There are over 20,000 known species of bees worldwide, and each of these bees play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity. Within a colony, bees will take on specific roles and responsibility to ensure the survival of the colony. Today though, Pragmatic Play are introducing us to bees who take on the responsibility of helping us to see potent wins, as they leave behind the Egyptian plains of Gods of Giza to introduce us to these insects. Quite a lot of people are afraid of bees, but Pragmatic Play are ensuring that we see them as friendly creatures that we welcome with open arms, in Sticky Bees. With RTP options available up to 96.06%, this highly (5/5) volatile release can produce wins up to 10,000x bet.
We're in a wooded area today, almost quite enchanted at first glance. At the front of the reels is some water – probably a pond or lake – whilst the rest of the screen is covered in thick green leaves and some flower buds. Fireflies fly throughout the area, whilst reels are encased in wood and wrapped in ivy, whilst a strong soundtrack heavy in drums comes in to tie it all together. All in all, a pretty sight.
Sticky Bees Base Features
Taking place on a 7×7 grid, wins are formed on Sticky Bees by matching clusters of at least 5 symbols, touching horizontally or vertically. Symbols pay for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-19, or 20+, and begin with non premiums, with Js, Qs, Ks, and As. Land clusters of 5 of any non premiums to see wins between 0.25 and 0.50x bet, increasing to values between 12.50 and 17.50x bet for clusters of 20+. At the premium end we have a selection of fruits, with cherries, grapes, oranges, grapefruits, plums, and strawberries. Land clusters of 5 of any premium to see wins between 1 and 5x bet, increasing to values between 22.50 and 125x bet for clusters of 20+. Finally, Wild symbols can appear in any position, and substitute for all symbols except Bonus symbols.
Alright, so the first thing to cover in Sticky Bees is the Tumble feature. On every spin, all symbols involved in cluster wins will be removed from the grid, and all remaining symbols will drop down to the bottommost available position on their respective reels. New symbols will then drop in from above to fill any remaining gaps, with tumbles continuing until no new wins are formed.
Next up are marked positions and Super Wild symbols. At the beginning of every spin, between 12 and 19 positions on the grid will be marked randomly. Super Wild symbols can land in any position on the grid, and substitute for all symbols except Bonus symbols.
When a Super Wild symbol lands in a marked position it activates it, transforming any symbol in this position into a Wild symbol. In the base game, it will also add an additional 2-6 Super Wild symbols to the grid in other random marked positions, activating these positions too. Any other symbols that land in activated positions throughout tumbles will also be transformed into Wild symbols. Marked positions will be active until tumbles end.
Sticky Bees Bonus
Land 4 Bonus symbols to trigger 7 Free Spins, plus 1 additional spin for every Bonus symbol beyond the fourth. At the beginning of Free Spins, between 16 and 19 positions on the grid will be marked randomly. These positions will be marked for the duration of spins.
On every spin, 1-3 Super Wild symbols will be added to the grid in marked positions, activating the positions in which they land. Additionally, all activated positions will remain activate for the duration of Free Spins.
Land 3 or more Bonus symbols during Free Spins to trigger an additional +1 spin.
Players in appropriate regions can skip straight to the action with a Buy Free Spins option, wherein for a cost of 100x bet, 4 or more Bonus symbols will land, guaranteeing Free Spins. In the overall game setting of 96.06%, the RTP when using the Buy Free Spins option will decrease slightly to 95.96%.
The maximum win available in Sticky Bees is 10,000x bet. If the sum of a single game round exceeds this, the game round will end and 10,000x bet will be awarded.
First Impression
If there's one thing Pragmatic Play do well, it's a grid game. We've seen this team have so much success with these releases in the past, including Fruit Party, Chicken Drop, Wild Hop & Drop, Santa's Wonderland, and the more recent Hot Pepper and Rabbit Garden. No matter the theme applied, Pragmatic usually nail it when a cluster pays mechanic is involved, and it seems Sticky Bee is no exception to this rule.
Activated positions producing Wild symbols helps to bring enough excitement in the base game, but it's Free Spins where things really kick up a notch – thanks to persistent activated positions. The ideal scenario is activating positions towards the top of the grid, so winning combinations at the bottom can bring these Wild symbols down and activate the positions once more, resulting in clusters of Wild symbols. Super Wild symbols can be added to the grid in already activated positions though, which is probably the one frustrating element. In our experience, just one final spin can turn a whole bonus around, which might explain why only 1 additional spin is available through the retrigger. When the right combinations occur, wins are possible up to 10,000x bet.
Finally, maths is highly (5/5) volatile, and RTP options are available up to 96.06%, so as always it's worth checking this. It's quite simple really – if you've been a fan of Pragmatic Play's cluster pays releases in the past, you'll love Sticky Bees.
*The screenshots taken of games reviewed on this site are taken from Demo Play, as reviews are often written before games are released for real play.
