Boombear Bros

Boombear Bros: Slot Overview

Hacksaw Gaming partner Bullshark Games lights the fuse on Boombear Bros, an online slot with a soft spot for all things explosive. A cluster pays slot, the studio has used the game to experiment with a cell multiplier feature, though one that shuns the usual Sugar Rush way of doing things while also mixing in a symbol transformation feature. Both enter via explosive devices, with the brothers using their arsenal to lay fire and ice across the reels. Whether you're a scorching heat or a freezing cold person, this cluster pays machine delivers both, with luck unleashing fiery destruction and icy surprises in a cuddly, teddy bear realm.

It would appear the two bros may have some sort of sibling rivalry going on, or are teaming up perhaps, as one appears to have a fortress in a grassy, sunny realm, the other a fortress in a cold, snowy spot. The game splits its screen in half, with the red fortress on one side, the blue one on the other. Red relates to fire, blue to ice, which will mean more than just contrasting optics once we get to the features. Till then, bask in a cute game about two brothers who enjoy blowing things up in a Clash of Clans, Clash Royale-type slot where the explosive theme is more than a visual gimmick, as the opposing elements of fire and ice directly influence how the mechanics play out once the explosive devices start floating about the grid.

Winning combinations are created on Boombear Bros' 6x6 gaming area when 5 or more matching symbols are connected horizontally and/or vertically in clusters. Winning symbols vanish, making way for a symbol drop that refills the grid, repeating until no new clusters are formed. It is possible to wager $/€0.10 to $/€75 in this medium volatile slot, which comes in two RTPs - 96.32% or 94.36%.

The paytable is made up of diamonds, clubs, hearts, spades, shields, armour, goggles, hammers, and bears. The largest clusters are 27 matching symbols in size and pay 10x-60x the stake. Wilds can land in all phases or be added by the Ice Power Bomb. Wilds substitute for all symbols on the paytable. A combination of 27+ wilds is worth 100x the bet.

Boombear Bros: Slot Features

Boombear Bros' arsenal contains Power Bombs, Bomb Frenzy, Bombs Away, Maximum Blast, and feature buys.

Power Bombs

Power Bomb symbols may land in any phase or be added by the Bomb Frenzy feature. They can explode horizontally, vertically, or in a cross shape in a length of 1-5, up to the grid's edge. There are two types of Power Bombs:

• Fire Power Bomb - When it lands, it adds multipliers of x2-x20 to all cells in its explosion's reach, including where it landed. Multipliers are added immediately after a spin or cascade. Each affected cell by a single bomb gets the same value. If more than one bomb affects the same cell, they add their values together. The Fire Bomb transforms into a pay symbol or a wild. The Cell multiplier is applied to any win which includes a symbol from that cell. If there is more than one cell with multipliers in the same win, the multipliers are added. Cell multipliers reset at the start of each new base game spin. Cell multipliers from the base game do not carry over to bonus rounds.
• Ice Power Bomb - When it lands, it adds matching symbols to all cells in its explosion's reach. This could be wilds or pay symbols. Existing wilds, bombs, or scatters are not transformed. The Ice Bomb transforms into the same added symbol. It activates when the grid is settled, and there are no more wins.

Bomb Frenzy

On any non-winning spin with no Power Bombs in view, a Bomb Frenzy may trigger, adding 2-5 bombs to the grid, though not on wilds, other bombs or scatters.

Bombs Away

Hitting 3 scatters in the main game awards 10 free spins in the Bombs Away feature. During this bonus, cell multipliers are progressive, and each scatter awards +1 free spin before transforming into a regular pay symbol.

Maximum Blast

Landing 4 scatters in the base game triggers Maximum Blast and 12 free spins. This feature builds on Bombs Away by making all Power Bomb symbols explode in four directions.

Feature Buys

By activating BonusHunt FeatureSpins for 3x the bet, triggering a bonus game is 5 times more likely, while Short Fuse FeatureSpins lands at least 2 Power Bombs on each spin for 50x the stake. Bombs Away can be bought for 100x, and Maximum Blast costs 250x to trigger.

Boombear Bros: Slot Verdict

Boombear Bros is a charming cluster pays addition to Bullshark Gaming's growing collection. The studio earns a few points by managing to deviate from the Sugar Rush method of marking winning positions and then doubling cell multipliers on them. Boombear Bros' approach is both more random and split, as not only are bombs needed to trigger the multiplier effect, but they may trigger symbol transformations instead. As such, the gameplay is a bit more fiddly than the Pragmatic Play classic, but possibly more satisfying when the various parts come together to create something special. At the very least, players looking for a cell multiplying cluster pays slot have an option that does something different to what many of the competitors are putting out.

Cross your fingers the bros are in a bomb slinging mood, because they are critical to getting the best results. Ice Power Bombs could be quite good at linking symbols across the grid, and when they're connecting with symbols in multiplier positions, all the better. A sizable 12,000x the bet lies in wait for those who can master the explosions, achievable in any of the bonus rounds. The bonus round power creep, making cell multipliers progressive, is predictable, but this one upgrade may make all the difference, and is where Boombear Bros can really hit its stride. In all phases, the collision between the two bomb modifiers is what keeps the game interesting and helps it stand out from the herd, as does the cartoonish theme and its connection to the features.

In the end, Boombear Bros succeeds in being a rather unique entry in the grid multiplier space. Instead of pouring everything into its multiplying abilities, Bullshark Games has diverted some of that attention to symbol transformations as well. The end product might be a little too split for hardcore Sugar Rush-style devotees, but there is something different to try here, even if Boombear Bros fails to topple the top dogs in its category off the podium with its alternative approach.