Hugo Legacy

Hugo Legacy: Slot Overview

It's funny; you wouldn't think a cartoonish character originally aimed at kids would make the best subject matter for use in an online slot. However, going strong on the gambling scene for several years now is Hugo the Troll, or as he is known in Danish, 'Skærmtrolden Hugo'. This loveable scamp has starred in a bunch of online slots from Play'n GO, and here's another one titled Hugo Legacy. It comes with the tagline '30th Anniversary', which, unless we're missing something, is a little off since Hugo the tv game show premiered in 1990, putting it at 33 years (at the time of review) by our calculations. Never mind, Hugo and crew are back in a cluster-paying grid slot where winning symbols are collected to trigger features and free spins.

Hugo is a cheerful sort, and the affable troll stands on a rock next to the grid throughout the game, piling on helpings of adorability. The setting for the game is a grassy meadow next to a wooded area, which is presumably Troll Forest, somewhere in Scandinavia where Hugo lived in the game show. Leaves drift to the ground, butterflies flit about, and the sun is shining, making Hugo Legacy as emotionally buoyant, if not more so, than any other slot in the Hugo range.

The central focus in Hugo Legacy from a gaming perspective is a 7x7 cascading grid matrix. A win is formed when matching symbols land connected to each other in vertical or horizontal directions. Winning clusters are removed from the reels, and symbols cascade down to plug any visible gaps. If a new win forms after the cascade, then the process repeats, ending when no new winning clusters are created. All of this cascading action is governed by a medium volatile math model (6 out of 10), available in a wide range of different RTP configurations, defaulting at 96.2%. When picking a bet, the options are 10 p/c to $/€100 per paid drop.

Hugo Legacy's regular pay symbols are a mix of miscellaneous items and characters. On the lower end of the paytable is a key, a bundle of dynamite, a mining cart, gold bars, and a hat, while the high pays are Jean Paul, Fernando, Don Croco, Scylla, and Hugo. The rewards for landing a 5 symbol cluster are 0.1 to 2.5 times the stake, rising to a maximum of 40 to 1,000x the bet for hitting a 20+ sized cluster. A big sparkly diamond is Hugo Legacy's wild symbol, used for the purpose of substituting any regular pay symbol.

Hugo Legacy: Slot Features

Each winning symbol counts as +1 charge on the Telephone meter. At certain charge levels, a modifier is triggered, while a free spin with various strengths can also be won. When 15 or more charges are achieved, a random character modifier is awarded:

• Hugo – adds 5 to 8 wilds to the grid.
• Scylla – protects 1 or 2 symbol types and wilds and destroys all others.
• Don Croco – transforms 2 to 5 symbol types into different symbol types.
• Fernando – turns a single symbol type wild.
• Jean Paul – selects a symbol and builds a winning cluster.

Free Spins

A free spin activates if there are at least 35 charges on the Telephone meter. At 35 charges, the default free spin is activated, but if 40, 45, or 50 charges are achieved, then a stronger free spin is triggered:

• 35 charges in the Telephone awards 2 character modifiers.
• 40 charges in the Telephone awards 3 character modifiers.
• 45 charges in the Telephone awards 4 character modifiers and 5 wilds collected.
• 50 charges in the Telephone awards 5 character modifiers and 30 wilds collected.

When the free spin is triggered, players have the option of gambling to reach higher levels. Losing a gamble awards a single character feature only. Free spins feature a wild collector. All winning wilds are collected in the first phase, and the wilds are added back to the grid in the second phase after all the character modifiers play out. Only 5 to 10 wilds are used at once, and more will be added after extra wins. This continues until all of the wilds have been used up. Any wilds landing in the second phase are not collected.

Hugo Legacy: Slot Verdict

Play'n GO's lineup of Hugo slots has leapt about the place, and the jump from the previous release, Hugo Carts, to this one, Hugo Legacy, is substantial. Where Hugo Carts was a highly volatile game with a massive 25,000x the bet max win, Hugo Legacy goes in the opposite direction, easing back the math model as well as the max win, which now tops out at 3,000x the bet. You might think then that Hugo Legacy would be a better match for a mellower sector of the gambling community. Fair dues, yet it's open for anyone in the mood for something which doesn't grind along, instead firing off features with a fair amount of regularity. 'Only' 15 winning symbols are needed to trigger a random character feature, after all, and at least 35 for a free spin. Sure, 'a' free spin, but the gamble option is there for a chance of getting a more powerful free spin if you haven't already got extra charges on the Telephone. Plus, the Wild Collection element might help elongate a free spin session.

For any cartoon character to last three decades, it has to have touched the hearts of a good number of viewers. And so, the magic of Hugo the Troll lives on in one of the most unlikely places, online gambling. Hugo Legacy really caters for the fans too. From its selection of characters to its heavy use of Hugo to the telephone element, which may not make a lot of sense to players who never used their phones to interact with the tv video game. Not that it's really necessary to know the full lore and history of the Hugo concept to get a few kicks out of Hugo Legacy, but it's like learning about the place you live in. Knowing more about the history, the people who lived there before you, plus the events that shaped the area and its people can help deepen the connection to a place.

However, as mentioned, you don't need to really know much about the Hugo phenomenon to enjoy Hugo Legacy. If what you're after is a relatively light, charming game with a rolling, fairly pacey set of features, then Hugo Legacy might fit the bill.