Pixies of the Forest II slot review
Released as a sequel by International Game Technology (IGT) in 2019, Pixies of the Forest II retains the 5×3 setup with 99 paylines from the original, while adding a whole host of bonus features. This includes three jackpots and a Spirit Meter that can trigger special Wild features.
Along with an increased RTP rate of 96.57%, the slot’s Free Spins round also feels more developed than the original. To find out more about what this game has to offer, check out my Pixies of the Forest II slot review below.
Highlights
RTP 97%
Volatility Low
Stakes range 165
Max win x2000
Number of reels 5
Number of rows 3-
Number of paylines 10 -
Jackpots Yes -
Slot type Slots -
Slot theme Nature, Pixie -
Software provider IGT -
Launch date 01/02/2019
75/ 100
73% Playscore based on 5 critics
Pixies of the Forest slot summary
Pixies of the Forest II takes the same 5×3 grid with 99 fixed paylines from the original game and builds a far more complete slot around it. The biggest upgrades include jackpot prizes and a Spirit Meter system that can trigger different Feature Wild events during the base game and bonus round.
These Feature Wild events include Sticky Wilds and Wild Reels. There’s also the potential for mystery-style symbol transformations and multipliers in the Free Spins round. While these elements add a lot of depth and variety, some of the bonuses feel rushed and unpolished.
The visuals and sounds are not the game’s strongest points, while the paytable also takes a bit of a hit. That said, the RTP is much improved and Pixies of the Forest II still holds up as a dynamic and decent slot entry by IGT.
Pros
Three jackpots (two fixed, one progressive)
Feature Wilds available in base game
Free Spins bonus various modifiers
Cons
Lackluster paytable
Some bonuses feel rushed
Multipliers limited to 2x
Pixies of the Forest II comprehensive review
In my comprehensive review of Pixies of the Forest II, I’ll be looking at what this game does differently from the original. This goes beyond RTP, paylines, and gameplay, but also a more in-depth look of its bonus elements and whether they truly heighten gameplay.
RTP and volatility
With medium volatility, Pixies of the Forest II has an RTP of 96.57%. When the Gold progressive jackpot is won, the prize resets to $1,500 and the expected return drops to 96.27%. A total of 0.30% of player wagers are used to fund the Gold jackpot prize.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.27% |
| Maximum win | 250,000 coins |
| Number of paylines | 99 |
| Volatility | Medium |
Wins are recorded from left to right and require a minimum of three, four, or five matching symbols to land on one of 99 fixed paylines.
The slot’s RTP rating of 96.57% beats its predecessor, Pixies of the Forest, by over one and a half percentage points. In fact, it also sits comfortably about the 96% industry average.
This becomes even more impressive when you consider that the game features a progressive jackpot, with jackpot slots generally having lower RTPs. MegaJackpots Cleopatra and Wold Run Megajackpots by IGT are prime examples, with RTPs of 92% and 93.04% respectively.
Across 100 test spins, I recorded a hit rate of 29%, which is actually quite high for a medium volatility slot. However, the game still felt well balanced with dry spells, moderate line wins, and occasional boosts from cascades or bonus features like the Spirit Meter.
Alexander Teoli
Bonus features
The Wild symbol substitutes for all other icons except for bonus symbols and Scatters. During the base game, Wilds appear on reels two, three, and four. They also appear on reels number one during bonus games.
Pixies of the Forest II features tumbling reels, where winning combinations disappear and get replaced by new symbols. If these new symbols create another winning combination, the process repeats itself until there are no more wins.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus features | Wilds, Scatters, Bonus Symbols, Jackpot Symbols, Wilds, Free spins, Multipliers |
| Top features | Wilds |
| Jackpot | Available |
Feature Wilds
For every spin and tumble that produces a win, the Spirit Meter collects one spirit. Once a minimum of three spirits are collected, the Feature Wilds mechanic is triggered. If the meter holds more than three spirits, one additional feature Wild spin is awarded for each extra spirit collected.
Once triggered, one of three Feature Wild mechanics is randomly selected: Wild Reels, Random Wilds, and Countdown Sticky Wilds. All three variants occur on reels two, three, and or four.
- Wild Reels: One or two reels become covered in Wild symbols. These Wild Reels remain in place during cascading wins.
- Random Wilds: Three Wilds are randomly placed on the reels. These disappear when involved in a win, but when there are no more wins, a new set of Wilds may appear up to two more times.
- Countdown Stick Wilds: These Wilds remain locked in place for three tumbles. Unlike standard Random Wilds, these Wilds do not disappear when involved in a win.
Mystery bonus and jackpot trigger
Prior to the start of any Feature Wilds spin, the wilds can potentially transform into Jackpot symbols or Bonus symbols, with the latter triggering the Pixie Queen’s Free Spins round.
After this feature, gameplay resumes from where it left off and the transformed symbols revert back into Wilds.
Pixie Queen’s Free Bonus
The Pixie Queen’s Free Spins round can be triggered before a Feature Wilds event, or by landing three Bonus symbols on reels one, two, or three. Once triggered, you have to select one of the Bonus symbols to reveal between five to 11 free spins.
During your free spins, high-paying pixie symbols appear on reel one with a 2x multiplier. However, Wilds do not substitute for 2x pixie symbols.
Any Feature Wild events triggered during the Bonus round does not decrease your number of free spins remaining. However, if a spin doesn’t result in a Feature Wild event, the Pixie Queen may appear to award one of three gifts:
- Extra Spin: The Pixie Queen awards one extra spin.
- Spirit Boost: Two extra spirits are added to the Spirit Meter. If this brings the meter to three or more spirits, a Feature Wild event is triggered on the next spin.
- Symbol Elimination: One to four symbol types disappear from the grid, triggering a new tumble and increasing the Spirit Meter by one. If this fills the meter with three or more spirits, a Feature Wild event is triggered on the next spin.
Pixie Progressive Picker
The Pixie Progressive Picker is triggered by landing three Jackpot symbols on reels three, four, and five. Alternatively, it may also activate prior to a Feature Wilds event.
Once triggered, you have to select Pixie icons to fill one of three jackpot meters. Each meter contains four spaces, and the first meter to have them all filled in awards you its jackpot prize.
The Gold Jackpot is the progressive prize, while the Silver and Bronze jackpots are fixed at 27x and 9x your bet respectively.
Considering how bare the bonuses were in the original version, the creators really upped their game for this rendition. They essentially went back and added a bunch of stuff that the first version was missing, including multipliers, jackpot prizes, and unique modifiers that give it more depth.
While these are all welcome additions, some parts feel a bit rushed and not even that generous. The x2 multiplier appears on one reel during the Free Spins round and only applies to high-paying Pixies.
Compared to IGT slots like MegaJackpots Golden Goddess, which uses stacked high-paying symbols to boost payouts, the bonuses in Pixies of the Forest II come across as more varied and engaging in my opinion. This is in no small part thanks to its Feature Wilds event that can trigger during the base game and Free Spins round
Alexander Teoli
Symbols and paytable
Pixies of the Forest II uses a coin-based bet configuration, with 99 paylines played across 33 coins. This means that the paytable does not scale according to your bet size. Instead, your selected coin value is multiplied by 33 to display your total wager.
The slot is home to eight pay symbols, including four low-paying card icons (A, K, Q, and J). High paying symbols consist of three pixies and the game’s logo. Payouts are awarded for three, four, and five matching symbols on active paylines.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Pixies |
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Highest paying symbol | Game logo |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Visuals | Okay |
| Sound | Basic |
| Mobile quality | Good |
The game’s logo is the slot’s highest-paying symbol, awarding 1,000x your selected coin value for five matches on active paylines. Four and three matches earn you 100x and 20x your coin value respectively.
This is followed by the purpled-haired pixie that awards 500x your coin value for five-of-a-kind. Next up, the brown-haired and blonde-haired pixies both award 200x your con value for five matches.
The A and K cards fork out 100x and 30x for five matches, with both paying 2x for three matches. The Q and J card pay 25x and 10x respectively, with both awarding 1x for three matches. The maximum win potential at Pixies of the Forest II stands at 25,000,000 coins.
The first thing I noticed is that across five matches, most of the game’s high-paying icons only offer half when compared to the top paying symbols in the original game.
No doubt, this is done to account for the added bonuses, which means the top end symbols do not need to do as much heavy lifting. It’s also not uncommon for slots with jackpot versions to have adjusted payouts. We see a similar thing in Bonanza Megapays (four jackpots) and Bonanza Megaways (no jackpots).
However, the differences in paytables for the Bonanza games is actually not that drastic when compared to the Pixies’ slots. So, while the Gold Jackpot is clearly a good thing, it cannot hide what is still a fairly tame paytable.
Alexander Teoli
How to play Pixies of the Forest II
Use the arrow keys to adjust your coin value, with your full wager displayed under Total Bet. Depending on your selected coin value, the betting range starts at $0.33 per spin up to $165 per spin.
Select the orange button with the circular arrow to start spinning the reels. Autoplay options allow for up to 50 autospins, although these will end automatically when a bonus feature is triggered. You can also stop autospins manually by selecting the spin button again.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | $0.33 |
| Max bet | $165 |
| Autoplay | Available |
| Turbo mode | N/A |
| Game history | N/A |
To view payouts and a rundown of game mechanics, select the ‘Paytable’ button. For a more thorough breakdown on how the slot works, select ‘Game Rules’. You can also choose to play with or without sound by toggling ‘Audio On’ and ‘Audio Off’.
Casinos where to play Pixies of the Forest II
IGT is a highly respected and well-established developer creator within the online slot space. If you’re looking to play Pixies of the Forest II for free or real money, I highly recommend checking out the following online casinos:
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Expert verdict
Personally, I found it impossible to review this game without thinking about the original version. But I think this actually works in its favor. I feel like IGT took note of what the first game was missing and compensated by adding a strong set of bonus features.
In many ways, I think this approach worked well. This version offers a far more dynamic and engaging experience. The Feature Wilds event doesn’t take much to trigger and makes base gameplay more entertaining. It’s not just the bonuses, with the RTP also much improved from the original.
That said, I also felt like the bonuses were a little rushed in paces. Some features like the x2 multipliers, feel like they were thrown together just for the sake of it. The paytable also takes a hit, but the jackpots go some way toward making up for this.
However, despite some glaring setbacks, Pixies of the Forest II feels more like the complete package and has much stronger playback potential.
FAQs
What is the RTP of Pixies of the Forest II?
Pixies of the Forest II has an RTP of 96.57%, although this takes into account the progressive jackpot. Without the jackpots, the expected return is listed at 96.27%.
What bonuses does Pixies of the Forest II have?
Pixies of the Forest II comes with tumbling reels, a jackpot game, Feature Wild events, and a Pixie Free Spins round with x2 multipliers and other modifiers.
How many paylines does Pixies of the Forest II have?
Pixies of the Forest has 99 paylines that remain active throughout gameplay.
What is the maximum win potential of Pixies of the Forest II?
Pixies of the Forest II has a maximum win potential of 250,000 credits or coins when excluding the Gold Jackpot progressive prize.
What is the volatility of Pixies of the Forest?
Pixies of the Forest II has medium volatility, offering a balanced mix between dry spells, regular line wins, and bigger payouts through bonus features and jackpot prizes.
