Magawa VS Mines

Magawa vs Mines: Slot Overview

If you were under the impression rats were nothing but pests that steal food and spread disease, it might be time to reassess this thought process. Rats are actually quite clever, and if you need proof to sway your opinion, look no further than Magawa, a giant African pouched rat who won a PDSA Gold Medal for discovering 39 landmines and 28 bits of unexploded ordnance. Magawa was trained by APOPO, an organisation which trains animals to detect landmines and tuberculosis. Rats like Magawa can clear an area the size of a tennis court in half an hour, a deed that would take a human 4 days. Such heroics have not just been recognised by medals and presentations. No, no, this brave rodent has also been honoured by Relax Gaming partner Slammer Studios, a newcomer on the scene, in the online slot Magawa vs Mines.

Magawa worked in Cambodia, a country that saw 4 to 6 million landmines laid between 1975 and 1998, causing over 64,000 casualties. Many still remain, making Cambodia one of the most heavily affected countries in the world in terms of landmines and unexploded bombs. It also has a very lush, mysterious countryside, of which Magawa vs Mines has neatly recreated in miniature. In the middle of a grassy clearing is the game's 7x7 grid matrix, bordered by bush and destination-worthy stonework such as giant heads and tree root-wadded structures. Slammer Studios has laid on quite an inviting scene actually, nicely detailed, almost video game-ish. However, the big band 1930s crime spree tune in the base game or the free spins' 1980s German S&M club track didn't feel like they really fit, though music appreciation is in the ear of the beholder.

To accompany Magawa on the hunt for explosives, participants select a stake of 10 c to $/€50 per spin and decide whether or not to activate the ante bet. With the ante bet on, the stake increases by 50%, and the chance of triggering free spins increases by more than 300%. Mathematically highly volatile, Magawa vs Mines is a cluster pays slot, making wins when 5 or more matching symbols are connected in horizontal or vertical adjacent positions. Winning symbols (not wilds) are removed and replaced by a cascade mechanic, while the default RTP comes in at 95.98%, though this changes when buying features or using the ante bet.

Slanty rocks with clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades on them are Magawa vs Mines' 4 low pay symbols, while the 4 highs are cutters, goggles, a tech device, and a PDSA medal. Clusters consisting of 5 to 7 matching symbols pay 0.2 to 2 times the bet, increasing to 100 to 1,000 times the bet for a 40-49 OAK cluster. One or more Magawa Wilds land on every spin. Magawa Wilds substitute for all of the pay symbols, and they do not cascade when part of a win.

Magawa vs Mines: Slot Features

Wiggling your way to wins in Magawa vs Mines is assisted by Mystery Mine symbols, mystery symbol reveals, a Rat Run feature, Random Mines, Second Chances, free spins, and bonus buys.

Features

• Mystery Mines - Mystery Mine symbols are triggered by the Rat Run or by adjacent winning combinations. Mystery Mines place mystery symbols in adjacent areas on the reels when triggered. Mystery symbols all reveal the same symbol.
• Rat Run - Landing a Magawa Wild and a Mystery Mine on the reels triggers the Rat Run. The Magawa Wild runs to the nearest Mystery Mine leaving mystery symbols on its path, defusing it, causing the Mystery Mine to place more mystery symbols in adjacent positions on the reels. Landing 2 or more Magawa Wilds with Mystery Mines creates a multiplier equivalent to the number of landed Magawa Wilds.
• Random Mines - When a win from the Rat Run or a general winning combination occurs, the Random Mine feature may trigger. When it does, the Random Mine feature reveals additional Mystery Mines on the grid.

Second Chance

Scatter symbols are present on all reels. The second chance randomly triggers when 2 scatter symbols land on a non-winning spin. The second chance creates new spaces on the reels for an additional chance of getting scatters, Mystery Mines, Magawa Wilds, and winning combinations.

Free Spins

Hitting 3 scatters awards 8 free spins. During free spins, all Mystery Mines possess multipliers with values of x2 to x10. Multipliers are additive, and additional Multipliers can land as part of the same sequence. Scatters are collected in free spins. For every 3 scatters collected, a low pay symbol is removed from the Mystery Mine and Rat Run reveals, plus 3 extra free spins are granted.

Bonus Buy

Magawa vs Mines comes with a bunch of buy options that include: 65x the bet for 8 free spins with 0 symbols removed, 105x the bet for 11 free spins with 1 symbol removed, 185x the bet for 14 free spins with 2 symbols removed, 255x the bet for 17 free spins with 3 symbols removed, or 310x the bet for 20 free spins with 4 symbols removed.

Magawa vs Mines: Slot Verdict

Firstly, it's generally a positive when a slot maker uses a theme that you have never encountered before. So it was with Magawa vs Mines, causing a hunt through the Interwebs to find out who or what this Magawa might be. And what do you know, Magawa is a real thing, a rat who proves the saying 'not all heroes wear capes.' On account of Magawa's deeds, there was fervent hope that the slot Slammer Studios had placed the mine-detecting rodent in would be a good one. After a run-through, Magawa vs Mines delivered flashes of entertainment, but it wasn't without one or two fleas.

On the less exciting side, whilst wins and free spins triggers were fairly frequent, rarely, if ever, did they feel like they were on the verge of blasting somewhere significant. Rat Run wins are an interesting proposition, though, since when Magawa runs to those Mystery Mines, mystery symbols are placed on his path and at adjacent positions to the Mystery Mine. In the base game, if you're lucky, more than one Magawa Wild symbol hits at the same time as a Mystery Mine because, in that case, a multiplier is injected. Or, scurry into free spins where all Mystery Mine symbols display multipliers. These will be useful since the bulk of mystery symbol reveals were of the lower payout variety. One thing to look forward to is collecting scatters in free spins in order to cut down on those pesky low-pay symbols. Well, low-pay symbols still land; it's just they aren't revealed by mystery symbols.

One of Magawa vs Mines' big surprises is that despite giving off low win vibes, it's actually got a cap of 20,000x the bet, so somewhere in there, theoretically, a massive spin, maybe more, lurks, like a deviously hidden landmine. To sum up, Magawa vs Mines is a charming game with a heart-warming storyline, but it is one that might just as easily end in frustration as in triumph.