Quite the fun slot machine, Nutty Squirrel’s reels are populated with loveable characters, all of them squirrels as you can probably imagine, and looking good enough to be part of some animation series that a kid would love. Though not a kid, I enjoyed the game anyway, and the reasons include both the features, the theme choice and the top payout. The choice of theme is a good one, unique among the thousands of slot machines available these days, and that’s not always easy to accomplish.
5 reels are present in Nutty Squirrel, and like many other slots do, this one also has a total of 20 paylines. Its $50,000 jackpot is one of the main pluses of the game, along with the list of features (free spins with multipliers, scatter symbols and wilds which also multiply prizes).
Features of Nutty Squirrel
You get pretty much everything you could wish for from the game’s list of features, though they’re not always as good as in other games. The wild symbol would be one example, but more on that below. Other features come through the scatter symbol, which triggers the round with free games and with multipliers.
The Nutty Squirrel is the only redhead character of the lot, so it’s easy enough to recognize. Acting as a true nut, he is the wild symbol in this case, but it’s only going to make appearances on the 1st and 5th reels. Get it on both reels in the same round, and you will be rewarded with a small prize, worth 2x the bet. While used as a regular wild, whenever it is part of a winning combo, contributing thanks to its substitution ability to the mix, it will double the value of the prize.
The only other symbol with special powers would be the Golden Acorn. Just like in real life, the Acorn will be scattered around. It will be just as valuable a symbol, no matter where it’s located. You only need a certain number of symbols, that’s the only requirement. You’re going to get paid when you have a minimum of two Golden Acorns, but for the maximum prize of 100x the bet you need all five.
Free Games Feature
The free spins feature takes a form that is often found in modern slot machines, providing you with both rounds for which you don’t have to pay anything, and with multipliers to increase the size of the wins. 15 spins are offered for free when a minimum of three Golden Acorns are present in the game, while the multiplier is at 2x, so it doubles prizes.
Betting options and jackpots
For each payline that gets a wager, you have to use between 1 and 20 coins, the exact number being up to you. Up to 400 coins can be used in the maximum bet, with the denomination reaching $0.50, so you can wager up to $200.
Though you can win 100,000 coins when the top jackpot is awarded (5,000x), their maximum value is at “only” $50,000.
Design and symbols
It’s a funny looking game, with loads of squirrel characters, each one with its own role. Besides the nutty squirrel, you also have the Princess Squirrel, the Knight Squirrel and a few others. Beautiful jars with honey, sugar, milk and juice are used as low paying symbols, an elegant replacement for the boring playing cards that a lot of other slots use. The cartoon style and the loveable nature of the characters used in this game do a lot to make it an endearing title.
Symbols: Nutty Squirrel (wild, 2x), Golden Acorn (100x bet, scatter), Green Squirrel (5,000x), Queen Squirrel (1,500x), Skunk (500x), Raccoon (500x), Acorns (250x), Leaf (250x), Honey Jar (200x), Sugar Jar (200x), Juice Jar (125x) and Milk Jar (125x).
Is It Worth Playing?
Since slot machines have to entertain as well, not just offer big prizes, Nutty Squirrel seems to be the kind of game that will have a lot of success. It doesn’t hurt that it has a $50,000 jackpot as well on the table.
The Nutty Squirrel slot machine is offered through the Microgaming platform, so if you want to play it for real or just to practice, look out for casinos that use it.
