Rotten

Review Rotten

The graphical aspect of this release is what we would call a bit unusual, making the game different from other pokies, so it’s really up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not. You will find most of the symbols in dark colours and a brownish layout. The zombies can be found behind the matrix making it extra thrilling. As for the audio in the game, you should prepare yourself for menacing-sounding instrumental audio. Rotten has a horror game theme and strangely enough takes place at a fairground which is quite a creepy place for a game with zombies. You see some zombies and the carousel and ferris wheel look like they could break at any given moment. We reckon the soundtrack might just be the strongest part of the game. The audio adds some nice tension as you spin each spin.

How to Play

The Rotten pokie takes place on a grid of 6 reels, 5 rows and 35 fixed paylines. Landing 3, 4, 5 or 6 matching symbols from left to right, starting from reel 1. This can be done across any payline which will award a winning combination. Here’s how to play Rotten by Hacksaw Gaming:

• Go for the semi-transparent circle and click on it. This will then show a big cursor on the right and will trigger a round in the Rotten pokie game.
• This pokie game is played on 6 reels with 5 rows. If you like to start automated rounds, just use the tiny play icon in the lower-right corner. This stands for the autoplay feature.
• As in many games, using the minus (-) and plus (+) signs will help you find the bet that suits your bankroll. The lowest stake is $0.1, and the highest goes up to $100.
• The triple line on the left will open a new window where you can find several game settings. For instance, here is where you can turn the audio and sound effects on or off. There is also the option to make use of the super turbo or turbo modes. These are meant for faster gameplay. Lastly, the info option lets you familiarise yourself with the different symbols and rewards available in the game.

Symbol Wins

With a zombies game theme, the Rotten pokie is set in a zombie apocalypse. The goal is clearly to survive this new world which is set in a theme park. The graphics are creepy and terrifying with zombies waiting for you in the misty background. There is a piano soundtrack which definitely adds to the intensity and atmosphere. On the reels of the grid, you will see low values such as A, K, Q, J and the using (and highly boring) 10 royals. These pay up to 7.5x bet for combos of 6. The high values are easily recognised by 5 zombies. The Clown Zombie is the most lucrative symbol with 5, 10, 20 or 40x the stake awarding 3, 4, 5 or 6 across any payline. A screen full of this symbol will pay 1,400x the stake. Then we have a Zombie Hand Wild symbol which substitutes for all other symbols in the game. Also, 6 wilds will pay 50x the stake. Other symbols include 3 scatter symbols which are important to activate the game’s bonus features. Here’s more info about the symbols.

Bonus Features

Rotten has a small number of nice features that can provide extra entertainment and add some variety to what we would label as the less fruitful base game. There is of course a wild symbol in the form of a skeleton that can replace other regular symbols in a combination. Wilds can also provide great prizes without other symbols. A combination of 6 wild symbols is good for 50x the bet.

Switch Spins

The Switch Spins feature can become active both in the base game and during one of the free spins rounds. Spinning the switch symbol will award a random number of respins between 1 and 10. Before the switch spins start, a symbol is first selected that is replaced by wilds or the most valuable of the terrifying clowns.

During the respins you can earn extra respins by spinning an extra switch symbol. An extra symbol will also be selected to be replaced by a valuable or wild symbol. During the switch spins feature you can see above the playing field which symbols are being replaced and for which symbols that is.

Rotten Free Spins

Rotten has two free spins rounds: the mad scientist bonus round and the total takeover bonus round. To earn access to the mad scientist free spins you need to spin 3 or more mad scientist scatters which gives you 10 mad scientist free spins. This bonus round is very similar to the base game of Rotten, but the chance to trigger the switch spins is a lot higher. Of course, the other major difference in comparison with the base game is that the spins won’t cost you a penny.

The total takeover free spins round differs a bit more from the one in the base game which is especially true for the mad scientist spins. You also need 3 scatters for the total takeover free spins to earn 10 free spins. The chance of switch symbols is also greater in the total takeover free spins, the symbols that are replaced are saved during this bonus round. This means that they will not reset after the switch respins have taken place. You can also earn 4 extra total takeover free spins by landing another 3 total takeover scatters.

Bonus Buy

New Zealanders can make use of the Buy Bonus button which is done by clicking on the respective option and confirming one of the following feature buy options:

• Bounshunt FeatureSpins: 3x the stake where each spin is 5x more likely to trigger a bonus game. The volatility in this feature is very high, and the RTP goes up to 96.26%.
• Switch FeatureSpins: 20x the stake to guarantee each spin lands a Switch symbol. Extremely volatile with a max RTP of 96.16%.
• Mad Scientist: buy this bonus round for 110x the stake. This feature is highly volatile and comes with a max RTP of 96.26%.
• Total Takeover: 250x the stake. Also highly volatile. It comes with a max RTP of 96.26%.

Payout Metrics

The Rotten RTP is set at 96.27% which is definitely in line with other Hacksaw Gaming online pokies and above the 96% online pokies average. Be aware of the fact that there is a 94.13% RTP version available at some NZ pokie websites out there, so best check before you start spinning. Expect a winning combination to land about every 2.97 spins as the hit frequency rate is set at 33.56%. As for variance, Rotten by Hacksaw Gaming is considered to be a very high pokie game, labelled as 5 out of 5. This Rotten pokie comes with 10,000x stake max wins. Bigger wins will come from the SwitchSpins feature which definitely activates more often in the 2 free spins features.

Summary

We have to say that we were reasonably impressed by all the artwork Hacksaw Gaming came up with in this new pokie game and Rotten is a title that fits the look and especially the feel of this game. The clown and zombie just standing there in their wobbly ways definitely add to the highly tense and menacing ambiance, but this isn’t quite the same thing as having a lot of action all the time. Hacksaw Gaming is very notorious for their killing variance levels, and this new launch is no exception here. This means that you’ll need for the Switch symbol to land, and there are heaps of dead spins to overcome before anything exciting happens. The features in the game, however, can deliver at times, which is likely to happen in the top Total Takeover bonus round. This is the moment where this bleak creation starts to shine and awards you some major prizes. Close to, or especially full-screen wins on repeat with premium symbols, is both entertaining and possibly rewarding going up to 10,000x the bet.