Chilli Heat slot review
Pragmatic Play’s 2018 release, Chilli Heat, is a vibrant, Mexican-themed slot on a classic 5×3 grid with 25 paylines.
I pull out my sombrero for this fiesta and tell you how the medium volatility wins pay out on a 96.50% RTP. I also test and rate the slot’s bonus features in this Chilli Heat slot review.
Highlights
Expert verdict
Chilli Heat has a few things going for it. This fun and upbeat slot is accessible to low-budget, casual players, and gives you the chance to land significant wins during its two main bonus rounds.
I appreciated the party atmosphere of Chilli Heat and the allure of hitting its top jackpot piñata. The special reels activated in the bonus features lift the gameplay, especially in the Free Spins round.
With its medium volatility, I found the wins came a bit more frequently too, but the low payouts outside the bonus features didn’t live up to the game’s fiery name. Ultimately, if you don’t hit the bonuses, the fiesta quickly turns into a snooze.
- C$0.25 entry point
- Interesting bonus rounds
- 1,000x Grande Jackpot
- Symbols only pay 8x max
- Limited bonus features
- Underwhelming gameplay
My top three Chilli Heat casinos
I recommend the following casinos for Chilli Heat fans. If you’re new to the game, these casinos also offer free demos to non-registered users, so you can test both the slot and the platform before signing up.
These operators are equipped with strong slot libraries which also stock Chilli Heat sequels, other Mexican-themed games, and numerous Pragmatic Play titles.
| Casino logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&Cs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1
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86/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 82% Playscore based on |
First-class live casino
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
13 payment methods 
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2
|
88/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 63% Playscore based on |
Best for Jackpot King
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
7 payment methods
|
|
3
|
83/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 87% Playscore based on |
Best poker room and tournaments
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
8 payment methods
|
|
1
|
87/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 89% Playscore based on |
5,000 WoW Coins + 1 Sweepstake Coin
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
5 payment methods
|
|
2
|
87/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 83% Playscore based on |
250 Gold Coins + 5 Sweeps Coins and 600 Diamonds
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
4 payment methods
|
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3
|
84/100 Expert Rating by Elsa F. 87% Playscore based on |
500 Free Fortune Coins
|
Play players accepted |
4 payment methods
|
|
4
|
74/100 Expert Rating by Elena I. 84% Playscore based on |
Up to 1,000 Virtual Credits
|
Play players accepted |
Good to know
1 payment methods
|
Chilli Heat paytable: RTP, volatility, and payouts
Chilli Heat is a 5×3, medium-volatility slot with a 96.5% RTP rate. You need to hit three or more adjacent symbols on one of the 25 paylines to win.
The highest-paying symbol, Hombrero, will get you 8x your stake, but the 1,000x Grande Jackpot is up for grabs during one of the bonus features.
Payout facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.50% |
| Maximum win | 1,000x |
| Highest-paying symbol | Hombrero |
| Volatility | Medium |
There are four low-paying symbols and four special symbols, besides a paying Scatter. All symbols pay left to right. Here’s a breakdown of the potential wins.
- A, K, Q, J: 0.2x, 0.4x, 2x
- Tequila and Lime: 0.2x, 1x, 4x
- Hot Sauce: 0.2x, 1x, 5x
- Chihuahua: 0.2x, 1.2x, 6x
- Hombrero: 0.4x, 2x, 8x
- Sun Scatter: 1x
Payouts rating
- 96.50% RTP
- C$125,000 max bet win
- Moderately frequent hits
- Only low-paying symbols
- Low 1,000x max win
- Medium-size wins
Chilli Heat’s RTP rolls in above the 94%–96% average for slots, though medium-variance slots can climb up to 96.99% too. This means Chilli Heat’s RTP beats IGT’s Cleopatra or NetEnt’s Starburst, but not PG Soft’s Fortune Tiger, for example.
I found the slot was able to sustain some gameplay with its moderate volatility, which dishes out wins more frequently than other high-variance Pragmatic Play slots like Big Bass Splash.
The potential 1,000x jackpot isn’t negligible, given that some medium-volatility slots go as low as 500x. Still, the figure is towards the lower end of the 1,000x–3,000x spectrum.
In the base game, I only had an 8x potential win to look forward to and three-of-a-kind lands you just 0.2x for nearly all symbols, even the special ones. No symbols pay out for two matches either.
Minimum and maximum bets
Chilli Heat’s betting options range from C$0.25 per spin to C$125 across 25 fixed paylines.
The lowest bet per line is C$0.01, giving you a C$0.25 total minimum bet.
You can adjust your stake by setting your coin per line and coin value. The max is 10 coins at C$0.50, totalling C$125 across the 25 paylines.
Stake facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum bet | C$0.25 |
| Maximum bet | C$125 |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Bet per line | C$0.01 |
| Buy feature | N/A |
There is no buy feature available.
Stake limits rating
- Flexible betting range
- Low minimum bet at C$0.25
- 25 paylines
- Non-adjustable paylines
- Tangible wins require higher bets
- No Buy feature
I’m not a high roller and I like Pragmatic Play’s flexible bet ranges, going all the way up to C$125 in this case. The C$0.25 starting bet is comfortably low, though not as low as the C$0.10 minimum bet for Book of Dead or Starburst.
I also like the 25-payline feature because there’s a bit more to work with than the more common configuration of 10 paylines. Then again, I’ll take Megaways any day.
Because the game is flooded with low-paying symbols, playing the base game on a minimum bet was disappointing for me.
Over a 100-spin test, my highest win was C$2.50, and I often only scored wins of C$0.5 or C$0.10. And no, they don’t add up fast enough. I was C$10 in the red by the end of it, which isn’t the kind of heat I wanted from this slot.
With no Buy feature, I had to wait in hopes of triggering the bonus rounds for more solid wins.
Bonus features: wilds, respins, and free spins
Besides the Chilli Heat Wild, there are two main bonus features: the Money Respin round and the Free Spins round.
These two rounds trigger special sticky reels, where low-paying symbols are eliminated.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Wilds | Yes |
| Scatters | Yes |
| Other special symbols | Money Bag symbols |
| Gamble feature | N/A |
| Reel features | Special reels |
| Free spins | Yes |
| Respins | Yes |
| Multipliers | N/A |
| Other bonus features | Money Respin feature |
Chilli Heat Wild
The Chilli Heat symbol acts as a Wild that replaces any symbol to form a winning payline. It cannot substitute the Scatter or Money Bag symbol.
Money Respin round
The Money Bag symbol can drop on all reels and has randomly assigned values, but you can only bag these values during the Respin round. Landing six or more Money Bag symbols in one spin will trigger the Respin feature.
During this round, special reels are activated. All normal symbols disappear and you’re only playing with the Money Bag symbols and blanks.
You are awarded three spins at the beginning of the round. With every respin, any existing and new money symbols that land are sticky, so you’re accumulating wins that will be paid out at the end of the bonus feature.
Values range from 1x to 100x your total bet, and also include the three jackpot values: the Mini at 30x, the Major at 100x, and the Grande Jackpot at 1,000x.
Your respin counter is reset to three every time you hit at least one more Money Bag symbol. The feature ends when the respins run out or all the blanks are filled with money bags. In the latter case, you’re awarded the Grande Jackpot.
Free Spins
The Sun Scatter appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. You need three Scatter symbols to trigger the Free Spins round, which awards eight free spins.
During the Free Spins round, special reels are activated. The low-paying symbols are eliminated, so you’ll only be playing with the four special symbols, the Scatter, Wild, and Money Bag symbols.
The feature can be retriggered every time you land three Scatters, with no limits.
You can still trigger the Money Respin feature during the Free Spins round.
Bonus features rating
- Respin feature with sticky reels
- Free Spins bonus round
- Multi-jackpot element
- No multipliers
- No gamble feature
- Difficult to trigger Free Spins
Since base-game action is a bit dry, you’re really playing for the Respin feature here. This is the only time I saw any decent wins. That’s C$35 compared to the C$0.20 average I scraped at a loss outside the feature.
The Money Bag symbols look like multipliers but they aren’t, since they only earn you your stake during the Respin feature. They don’t multiply your wins in the base game, which would have been a welcome improvement.
Reactivating the Respin during the feature isn’t that hard. In my case, I reset the counter at least four times. I can’t say the same about the Free Spins round, though. I easily burnt any wins chasing the Free Spins, but those Scatters just didn’t want to show.
It felt like all the game’s energy is concentrated on the respins, especially since I never triggered any free spins. A gamble option or a progressive jackpot element would keep the gameplay feeling fresh during extended play.
Graphics and FX
The lively Mexican fiesta theme of Chilli Heat brings with it colourful symbols like chilli peppers, maracas, and tequila. The design is fun and vibrant, and the animations add to the festive nature of the game.
Animations include glowing symbols on a winning payline, a blazing game title logo, and a swinging bunch of chilli against a warm streetscape complete with potted cacti.
The cheerful soundtrack fits perfectly with the theme and includes background sounds of a cheering crowd in fiesta-mode.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Mexican |
| Graphics | Superb |
| Animations | Average |
| Sound quality | Average |
| Mobile compatibility | Good |
Audiovisuals rating
- Popular theme
- Immersive graphics
- Compatibility with range of devices
- Average animations
- Subpar sound FX and music
I enjoyed the happy feel of Chilli Heat, with its bright colours and lively soundtrack. The visuals are eye-catching and add a lot to the game’s overall vibe.
The Free Spins round takes it up a notch with a faster salsa soundtrack, exploding symbols, and all-round mariachi merriment.
However, after playing for a while, I did feel that the animations were pretty average. It’s as if the designers forgot about the long-haul base-game grind.
I much prefer the theme execution in Thunderkick’s Esqueleto Explosivo, where stacked skulls atop the skeletons of a mariachi band replace the traditional 5×3 grid. There’s more originality and detail, but above all, a light, humorous touch which Chilli Heat misses the opportunity to capitalize on.
Game layout
The layout of Chilli Heat is straightforward, with a regular 5×3 grid atop the main controls.
The game controls are easy to locate and use, with spin, autoplay, info, and settings buttons all easy to reach.
Players can set autoplay at 10–1,000 spins and activate Turbo spin, Quick spin, and Skip Screens for faster play.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Autoplay | Yes |
| Turbo mode | Yes |
| Ease of use | Very user-friendly |
| Game history | Yes |
The intro screen, ambient music, and sound effects can be turned off from the settings tab, and battery saver mode slows down animation speed for more efficient battery use.
You can also access your game history from the settings menu.
Game layout rating
- Intuitive layout of controls
- Game history access
- Battery saver mode
- Visual clutter on mobile
- Dense paytable text
Straight away, I found Chilli Heat’s layout to be user-friendly so I could focus on the action. Everything you need is at your fingertips, whether playing on desktop or mobile, which I appreciate.
I have just two minor complaints for which I didn’t see the need to reduce too many points. The paytable is detailed but text-heavy and a nuisance to read on mobile. And finally, the busy theme also means the visuals can possibly be a bit overwhelming on smaller screens.
