Ugga Bugga Slot Review

Intro

An older game in the Playtech library, Ugga Bugga has become a fan favourite due to an extremely high RTP of 99.07% coupled with a unique format not seen in other titles. You won’t find any bonus features in this Tiki-themed slot game other than wild symbols and held reels, a gameplay mechanic where players can lock symbols to help create more winning paylines on subsequent spins. Players will be transported to a jungle setting with 14 symbols on the reels — including bowls of food, tiki masks, huts, and drums — and a chance to win a modest maximum of 1,000x your stake.

Are you ready to visit the Ugga Bugga tropical paradise? If you’re looking to play a low-variance slot with some more unusual gameplay wrapped up in jovial theming, then this could be the slot machine for you. Read on to learn more about Ugga Bugga and use our comparison tools to find a top casino to play it at.

Screenshots

Ugga Bugga’s cool tiki theme presents players with three reels, 10 rows, and an interesting payline structure across 10 lines in total. Players can stake between $0.10 and $250 per spin. 

The RTP in Ugga Bugga is 99.07%, making it one of the highest RTP slot games anywhere online. It’s a low-variance slot game, which means players are more likely to see smaller payouts more frequently.

The gold mask is the highest-value symbol on the reels. If you’re lucky enough to match three on a winning payline, you’ll be rewarded with 1,000x your stake when playing at the maximum bet — otherwise, it’s 250x.

Paytable 

Ugga Bugga is developed by Playtech, one of the largest casino software developers. Playtech holds licences that allow it to operate in many jurisdictions, and its games are regularly tested by iTech Labs to ensure they are fair. You should only play slots at licensed online casinos, as these offer a greater degree of protection — at BestOnlineCasinos.ca, we’ll only ever recommend licensed sites.

Despite its lack of bonus rounds, Ugga Bugga features one of the most unique layouts of any slot game we’ve seen. At first glance, it looks as though there are six reels — it’s actually three reels and 10 rows in total, but they’re split in half and positioned next to each other. There are 10 fixed paylines on which players can create winning combinations of three symbols. Symbols can sometimes appear half on the reels but these do not count towards a winning payline. 

Another interesting feature of Ugga Bugga is the hold system. Players are given two spins in each round. After the first spin is completed on one row, players can choose to lock one of the three symbols on the reels with the hold button. This locked symbol is duplicated on the game’s other nine rows — players can hold two of the same for a chance to complete a payline, pick their favourite symbol, or not hold any symbols and just spin the reels again.

Ugga Bugga’s wild symbol is the gold mask — it substitutes for all other symbols on the reels to aid in completing a winning payline. Matching three wilds awards the biggest payout — 1,000x your stake when spinning at the max bet or 250x at all other wagers.

If you’re going to play Ugga Bugga, it’s best to enjoy spinning its reels on a desktop PC or laptop. As one of Playtech’s older slot titles, it’s not the smoothest experience on mobile and tablet devices. The game’s layout is not particularly well-suited to a smaller screen either. 

Playtech has a huge library of slot games to choose from — while Ugga Bugga beats the rest in terms of RTP, there are plenty of great options if you’re looking for special features or a more familiar layout. 

Great Blue is another of Playtech’s older titles. This five-reel, three-row slot game features an aquatic theme with lots of fishy friends appearing on its 25 paylines. As well as various fish, you’ll find starfish, seahorses, and orcas, the latter of which acts as the wild symbol and will double your payout when it’s part of a winning combo.

There’s also the seashells bonus round where players are awarded eight free spins and an instant payout of up to 500x their stake, depending on how many scatters triggered the round. All wins during the seashells round will be doubled, and there’s a chance to activate a picking game where you’ll open shells to find a multiplier of up to 15x or up to 33 extra free spins. If you land another three scatters during the round, you’re awarded 15 more free spins with no limit on how many times the round can be retriggered.

Ugga Bugga is a great option for players who want to take advantage of its higher RTP, but if you’re in the mood for a classic Playtech slot, you might enjoy Great Blue. There’s a solid range of bonus features, a respectable RTP of 96.03%, and a maximum win of up to 20,000x your stake compared to Ugga Bugga’s 1,000x your stake. The gameplay offers more variation than Ugga Bugga, but keep in mind it’s a high-variance slot so you’re likely to see larger wins but not as often. 

Ugga Bugga is not the only tiki-themed slot game on the market — many software developers have their own titles with similar graphics. One of the most exciting tiki-themed slot games available is Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy from Red Tiger Gaming. 

Like Ugga Bugga, Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy also features a more unique structure with seven reels and nine rows in the Cluster Pays format. The graphics in this game are modern and lively — players are transported to the calm beach of a tropical island and the reels sit between two totem poles. On the reels are a variety of tiki symbols including fruits, bells, diamonds, dice, and masks. 

There are a couple of special features in Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy. Four tiki masks remain on the reels at all times —adjacent wins turn the tiki masks wild, helping to create cascading wins and activating other gameplay mechanics. There’s also the Tiki Spins bonus round where players can receive up to 15 free spins and all four wild tiki masks will be activated. 

Ugga Bugga and Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy both offer unique styles of gameplay compared with standard slot games. Ugga Bugga wins when it comes to RTP — Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy sits at 95.69% and is highly volatile, but if you’re looking for a more modern tiki slot with exciting cascading wins, it’s definitely worth a look.

Ugga Bugga was released by Playtech over a decade ago and has seen no graphical updates in that time, so the game does appear quite dated. Despite its tiki theme, the game’s backdrop is a darker forest —  a bright and vibrant jungle setting would be more appropriate and engaging. On the reels, the symbols are more colourful and include tiki drums, huts, masks, and bowls of food. Drums play in the background, adding to the excitement and atmosphere of the game, although the soundtrack is quite repetitive.

TikiPop 

TikiPop from Yggdrasil is a highly volatile five-reel slot that makes use of the PopWins mechanism, activated when the player hits a winning combination. PopWins expands the reels, ratcheting up the 486 paylines to an enormous ​​33,164.

As you’d expect from any Yggdrasil title, the graphics are of an extremely high quality and immerse players in the tropical jungle setting. There’s no wild symbol but there is a free spins bonus round offering up to 15 free spins as well as a multiplier that increases each time a PopWin is achieved. The maximum win in this game is 32,000x your stake and the RTP is a fair 96.1%.

Tiki Paradise

Tiki Paradise is another Playtech slot with a Polynesian theme. It has 10 paylines across five reels and three rows. Bonus features to look forward to in this game include stacked wilds and a free spins bonus round where players will be awarded 10 free spins. The bonus round also involves two modifiers which allow you to play your free spins with solely high-value symbols on the reels, or you can be awarded more free spins. Bets per spin start at $0.20 in this slot of medium to high variance, but the RTP is a little underwhelming at 94.05%.

Tiki Tumble

Tiki Tumble is a five-reel, four-row, and 20-payline slot game that transports players to a beautiful tropical location with coloured tiki masks on the reels. This slot from Push Gaming has a small range of bonus features, including nudging wilds and a free spins bonus round. There are also multipliers in play that increase each time the nudging wilds feature is triggered. Tiki Tumble’s variance is on the high side. The maximum win is 500x your stake and the RTP clocks in at 96.49%.