When exploring the dynamic realm of online slots, it’s intriguing to witness which themes and characters manage to secure lasting popularity. While certain themes like Ancient Egypt, Irish folklore, and traditional fruit machines have maintained their prominence, a rather unexpected contender has held its ground – the diligent world of bees. Unlike the usual cute and cuddly portrayal, Pragmatic Play’s Sticky Bees takes a fresh approach by sidestepping the conventional bee narrative.
Embracing a naturalistic bee motif, the game presents an array of authentic imagery. Players are immersed in a lush rural landscape adorned with shimmering elements, flowers, vines, trees, and grass – an enchanting grove setting. Although the backdrop might seem somewhat generic and not exclusively bee-themed, Pragmatic Play’s intention for Sticky Bees diverges from the warmth of a hive bustling with smiling insects. When the game gains momentum, the critters that inhabit the grid become secondary to the action unfolding.
Sticky Bees employs a 7×7 grid for gameplay, featuring a cluster pay system to generate wins. The concept is simple: landing five or more matching symbols connected horizontally or vertically forms a winning cluster. The tumble mechanic removes symbols from winning clusters, prompting new symbols to cascade from above. This can lead to successive clusters on a single spin, concluding only when no fresh wins materialize.
Playable with bets ranging from MYR0.20 to MYR200 , players can easily locate the game’s RTP value in the paytable. The RTP varies across settings, reaching a maximum of 96.06% during normal play and 95.96% when purchasing the bonus round, which costs 100 times the bet. Sticky Bees boasts 10 regular paying symbols, encompassing J-A card royals as low pays, alongside cherries, grapes, an orange, watermelon, plum, and a strawberry as high pays. A 5-symbol cluster win pays between 0.25 and 5 times the bet, while a cluster of 20+ symbols awards 12.5 to 125 times the bet. Regular wilds appear on all reels, substituting for all symbols except the scatter.
Sticky Bees: Features Unveiled
Two standout features await exploration: Marked Positions, Super Wilds, and the Free Spins round.
Marked Positions and Super Wilds
With every spin, 12 to 19 positions on the grid are randomly marked. Central to the bee element is the Super Wild – a versatile symbol that substitutes for all symbols except the scatter. Super Wilds can emerge on any reel and trigger the marked positions they land on. When symbols subsequently land on activated marked positions, they transform into wild symbols. These positions remain marked and active until all tumbles in a base game spin conclude.
In the base game, when a Super Wild lands on a marked position, it dispatches 2-6 additional Super Wilds to other marked positions. These new Super Wilds activate those positions until the ongoing tumbles conclude.
Free Spins
Gathering 4 scatter symbols initiates 7 free spins, with each extra triggering scatter symbol granting an additional free spin. As the free spins round commences, 16 to 19 positions are marked on the grid throughout the feature. During each free spin, 1-3 Super Wilds are guaranteed to land on random marked positions, which remain active for the entire round. Attaining 3 or more scatter symbols rewards players with +1 extra free spin.
Sticky Bees: Final Thoughts
Give Sticky Bees a whirl, and during the right circumstances, it can produce exhilarating sequences of successive tumbles, especially in the free spins round. While the base game may not deliver the same intensity, the free spins feature provides the ideal conditions for extended tumble runs. The game’s potential reminded us of Relax Gaming’s Cluster Tumble, renowned for its chaining wins. While Sticky Bees doesn’t quite reach those lengths, activating adjacent marked positions in the bonus round can deliver remarkable repeat tumble-win action. Although not guaranteed, Sticky Bees possesses the technical capability to amaze.
With a top prize of 10,000 times the bet, there’s ample potential for sweet victories when the tumbles align favorably. Sticky Bees does flirt with teasing players, and an absent multiplier system feels like a minor omission. As previously mentioned, if you’re searching for an adorable bee-themed haven, this isn’t your game. Yet, if you’re in the mood for a slot that excels at stringing together rewarding consecutive tumbles, regardless of the featured creature, Sticky Bees certainly deserves a closer look.