Cranky Panda

Even animals are susceptible to bad days, right? Well, it seems that we’ve stumbled across one particular Panda who is having ‘one of those days’ in Relax Gaming’s latest release, Cranky Panda. 

This new release from Relax Gaming puts us in the heart of Asian culture, where the symbolic Panda is held in high regard, even in its grumpiest days. Cranky Panda is a 5-reel Video Slot with fixed pay lines, respins, free spins, and an epic wild feature. 

Apart from the intimidating face of the Panda Wild, the backdrop and aesthetics are fairly tame. Bamboo pleasantly sways in the backdrop, with a slight opening to civilisation behind the main grid – there isn’t much in the way of detail. 

The same goes for the main grid, too. More bamboo makes up the low-paying symbols, with a slight splash of colour available on high-paying symbols (that isn’t just green). 

The layout and design give little away as to what we can expect feature-wise, but we’re eager to find out.

Relax Gaming lightens the mood by including a fixed RTP of 96.10%, coupled with a Mid-High Volatility score, and 5,000x max win potential. Will this grumpy Panda crack a smile and deliver big wins? Let’s find out. 

Cranky Panda Base Game

Cranky Panda Base Features

Cranky Panda is playable on a 5×4 reel format, allowing wins to be created across 20 active pay lines. Wins occur when 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols appear from reels 1-5 on adjacent reels. 

The 10 high and low-paying symbols are represented by Asian Icons and A, K, Q, J, & 10 Card Suits. Fixed payouts for each winning combination fall between 0.8x and 5x your bet. 

In addition, the reel set can reveal up to 2 Special symbols, including:

• Wilds: Are part of the Cranky Panda Wild Feature and substitute for all symbols except Scatters
• Scatters: Are responsible for triggering the Free Spins mode and appear on all reels

Wins are Guaranteed When 3+ Matching Symbols Land on Reels 1-5

Wild Feature

In the base game, each Wild (Panda) symbol that appears on the reels will leave behind a Grid Frame to mark its appearance. Alternatively, landing a Mega Wild symbol will leave behind a Grid Frame, whilst applying frames to 8-15 other grid positions. 

There is a possibility of landing an additional Wild symbol on top of an existing Grid Frame. If this happens, a Multiplier is applied to its position, starting from x2, up to a maximum of x5. Each available Multiplier applies directly to Wild and Coin symbols. 

Coin symbols carry a random Cash Prize between 1x and 25x your bet in the base game. The available Grid Frames will remain in position until the Chau Gong symbol appears in view. 

Once active, the Chau Gong symbol will transform all Grid Frames into Wilds or Coins. Once this feature occurs, all Grid Frame positions will return to their previous state in the next spin.

Chau Gong Symbols Will Reveal Wilds or Coins on Available Grid Frames

Scatter Respin

Whenever 2 Scatter symbols appear in the base game, a special Respin Feature triggers. 

Once active, the reels with Scatters will move down 1 position, whilst the remaining reels spin. This continues until the 2 original Scatters have no room to drop down without leaving the reels, or if a Third Scatter appears. 

Cranky Panda Scatter Respin Feature

Free Spins Booster Pot

When 2 Scatters hit, they will reveal a special Panda Coin, which is added to the Free Spins Booster Pot. Each Panda Coin added to this pot will increment its total by +1. 

Once the Free Spins Booster Pot is filled with 50 Panda Coins, the next available Free Spins mode begins at Level 1, with a starting Multiplier of x2 and an additional +5 Free Spins. 

Cranky Panda Bonus

The Free Spins mode is triggered when 3, 4, or 5 Scatter symbols land within the base game, awarding 8, 10, and 15 Free Spins, respectively. 

The feature begins at a standard level with no current Multiplier, unless the Free Spins Booster Pot is filled. In this round, Panda Wilds will leave behind a Grid Frame once the current spin is complete. 

However, landing a Mega Panda Wild will leave behind a Grid Frame for its current position and 8-15 others during its respective spin. In Free Spins, Coin symbols receive a boost in value, between 1x and 1,000x your bet. 

Each Chau Gong symbol to hit will activate all visible Grid Frames, revealing Wilds or Coins. In addition, Chau Gong symbols are added to the Progress Meter for the next Level. 

When 3 Chau Gong symbols have been collected, it will activate the next available Level, of which there are 4 in total:

• Level 1: Awards a x2 Multiplier and +5 Free Spins
• Level 2: Awards a x3 Multiplier and +5 Free Spins
• Level 3: Awards a x4 Multiplier and +5 Free Spins
• Level 4: Awards a x5 Multiplier and +5 Free Spins

Cranky Panda Free Spins

Buy Bonus

Players within permissible regions can purchase the Free Spins mode for an additional 50x their current bet. This option guarantees that 3 Scatters will land in the next spin. 

Utilising the Bonus Buy option will increase the theoretical RTP to 96.50%. 

The maximum win available in Cranky Panda is 5,000x your bet. If the sum of a single game round exceeds this, the current mode will end, and 5,000x your bet is instantly awarded. 

Non-UK Players Will Benefit From a Feature Buy of 50x Their Bet

First Impression

Cranky Panda gives nothing away through its basic design and layout, yet there’s plenty to unpack during gameplay. The game has a variety of exclusive features that are held in high regard within the iGaming industry. 

First on our list is the beloved Asian/Panda theme, which has drawn us in multiple times before in games like Big Bamboo and Panda Money. Giant Pandas represent peace, friendship, and conservation; however, Relax Gaming’s interpretation of this symbolic animal is anything but friendly or peaceful. 

Don’t let that grumpy, scrunched-up face deter you from what’s important, and that’s creating multiple Grid Frames in the base game, in light of triggering the Cranky Panda Wild Feature.

Grid Frames are a great way to create a fluctuation of moderate wins in the base game, triggered when a Chau Gong symbol appears. An ideal situation would be to have an extensive collection of Grid Frames prior to landing a Chau Gong symbol, so that sizable payouts can be achieved. 

In addition, having Panda Wilds land on top of existing Grid Frames will increment a Multiplier of up to x5, which increases your chance of even bigger payouts. This feature is very similar to the one found in Madame of Mystic Manor by Blueprint Gaming. 

Non-UK players can buy their way into the Free Spins mode for a generous 50x their current bet, whilst everyone else can increase their chance of triggering Free Spins via the Scatter Respin feature, but the outcome of this feature is not guaranteed.

During Free Spins, the Grid Frames do not reset throughout spins, but rather enhance. Again, this is achieved through Multipliers applied to existing Grid Frames, following a significant boost in payouts. 

All in all, Cranky Panda offers a variety of exciting features, paired with a sizable max win cap of 5,000x your bet, and a refreshing take on the Asian/Panda theme. 

*The screenshots taken of games reviewed on this site are from Demo Play, as reviews are often written before games are released for real play.