Johnny vs Chicken

Johnny vs Chicken Slot

The Multiplier Duel is the obvious centrepiece of Johnny vs Chicken, with BGaming turning a Wild West standoff between Johnny Cash and the rooster from Chicken Rush into the game's main feature. It is an entertaining idea visually, with the two characters facing off whenever a VS symbol becomes involved in a win. Mechanically, though, the concept is very familiar territory, borrowing heavily from the VS-style duel format already seen elsewhere (Hackaw, for example).

Johnny vs Chicken uses 15 paylines and medium-high volatility, with an excellent 97.00% RTP and a 5,000x payout ceiling. Regular Wilds substitute for all symbols except Scatters, while the VS symbol provides the more important Expanding Wild mechanic. When a VS symbol participates in a winning combination, Johnny and the Chicken are each assigned a random multiplier from x2 to x500.

The two characters then duel, with the randomly selected winner expanding across the entire reel and becoming a Wild carrying their multiplier. That value applies to wins involving the Wild, and if several multiplier Wilds contribute to the same payout, their values are added rather than multiplied together. It's straightforward, but multipliers reaching x500 give each VS appearance considerably more importance than an ordinary expanding Wild.

Landing 3 Scatters across reels 1, 3 and 5 awards 10 Free Spins. Another set of 3 Scatters during the feature adds 10 more spins, with no separate retrigger limit beyond reaching the game's maximum payout. The naturally triggered bonus continues using the standard Expanding Wild mechanic, however, rather than introducing Sticky Wilds.

That distinction becomes important in the feature-buy menu. Hot Shot costs 75x the bet and provides 10 Free Spins with ordinary Expanding Wilds. Flaming Shot costs 150x and upgrades them to Sticky Expanding Wilds that remain for the bonus, while the 300x Inferno Shot adds the same sticky behaviour and guarantees an Expanding Wild on the opening spin. There is also a Chance x2 option costing 1.5x the regular stake. Crucially, the Sticky Expanding Wild versions cannot be reached naturally, meaning some of the game's most interesting functionality is restricted entirely to purchased bonuses.

Having said that, the Western presentation has character, the animated duels give the VS symbol a satisfying sense of occasion, and 97% is an unusually attractive RTP. The issue is originality: BGaming has taken an already established duel mechanic and executed it well rather than doing much to develop it.

Locking Sticky Wilds behind feature purchases is also disappointing, while a 5,000x ceiling feels rather restrained for multiplier Wilds capable of reaching x500. It's enjoyable and well presented, but the underlying concept could have used a stronger BGaming twist of its own.