Respin Circus slot review

A bodybuilding mouse, a contortionist cat and an accordion-playing monkey walk into a circus... What sounds like the start of an animal-themed surrealist pun is, in fact, Respin Circus from Elk Studios.

Theme and Graphics

The circus theme has proven to be a reliable one in the slots world. Fanfare, lights, showmanship and upbeat music are all elements that ensure the universe of the big top isn’t going anywhere fast.

A monocled rabbit is our host and is accompanied by a menagerie of colourful cohorts. Ranging from the flexible feline to a terrifying primate dressed as an accordion-touting child, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve accidentally walked into a freak show.

Deviant character design aside, Elk hasn’t left a stone unturned when it comes to creating a believably charming circus world with the royal symbols realised as balloon shapes. Beats the often seen royals wedged in as an afterthought that ungracefully adorn so many other video slots.

With nice attention to detail including the jumpy, dizzying carnival music, Elk has created a circus world that is as escapist as it is entertaining.

Symbols

For 6 on any given payline, Respin Circus’ symbols pay as follows:

• Cat - 10x
• Monkey - 5x
• Rat - 2.5x
• Cannon - 2x
• Bicycle - 1.5x
• Clubs - 1x
• A - 0.7x
• K - 0.6x
• Q - 0.5x
• J - 0.4x

Features

As the name suggests, players can enjoy circus-style respins while playing Respin Circus. The features don’t end there and with Free Spins, Symbol Upgrades and Multiplier Wilds, there’s plenty here to add to the spectacle.

Respin Circus has a 6x4 grid bringing players 64 paylines, paying from left to right.

• Respins

All winning symbols become sticky, staying in place for further winning respins. Respins continue for as long as matching symbols or wilds land. All lower value symbols continue to pay during respins.

• Symbol Upgrades

Winning combinations of higher value symbols replace lower value symbols during the Symbol Upgrade feature and trigger a brand spanking new respin.

• Free Spins

Land 3 or more Free Spin sSymbols anywhere on the grid to activate the Free Spins feature, unlocking up to 24 Free Spins at the start of the Free Spins round. All Free Spin symbols are sticky and come fully loaded with respins.

Extra Free Spin symbols also lock into place here, entering you into the Free Spins round proper when no more Free Spin symbols appear on the grid.

• Multiplier Wilds

4x Multiplier Wilds come courtesy of the star of the show - our magician’s rabbit. Multiplying between 2x and 4x, these bunnified bad boys can expand to cover the reel. Wilds substitute for all other symbols apart from the Free Spins symbols.

Bets and Payouts

High volatility Respin Circus brings players a 96.3% RTP with a £0.20 minimum bet and a £100 maximum wager. Top win potential sits at 2,500x across 64 fixed paylines.

Summary

A barmy, technicoloured jaunt with feisty features to match, Respin Circus is a solid all-rounder. While the theme isn’t going to fly with a lot of slot players, the graphics here set a new benchmark for circus-themed slots.

The decision to not include any creepy clown folk in Respin Circus is one which I heartily applaud. Yeah, okay, there is that monkey that’s certainly on the spooky spectrum but no waddling, morbidly obese 40+-year-old men slathered in face paint. A sign of progress you might say.

The features boldly support the gameplay in Respin Circus and the delicate balance between not enough features and too many have been expertly struck by the team at Elk Studios. While the base game is engaging, the features punctuate gameplay perfectly, giving players a gaming experience that’s rewarding while also being a blast.

Balancing gaming dynamics has always been tough but here, Elk makes it out to be as effortless as a veteran tightrope walker.