Updated
Lisa Michaels
Going round the bend has been less rewarding than it is in Finn and the Swirly Spin by NetEnt. This unusual slot has a spiral reel setup where symbols flow towards the centre while Finn, the magical leprechaun, plays his magical flute in an enchanted Irish meadow. Lead a frozen key to the middle of the grid to unlock fantastic prizes, and watch as Finn weaves his amazing magic to help you land huge wins.
Software:
Release Date:
Reels:
Volatility:
Game type:
Paylines:
Min coin:
Max coin:
Free spins:
Wild symbol:
Progressive:
Multipliers:
Even though Finn and the Swirly Spin have unusual reels, the controls are like those of any other online slot. The spin, Autoplay, and bet change buttons are all arranged below the reels, along with the menu button that lets you view the paytable and game rules.
The game’s symbols have a charming fairytale feel. The wooden spades and hearts pay 4x your bet for 5 in a cluster, the 4-leaf clover pays 8x, the horseshoe pays 10x, the acorn pays 12x, and the ruby pays 50x. The wild is a glowing star that will substitute for any other symbol.
The spiral reel set has 25 positions, and you must match at least three symbols vertically or horizontally to get a win. When you win, the Avalanche mechanic kicks in, removing the winning symbols from the screen and allowing new symbols to feed into the spiral from the left-hand corner.
Besides its unique reel mechanic, Finn and the Swirly Spin has plenty of surprising bonus features in store.
1. WildsWhen you land a win, a wild star symbol will appear in the gap the winning symbols leave behind. When the wild forms part of a winning combo, it explodes and removes any surrounding symbols.
Four randomly activated features can trigger at any time during the base game. Irish Luck transforms a whole reel or row into the same symbol, guaranteeing you a win; Starfall Wild adds 2 to 5 extra wilds anywhere on the reels, Dragon Destroy removes a random number of symbols from the grid, and Magic Transform transforms all the spades and heart symbols into another high paying symbol.
As you play, you will notice a key in a block of ice that moves along the spiral reels as the avalanche mechanic removes winning symbol combos. You will activate the free spins round when this key reaches the centre of the reels. Each time you get the key to the centre, it will be added to a counter that lets you know which free spins modes you can play.
This slot’s maximum potential is 840x your bet, and you can only achieve this by unlocking the free spins round. This is a lower-than-average top prize for a slot and comes under $100k. Of course, this does not make the game less enjoyable; it just probably won’t appeal to you if you’re after huge jackpots.
If you have one key, choose The Star Bar, which gives you seven free spins with the Starfall Wilds feature on every spin. After you collect four keys, you can choose Lava Lair, where you get three free spins with the Dragon Destroy feature active on all of them. Once you have nine keys, you can access Lucky Mug, 4 free spins with the Irish Luck feature. If you can collect 16 keys, you can play Golden Pot for two free spins with the Magic Transform feature.
The RTP for this slot is 96.62%. This figure is slightly above the industry average and lets you know the statistical return on your bets over time. The low volatility means that you can expect frequent wins but on the smaller side.
Finn and the Swirly Spin has a fantastic theme filled with beautifully designed graphics and entertaining animations that will make you chuckle or gasp when you activate bonus features or land a big win. The soundtrack is a charming Irish flute melody that changes with the different stages of the game.
Free Demos are a great opportunity game developers provide for players who want hands-on experience with online slots without any financial risk. You can find these at your favourite casino or casino game review sites.
Fire up a demo of Finn and the Swirly Spin slot, and you will have a big bank of free virtual credits. You can play a complete simulation of the actual game and get used to all the mechanics and features so that you are fully prepared to place real money bets confidently.
Finn and the Swirly Spin stands out from the multitude of leprechaun-themed slots with a surprising reel mechanic, some great features, and a theme to remember. Regarding comparisons, only a few other slots in this genre have what it takes to compete. Lucky Leprechaun Clusters randomly delivers guaranteed wins after losing spins and includes a multiplier-boosted bonus round. 9 Pots of Gold Hyperspins features the game-changing Hyperspins mechanic, and rewarding scatter pays, and Irish Pot Luck delivers a random multiplier on every spin and amazing fixed jackpots.
With a unique name and a spiralling cascading slot design, I was excited to play this title as the game felt like it had a distinctive edge throughout the gameplay. When the reels started spinning, there was instant action; the bet was set to $5 per spin, and I had made a few wins back, including a $10 and a $20 win. Although, at this point, I was still breaking even, I was persistent and decided that I wouldn’t change the bet amount for the remainder of the session. A few more spins went by, and the leprechaun sprinkled his magic, triggering some symbols to disappear, gaining a few winnings before activating the bonus feature. I unlocked the star bar, which revealed that there were multiple levels of bonus features. I began the free spins and won a super big win of $485.
Results:Finn and the Swirly Spin is an excellent example of NetEnt’s creativity and high quality. The combination of innovative mechanics and features makes every spin a potential thrill ride of excitement that will have you on the edge of your seat as you inch the key closer to the centre. I was disappointed at the low maximum potential, but the fantastic theme significantly affected my enjoyment of this title. If you’re looking for another slot that will surprise you with its theme and features, play Gonzo’s Quest right now.
Lisa started off as a croupier at her local casino. However she found her niche in writing and has subsequently used her real-world gambling experiences to help produce and review the many online slots that are released monthly. Lisa also contributes to keeping you up to date with Canadian newsworthy stories.
