200 times stake.
Payouts Winnings are calculated using the classic slot machine formula: payout = (number of winning lines x multiplier) / bet per line. Players can choose to play with up to ten paylines, each awarding a maximum payout of 5000x stake for five matching symbols in sequence.
The game’s RTP (Return to Player) is an impressive 96%, making it one of the highest-paying slots among its peers. However, we’ll delve into this aspect further later on.
Wilds and Scatters Farmer Z. Hacker acts as both a wild and scatter symbol:
- Wild Symbol : Replaces any standard paying symbol to form winning combinations.
- Scatter Symbol : Awards payouts regardless of the number of paylines played, up to 500 times stake when landing three or more.
Bonus Features
Chicken Run features several exciting bonus games and free spins rounds:
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Free Spins Feature : Triggered by landing at least one scatter symbol anywhere on reels 2-5.
- Up to 32x the total bet is awarded, with a multiplier applied to all wins during this round.
- The feature can be retriggered once or twice.
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Stacked Wild Free Games : Three or more scatters activate this bonus:
- Eight free games are granted
- All wilds become stacked across reels 1-3 for increased winning potential
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Regular Wild Win Feature : This game offers two types of regular wins: a progressive win and an instant win:
- Progressive wins allow the player to choose whether or not to play it again, increasing their chances at landing large payouts.
Gameplay Chicken Run is available on various platforms, including desktops (Flash) and mobile devices. Players can adjust their bets using coins starting from 0.01 up to 40 per spin.
The betting range allows for flexible gameplay:
- Minimum bet: £0.1
- Maximum bet: £200
As players progress through the game’s various features, winning combinations accumulate in a separate meter labeled "Free Games Meter" or "Spin Bonus Feature". This accumulation tracks each free games award and its corresponding multiplier.