The Chicken Cross slot machine is a game developed by Microgaming, one of the most renowned online gaming software providers in the industry. This 5-reel, 9-payline video slot takes players on an exciting journey to a Chicken Cross farm where chickens are crossing the road. But be warned: this review will not only scratch beneath the surface of this seemingly simple game but also dive deep into its design, mechanics, and overall player experience.
Theme and Design
At first glance, the theme seems straightforward – a group of happy, animated chickens wandering across the screen in search of food or adventure. However, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that Microgaming has infused this slot with more depth than initially meets the eye. The colorful graphics feature 2D animations of farm animals, including pigs, cows, and ducks, set against a vibrant green background adorned with blooming flowers.
The game screen itself is divided into several sections: to the left lies the "Wild Cross" symbol – which we’ll discuss in more detail later; on top are the five spinning reels displaying various combinations of wilds (more about them below); at bottom right, the paytable and betting options are neatly presented. All elements blend harmoniously together, creating a clean, intuitive design that invites players to start playing.
Symbols
Upon closer inspection, the following symbols can be identified:
- Wild: A golden egg representing an unfertilized omelette in all its glory (can appear as multiple wilds, even filling up entire reels)
- Scatter: A "Fertile Egg" with a smiling chicken inside
- Farm Animals (pigs, cows, ducks) – each pays differently for the combinations listed below:
- 3 to 5 of the same farm animal across adjacent paylines yields different payouts from $0.05 up to $10 respectively
In this particular game, it’s worth noting that there are two groups of symbols: regular ones (farm animals and egg) and special ones – Wilds & Scatters which we’ve described in more detail below.
Payouts
Microgaming didn’t release an official document detailing all payout combinations available; however based on other public information sources, some sample winning possibilities follow:
- A combination of 3 Farm Animals could give between $1-$5.
- Two Wild symbols paired up pays out $7 in this particular slot machine game.
The payouts are set to be highest by a considerable margin when you line up any three Fertile Egg scatters with an accompanying five regular reels’ wilds.
Payout values increase significantly as the number of consecutive reel hits grows and since the bet limits lie between one hundredth dollar ($0.01) to ten dollars, which is relatively small.
Wild & Scatter Symbols
Two distinct symbols stand out: Wild Cross and Fertile Egg (scatter). These symbols come with their own unique roles:
- Fertile Egg: When three or more appear anywhere on the reels, it triggers an instant payout between 10x up to $500 times bet value.
- Wilds & Scatters : This dual role is also a key part of this slot machine. Wild can be used in place for any one regular symbol (animal), and as additional wild appears during gameplay free spins are unlocked.
Bonus Features
Here we will describe the major Bonus feature found within Chicken Cross – Free Spins Feature
The combination involving the required number of Fertile Egg Scatter symbols, plus three standard farm animals from your bet will unlock the entire spin option. When using 10 to a max fifty total free spins may occur as they activate by landing one scatters across five wild reels. These are used in addition to bets already placed.
These additional rounds come with unique mechanics: any symbol (wild & scatter included) appearing on these rolls is "locked" and can not move down any row from left-to-right within their own spin cycle until all those have appeared as such when only specific combos award even more free spins so one might imagine the winning opportunities increase during this period.
Free Spins
When activated via successful landing of three or four scatters, which would result in 10-30 extra games with increased paytable multiplier.
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These rolls are independent meaning results don’t count toward RTP.
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Wild and scatter counts may rise while they appear only in their standard places within the grid
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Once these final spins come to an end, all previous winnings will be added up.
RTP
In its official documentation Microgaming hasn’t disclosed specific figures about Chicken Cross Return To Player rates however sources indicate it falls somewhere between 94-97%.