When exploring the extensive collection of games by Pragmatic Play, one can quickly appreciate the studio’s diverse approach to selecting slot themes. Among the themes, the team has revisited multiple times, Central American culture stands out, with its rich and colorful elements. Delving deeper into this cultural tapestry, Pragmatic Play has shown a particular affinity for spicy culinary ingredients, as evident in titles like Chilli Heat and its spicier sequel, Chilli Heat Megaways. Once again, Pragmatic Play ignites the gaming scene with the sizzling online slot, Hot Pepper.
In the world of slots, Hot Pepper stands out as a cluster-paying grid slot, presented on a 7×7 game grid set in a sandy desert location within one of the hottest and driest regions on the planet. The game grid, encased in a rustic wooden frame, is surrounded by desert flora, cacti, a lizard, rocky cliffs, and expansive cloudy skies, immersing players in the arid landscape. Thanks to the lively soundtrack and the cheerful sombrero-wearing character on the reels, the game exudes a vibrant atmosphere that breathes life into the desert setting. Unlike Pragmatic Play’s previous slots with similar themes set in a town, Hot Pepper transports players to a different, more rugged environment, accompanied by a fresh set of gameplay mechanics.
Hot Pepper Slot – Base Game
To embark on your spicy adventure, players can select a stake starting at 20 sen and going up to MYR500 per paid game round. Hot Pepper offers versatility, allowing gameplay on any device. Furthermore, the game offers two distinct RTP settings: 96.45% or a slightly lower 95.02% version. Opting for the higher RTP setting increases the return value to 96.79% when purchasing free spins, but it also results in a high volatility rating of 5 out of 5.
Pressing the play button releases 49 symbols onto the grid, forming winning clusters when at least five matching symbols appear adjacent to each other in vertical or horizontal positions. The game features seven pay symbol types, ranging from low to high: clubs, hearts, spades, limes, tacos, piñatas, and the jovial character donning the sombrero. Winning clusters of five symbols pay out between 0.1 and 1 times the bet, while larger clusters of 15 or more matching symbols offer rewards ranging from 10 to 50 times the stake. In addition to these symbols, the game includes wilds and scatter symbols, which are discussed in more detail
Understanding how Hot Pepper operates begins with its tumble wins mechanism. When a winning cluster forms, the symbols involved explode from the grid, making room for new symbols to fall from above. Additionally, the Random Wild Multiplier feature introduces a chili symbol into one of the vacant spaces.
Wild Multipliers
Chili symbols serve as wilds, substituting for all symbols except the scatter. A random level, ranging from 1 to 5, is assigned to each chili symbol, determining the multiplier it provides. The multiplier values progress as follows:
- Level 1: Winning clusters of 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11+ symbols yield multiplier values of x1, x2, x4, or x8, respectively.
- Level 2: Winning clusters of 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11+ symbols yield multiplier values of x2, x4, x8, or x16, respectively.
- Level 3: Winning clusters of 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11+ symbols yield multiplier values of x4, x8, x16, or x32, respectively.
- Level 4: Winning clusters of 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11+ symbols yield multiplier values of x8, x16, x32, or x64, respectively.
- Level 5: Winning clusters of 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11+ symbols yield multiplier values of x16, x32, x64, or x128, respectively.
These multipliers apply to any wins involving the chili wilds, with their values added together if multiple wilds contribute to a cluster. It’s important to note that in the base game, the level progress resets at the end of each spin.
Free Spins
Landing three scatter symbols in a tumble sequence grants players 12 free spins. During free spins, wilds generated by cluster wins consistently have a level of 5 throughout the bonus round. The free spins feature can be extended by an additional 5 free spins when three scatter symbols land in a tumble sequence. Players also have the option to purchase free spins, which cost 100 times the total bet.
