Reviews by Chloe

It’s awards season in the iGaming industry as we wrap up another fantastic year filled with innovation, creativity and excitement. These awards often come from panels of judges and organisations looking to honour those in the industry that they believe lead the charge, but often players get involved too. Each year, like many other online affiliate websites, we ask our Hideous Slots community to share their thoughts on the previous year with us. This helps the many studios working in this industry to get some feedback and thoughts from players as well as their esteemed colleagues.

Yggdrasil Gaming are one of the most recognisable names in the online slot industry, releasing scores of their own games every year and acting as an aggregator for a number of other studios to release their games. Their catalogue is a diverse one, exploring a range of themes and features to suit a variety of players. Their latest release, Valley of the Dead, delves into an atmospheric world where players can reap the souls of fortune. Introducing new GEMs BoltLock and OnlyWins, Valley of the Dead delivers thrilling mechanics and immersive visuals – just the right balance of innovation and familiarity. We sat down with Jose Simon Kadala, Commercial Director at Yggdrasil Gaming, to chat some more about this release.

Branded slot games are some of the most popular on the market, but they’re also some of the most difficult to get right. When you combine the entertainment of online gambling with imagery that players already know and love, striking the perfect balance isn’t easy. Players have high expectations, and studios often walk a fine line between doing too much and not enough. BGaming are one of the latest studios to step up to this challenge, transforming the iconic Snoop Dogg into a vibrant and engaging slot release, Snoop Dogg Dollars. We sat down with Alexandr Shavel, Product Owner at BGaming, to chat some more about this project, and how the team brought this legend to life on the reels.

Book games have been some of the most popular online slot concepts since they first made their way into the online slots world. With a straightforward concept and the possibility for huge wins, to this day players still find comfort in the simplicity of these releases. Whilst these releases usually go hand in hand with an Egyptian theme, sometimes a provider goes in a different directions and now it’s ESA Gaming that are pushing the boat out (pun intended) to combine the much-loved pirate theme with this famed mechanic. We sat down with Josefin Uppeke, Head of Game Production at ESA Gaming, to chat some more about this release and the future of the studio.

Here at Hideous Slots, we’re more than just a casino and slot review site; we pride ourselves on having a fantastic community of gambling enthusiasts from all walks of life. This community was forged through our YouTube channel where Will, our founder, live streamed slots for a number of years. As we have grown, so too has our team and our connections, and now we work closely with Fruity Slots, another YouTube channel offering live streaming content. We sat down with Scotty and Aisley, streamers for Hideous Slots and Fruity Slots, to get their opinion on the slots released so far this year, and find out a little more about their favourite games and studios. Read what they had to say, and check them out on YouTube – live streaming the latest releases 6 nights per week.

As December fast approaches, there are a few things you can be sure of; someone in your neighbourhood will put their Christmas tree up just a little bit too soon, Mariah Carey will be playing on repeat in the local supermarket, and slot providers will get to work incorporating Santa into their upcoming releases.

Every year, scores of companies and websites in the iGaming industry host their awards, hoping to showcase what they believe to be the best releases of the year. Whilst in many cases this is decided by a panel of judges, in others players vote to determine the winners. Here at Hideous Slots, we put the control in our readers and viewers hands, allowing them to vote for what they believe to be the best of the best – good old democracy. After Big Bamboo from Push Gaming won in 2022 and Holy Hand Grenade from Print Studios took the title in 2023, we’re pretty confident our community know what they’re talking about, and now we’re giving them even more choices this year.

It’s not often a truly groundbreaking slot sequel hits the market, no matter how many times it’s tried. Creating the perfect sequel is a delicate balancing act, with teams focusing on upgrading features, offering better potential and improving audiovisuals to create something that feels worth of its name. One studio who have been trying their hand at this are Nolimit City, who have released Fire in the Hole 2, a few RIP titles such as Tombstone RIP and Deadwood RIP, and who are now bringing us the most hotly anticipated sequel of the year – San Quentin 2: Death Row. We sat down with Per Lindheimer, Head of Product at Nolimit City, to find out some more about this release, the team’s approach and how it compares to their RIP releases.

Evolution are set to release a new feature aimed at improving the experience of slot players – Spin Gifts. Similar to jackpots and cash drops mechanics with a new twist, Spin Gifts offers players free spins on participating slot games, triggered randomly. When triggered, the Spin Gifts wheel will appear, allowing players to spin it and be awarded up to 100 free spins. These will be regular base game spins played at no cost, rather than entry into any bonus game on offer. Most importantly of all, any spins awarded from the Spin Gifts wheel will be awarded on the initial game stake – trigger the wheel on a €2 bet, and trigger up to 100 spins on €2.

If there’s one mechanic that we see time and time again, it’s the ‘book’ mechanic. Nearly every studio has tried their hand at a book game; that is, a game where special symbols can expand and pay anywhere on the reels. Now, Push Gaming are getting in on the action, combining their flagship mechanics and features with the classic allure of the book game to bring us Big Bam-Book. We sat down with Jack Marshall, Junior Game Producer at Push Gaming, to ask him some questions about this release.

The online gaming industry is one that is constantly growing and evolving. Every year, studios work to put out the most innovative, exciting and visually impressive releases possible. This year, Realistic Games showcased this innovation with Top Tenner. Offering a thrilling experience that promises to fuse classic charm with modern excitement, Top Tenner’s standout mechanic is the ‘win again’ feature, where players have the opportunity to be awarded their last ten wins again. We sat down with Raj Varadarajah, Game Producer at Realistic Games, to chat to him some more about this new release.

Making an online slot isn’t as easy as many might think. As players, we often think it’s just about making a game that can give players big wins, but there’s much more to it than that. You have to be able to create something that feels exciting – even when you don’t win, and even when you’re playing on the minimum stake after making a small deposit.

Every month, dozens of new releases hit the online slots market from scores of game studios. Within these releases are a variety of new mechanics, features and themes, each immersing us into a new world every time we press spin.

This year, Push Gaming brought us one of the most highly anticipated sequels in the online slot industry. Revisiting one of their flagship releases from 2018, Wild Swarm, this team took care to keep all the strong and well-loved mechanics whilst enhancing overall gameplay and offering us some new features.

However, you shouldn’t forget that when you accept a bonus you’re accepting the bonus policy and terms and conditions that come alongside it. One of the most common terms is wagering, which will be attached to nearly every bonus you have available to you as a UK player.

There are hundreds of online casinos for players in the UK to choose from, each boasting their own special features or perks that promise to give you an experience you won’t forget.

We’re more than just a casino comparison site; our website exists to review and recommend scores of the best online slots and casinos, but also as a hub for our community members to read the latest reviews, news and chat to each other on our Forum.

Gamblers in the UK will be hit with more changes this year as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the regulatory body that oversees all casinos and betting sites operating in the United Kingdom, have introduced a new stake limit for online slots. In a press release issued today, the UKGC have announced that for the first time stake limits will be introduced to online slot games in September 2024. This includes a lower limit for younger adults aged 18-24 in the government’s continued efforts to roll out measures to protect players from gambling harms.

Choosing an online casino can be like finding a needle in a haystack. With so many options, how do you know which is the golden haystack? Don’t worry – I’m here to arm you with the top three things to look out for when selecting an online casino. Get these right, and you’re in for a top-notch gaming experience.

Every year, the dynamic world of online slots is invigorated by fresh, creative game studios, each bringing their unique flair to the casino floor. It’s these studios that often stand behind the most thrilling and innovative releases, pushing the boundaries of what we expect from the best online slots. As we step into 2024, let’s spotlight three game studios that are not just on the rise but are setting trends and capturing imaginations.

In the world of online casinos, the thrill of snagging a juicy bonus can sometimes lead to a rude awakening. Casinos aren’t just giving away free money – they’re in it to make a profit, and they clamp down hard on bonus abuse. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes, even well-intentioned players can find themselves on the wrong side of the rules without even realising it.

Gambling online can be a whirlwind of excitement, but let’s not forget it’s also a financial activity. To keep that thrill alive without breaking the bank, savvy spending is key. It’s all about balance – enjoying the highs of gaming while keeping your wallet in check. Let’s walk through some smart budgeting tips for online gambling.

Ever found yourself hitting a big win at an online casino and then twiddling your thumbs waiting for the payout? We’ve all been there. Thankfully, some payment methods can turn that endless wait into just a couple of hours. That’s right – some options are like the Usain Bolt of the banking world. So, if you’re an avid player at online casinos and eager to get your hands on your winnings ASAP, here are the three best payment methods for a fast payout.

In this ever-growing industry, you would think we would see new mechanics weekly, but change isn’t always so simple. With some of the most popular slots having been on the market for years, it can sometimes feel that everything that will be done has been done. Still, many teams are working behind the scenes to come up with something fresh and unique, a way to keep players as interested in their product as possible; and the result is that we still get to reap the rewards of these fresh ideas.

It’s that time of the year again; frost is starting to form, Christmas lights are twinkling and the smell of cinnamon follows you everywhere you go – from candles, lattes and potpourri. More importantly though, it’s around this time that we get a glimpse into the views of players across the iGaming sector as many websites, including ours, host awards, giving their community a chance to vote for their favourites from the year past.

If there’s one mechanic that has dominated the online slots industry, it’s the ‘fishing’ mechanic. Over the years, dozens of studios have tried their hand at offering a game where the main goal is to collect cash values, and the popularity of these releases doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Let’s face it, when it comes to slot bonuses, we all love the thrill of the chase. That feeling of anticipation as we click the spin button, watching the reels spin, and hoping that this time, maybe just this time, we’ll hit that coveted bonus. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “How big is a big bonus?”

What would you do if you won 1 million euros? It’s a conversation we’ve all had, sitting around a dinner table with friends as we dream about which supercars we would buy, or which Spanish town would make the perfect holiday home location. For online slot enthusiasts, progressive jackpots have long served as the bridge between this dream and our reality, offering life changing sums of money to those in the right place at the right time – or should we say, those on the right spin at the right time.

When we load up a new slot game, there is often a real expectation for something to happen quickly. Many of us will only give a new game a handful of spins before deciding to move on, and we want to see something that catches our interest. In the UK, with the introduction of slower spin speeds and the removal of autoplay, lots of players want to find the easiest slots to bonus.

In any online space, there are topics that divide the community. From pineapple on pizza to whether there are more doors or wheels in the world, people will find frivolous things to debate on a nearly daily basis. But some debates stand the test of time, and it can feel like when you read the latest discourse you’ve been here a hundred times before.

With thousands of slots available on the market, favourite releases vary from player to player, but when you limit this to a shorter period of time, it’s much easier to get an understanding of some of the most popular releases out there – if not the most popular. This year, we put this theory to the test by offering the Hideous Slots Community a chance to vote on their Slot of the Year 2022, and we’re excited to announce that Push Gaming are taking home this prize with a Big Bamboo landslide victory – more than 400 votes ahead of our second place.

Provider 4ThePlayer pride themselves on their ethos to build releases with players in mind – listening to both their praise and criticism to grow their brand in the best way possible. After enjoying recent success with releases like 7 Gold Gigablox, 4 Deals With The Devil, and 4 Secret Pyramids, the team are back and are taking us to sin city in 9k Kong in Vegas. We sat down with Geoff Scaplehorn, Product Director at 4ThePlayer.com, to ask him 3 questions about this release.

If you aren’t familiar with the work of Print Gaming, they are the team behind the innovative and quirky Royal Potato, and Out of the Ice – the latter of which has been our only max win to date during a stream, making it one of our favourites. Now the team are back again with Huntress Wild Vengeance – a highly volatile release with win potential up to 20,000x bet. We sat down with Carl Wiggman, CEO of Print Studios, to ask 3 of our most pressing questions about this new release.

Relax Gaming have recently released Money Train 3 – the latest in the series that has proved one of the most popular advances in the industry in general, but specifically for this team. Players and peers alike have remarked since release that Money Train 3 is as close to a perfect as you can expect from a sequel, so we know nearly all the questions have been answered by now. Still, we put 3 of our most pressing questions to Callum Sultana, Relax Gaming’s Game Product Owner, who was kind enough to answer them.

When we think of a fishing slot, most of us would consider Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, due to its age and continued popularity. However, it’s not just this specific game which proves popular – one of the most well liked concepts in the iGaming industry is that of a fishing game. Nearly 8 years ago, we were introduced to the first fishing game – the start of a snowball effect. The time which has passed since only serves to prove this popularity even further. Of course, we’re talking about Fishin’ Frenzy, by Reel Time Gaming – the original. A fairly simple concept, Fishin’ Frenzy was set on 5×3 reels, with 10 fixed win lines. What made Fishin’ Frenzy unique from the releases already on the market, however, was the fish and fisherman symbols added to the reels – land at least one fish symbol with a fisherman in view, and he will reel the cash value attached to the fish in, and add it to the total win for your spin.

4ThePlayer is one of the gaming industry’s leading ‘challenger brand’ game suppliers with a focus on innovation and player entertainment! Their games include 60 Second Heist, 90k Yeti, 3 Secret Cities and 6 Wild Sharks. Their mission is to create the most exciting games for players with concise, engaging game mechanics and the best math profiles for big-win potential. Using innovation to create new gambling-focused entertainment experiences!

Push Gaming’s notable ‘fat’ series is continuing once more with Fat Banker, a highly volatile release featuring wins available up to 25,000x bet. We sat down with Serhii Pisotskyi, Game Producer at Push Gaming, to speak about this upcoming release.

Relax Gaming have today announced one of the biggest launches so far in the history of the company – the studio and aggregator, founded in 2010 with the goal of simplifying B2B content delivery for the modern iGaming landscape, is adding a five-tiered progressive jackpot to their portfolio. Designed to revolutionise slot gameplay, Dream Drop Jackpots offers players the biggest must-hit jackpot to date.

It’s Safer Gambling Week this week, which is an initiative to promote safer gambling in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Running from 1-7 November 2021, Safer Gambling Week aims to start a conversation and encourage players to know how to gamble safely, the tools available to assist this and the resources available should they require help. Gambling is a form of entertainment that you pay for. This means that you are handing over money for something which should be fun, and which will last for a finite length of time – like buying a cinema ticket.

4ThePlayer are a provider that have established themselves as just that – for the player. By offering features based upon feedback and their own experience as players, the team are trying to bring us releases that we will enjoy, but that are a little bit different. Their most recent release, 10x Rewind, offers players the first chance ever to travel back in time in a slot game – wherein we can see the wins we can expect from a feature before they’ve even happened, giving us anticipation and hope for multipliers to improve upon these wins.

One of the most important aspects of gambling online is being aware of the licensing body within your jurisdiction – who are they, and more importantly – what do they do? Having this information to hand can be useful for a number of reasons, not the least of which is recognising a reputable casino when you see one, and knowing exactly where you can visit to find the relevant licensing restrictions – that is, the code of conduct any casino licensed by this body must adhere to in order to retain their license. Failure to adhere to conditions can lead to any number of consequences for operators, including hefty fines, a license suspension, or in the worst case scenario – a complete removal of license.

Nolimit City are one of the driving forces behind creativity in the iGaming sector of 2021, with the team continuing to push the boundaries of what we know, paving the way for wins capable of changing players lives. One of the most innovative elements of the Nolimit City catalogue are their mechanics available to facilitate the wins we know these releases are capable of

Nolimit City’s xWays Hoarder xSplit has made not just 1, but 9 players very happy just 24 hours after release, by paying out the maximum available win of 11,030x bet to each of these players. Let’s take a look at the replay of one of these bonuses, triggered from just 3 scatters and 7 bunker raid spins

Providers have been working hard in the past few months to prepare us some exciting releases for this summer, and so far we have a whole host of reasons to be excited. Let’s take a look at what 5 Providers have in store with their upcoming releases, when they should be relaxing in the sunshine in Malta, in this Summer of Slots

Jackpot King continues to change the lives of players across the sector, offering 3 different jackpot prizes, with the highest “Jackpot King” pot often being in excess of 1 million pounds. Now, the legendary progressive jackpot, pioneered by Blueprint Gaming, is being combined with their Prize Lines™ mechanic 

We’ve all dreamt of hitting the jackpot, but for each of us that means something different. When we consider online slots the jackpots available are capable, and succeeding, at changing lives continually. Jackpot slots are varied, but the most popular are progressive jackpots, with incredible prizes available

Join us live for the launch of King of Cats Megaways Playerselect™, Big Time Gaming’s latest release, which offers players two game modes to choose from, with multiplying wild reels, a roaming multiplying wild, incrementing multipliers, and wins of more than 56,000x available in one spin

We all want to beat the wagering when we are awarded a bonus by a Casino, but is there a strategic way to approach these requirements? Let’s take a look at which games are widely regarded as the “best” for play within wagering, and which slots don’t contribute

We all want to know the best approach to slots, because we all want to win. Is there a method to approach the risk to ensure that we win big, and are there certain slots that pay better than others? Let’s have a look at whether the variance of the games we choose affects the potential

Players are opting to keep their gambling transactions separate from their regular finances, with the help of e-Wallets, particularly Skrill. Let’s take a look at what Skrill offers users, including Loyalty and VIP Rewards, from a safe and regulated platform

Big Time Gaming are known worldwide for being an incredibly volatile Provider. Indeed, we have seen both the good and the bad of some of their previous releases. This year comes the “most volatile” slot in their entire 10 year history – Wild Flower.

Relax Gaming are bringing us their newest release in May 2021: Book of 99. This is one game that players worldwide will be talking about, though, with one enticing feature – a 99% RTP. But how will a 99% RTP affect individual players on a daily basis.

It has been 3 years since GAMSTOP Self Exclusion went live, which has quickly become one of the most helpful resources for players struggling with gambling within the UK. Let’s look at GAMSTOP, and what players can expect to happen upon registration.

Let’s take a look at the different kind of slots available to players, and what really makes them different, along with how our RTP affects us in our day to day playing. How does volatility affect our play, and does anyone ever really win the Jackpot?

Just under 3 years since the release of Jammin’ Jars, Push Gaming are promising us a new release that has the potential to blow its’ predecessor out of the water. Jammin’ Jars 2 is coming in June 2021, but what should we expect from this new release?

For first time gamblers, it can seem overwhelming to consider the different aspects of gambling. Slots can break down into many different categories alone, and we also have Table Games. There are bonuses, wagering, bonus restrictions, stakes, and a variety of options that set each casino apart from the rest. In this guide, we’ll look at how you can approach gambling, if you choose to, in the safest way, and with the information you need to make sure you fully understand the decisions you will make.

One of the most divisive aspects of online gambling are the stakes players feel comfortable at. Often, players cannot relate to the stakes they do not choose, labelling those stakes unrealistic. But does the stake you choose actually affect your play?

Sometimes, when we watch streams, it feels as though the streamers always win. This has us convinced they have luck that we don’t, and something that is making their experience better than ours. But is it just luck, or is it the infamous Streamer RTP?

Do hot or cold slots really exist? Should we choose the games we play based upon previous experiences we have had? Does this affect our future play? Lets explore what it means for a slot to feel like it streaks, and if slots really can go hot or cold.