Plinko is a popular casino game that has been around since 1983, created by Sid and Marty Krofft. It’s based on a physical game show where contestants drop chips down a pyramid-shaped board filled with holes, and their fate is determined by chance. The digital version of Plinko has become a staple in online casinos, offering an immersive experience that combines luck and strategy.
Design and Theme
The design of the Plinko slot machine is faithful to its https://gameplinko.co.uk/ original inspiration. Players are presented with a 3D representation of the physical game show board, complete with flashing lights and animated chips falling down the pyramid. The theme revolves around chance and fortune, with cartoonish visuals that add a playful touch.
Symbols
The symbols used in Plinko are all related to the physical game show experience:
- Chip: A standard symbol representing the main prize
- Pyramid: Represents the upper tier of the board, where players start their drop
- Hole: The smaller squares on the board’s surface that chips pass through
These symbols don’t have unique payouts or special features; they’re primarily used to illustrate the gameplay.
Payouts and Winning Combinations
In Plinko, winning combinations are determined by where a chip lands in one of the holes. Each hole has a specific payout associated with it:
- 1x
- 2x
- 3x
- 5x
- 10x
Only the highest paying combination is awarded for each drop. While payouts may seem meager, they’re enough to create an exciting experience due to their unpredictability.
Wilds and Scatters
Unfortunately, Plinko lacks wild symbols, which can substitute any other symbol in a winning combination, potentially increasing payouts. However, it does have a special feature that sets chips free: the ‘Free Plunk’ or scatter.
When three or more scatters appear anywhere on the reels (not necessarily consecutively), they initiate 10-50 Free Drops. During this bonus round, players are rewarded with extra chips based on their winning combinations.
Bonus Features
The main attraction in Plinko is the chance to play multiple rounds of chip drops while using your free spins and progressive multipliers as a way to accumulate wins.
There’s also a Jackpot Bonus feature triggered when you land four or five scatters. This awards 25-50 additional Free Drops with extra chips and higher payouts, setting players up for potentially significant winnings.
Free Spins
In Plinko, ‘free spins’ are an integral part of the gameplay experience but don’t have the typical meaning. Every time a player selects to drop their chip down the board or completes any other bonus feature they’ll get to take 10-50 additional turns while progressing with free multipliers.
Free Drops can be earned through both standard and special bonuses features like:
- Multiplier Chips: Awarded in Free Drops, they provide an x2-x20 multiplier to your win
- Double Your Win: Gives you twice the prize for all rounds played
RTP and Volatility
Plinko’s Return-to-Player (RTP) rate ranges from 94.30% to 96.77%, which is relatively low compared to other slots. The volatility, however, can be very high as each round introduces a completely new set of winning combinations.
This unpredictability makes Plinko an exciting but also potentially volatile experience for players, especially since some rounds may result in zero earnings while others could lead to massive wins.
Betting Range and Max Win
Players can stake anywhere from 0.10 credits to 1 credit per spin. Given the relatively low maximum payout of 2,400 times the initial wager (which corresponds to just 240x for those using a more considerable bet), one must keep in mind that substantial wins remain largely dependent on luck.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The gameplay cycle consists of several steps:
- Players choose how many chips they’d like to drop from their virtual wallet.
- They pick the board configuration: there are 18 different possible pyramid boards with six holes each located at various positions.
- A single chip (or set) is randomly generated and placed on top of the selected Pyramid Board, after which a Random Drop function determines its path through one or more random Holes.
As we see it, every spin results in an absolutely unique sequence – there aren’t any predefined rules governing what combinations your drop would land upon as no two board structures have exactly identical setups due to various placements within each layout.