Mutagenes

Mutagenes: Slot Overview

Imagine a world where genetic manipulation has been perfected and is completely safe; is that something humanity really wants to get into? Okay, the health benefits might seem worth it if we could manipulate genes to cure all manner of ills, maybe even stop the process of ageing - for those who can afford it. But the cosmetic side of things is more debatable. Imagine editing our genetics to create a race of perfect-looking specimens. Will there be different definitions of beauty, or will we all look the same, perfectly sculptured, blemish-free, never sick, living forever, like a race of marble statues? Fortunately, or unfortunately, humanity is a long way away from that level of editing, but we do have creative endeavours like Peter & Sons' slot Mutagenes to kick start the mental thought processes.

Mutagenes finds itself out in the galactic void, where scientists are racing against the clock to create next-gen humanoids, like a futuristic Victor Frankenstein, with far more advanced technology at their command. A wacky workshop is Mutagenes' on-screen setting, displaying specimens in vats, monitors, and other lab-related items. The finishing touch is supplied by a snappy backing tune and various visual effects that bring Mutagenes to life like a test tube marvel.

Sitting amidst this nest of horrors lies Mutagenes' 6-reel 4-row gaming area, which uses a 4,096 ways to win pay system. Winning combinations consist of matching symbols landing on at least three adjacent reels, beginning from the leftmost reel on the grid. With volatility set to high, Mutagenes is available in several RTP configurations, where the highest, default value is 96.3%. Base bets are 10 c to $/€50 per spin, but activating the Golden Bet increases the stake by 50% to have a greater chance of triggering free spins.

On the paytable, Mutagenes coughs up the four card suits as its low pays; all are worth 0.5x the bet for a 6 OAK winning combinations, while the mids are syringes, hands, eyes in bottles, and brains in jars, paying 0.8 to 0.9 times the bet for a 6-of-a-kind win. The last two pay symbols, two character symbols, are the high pays, worth 3 to 4 times the stake for a 6-matching symbol win. Wild symbols appear on all reels except the leftmost reel, in the base game and in free spins. Wild symbols substitute for all symbols except the scatter.

Mutagenes: Slot Features

Mutagenes hums along with a cascade feature, which explodes winning symbols off the reels, making spaces that are filled by symbols cascading down from above. Each new cascade increases the total win multiplier by +1. The multiplier resets to x1 when there are no more cascading wins. Other features to look out for are a free spins round, Infection, Mutation, and the free spins buy.

Infection & Mutation

Infection may occur randomly in the base game or in free spins. When activated, any mid or low-pay symbol on the grid is replaced by a high-pay symbol. The Mutation feature also occurs at random in the base game or in free spins. When mutation triggers, 2 or more reels are randomly selected, and a random number of high symbols is placed on them; after them, the rest of the symbols are revealed.

Free Spins

Hitting 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards 10, 12, 14, or 15 free spins, respectively. Free spins use the same cascade, increasing win multiplier mechanic as found in the base game, except during free spins, the multiplier does not reset until the bonus round has been completed. Also, in free spins, expanding wild symbols may land, then expand to cover the whole reel. Expanding wilds can occur on all reels except the leftmost reel. Scatter symbols do not appear in the bonus, so free spins cannot be retriggered.

Free Spins Buy

Players can buy into free spins for the cost of 120x the bet. Once bought, 7 to 12 free spins are randomly awarded, and the RTP for doing so is 96.7%.

Mutagenes: Slot Verdict

To start off, Peter & Sons has crafted an interesting game world for Mutagenes that got the mind pondering. It would appear the scientists here are so caught up in the act of creation (or mutation) that they haven't stopped to consider whether what they're doing is moral or an abominable crime against nature. Who gets to decide these things? Future generations, perhaps, depending on the outcome. Or maybe it's like what Nietzsche said, 'There is no such thing as moral phenomena, but only a moral interpretation of phenomena.' Then again, maybe there is.

Part of getting the mind ticking over wasn't just the interesting backstory but the engaging sights and sounds. Mutagenes might not have the uber-quintessential Peter & Sons look, like, say, Johnan Legendarian, for example, yet it oozes personality and cute little touches, such as the wriggly hands and so on. The sounds are neat, too, exuding a retro charm which helps draw players into the odd, scientific world. Mutagenes' features, whilst not as cutting edge as gene editing carried out by scientists who have thrown off their moral compass to conduct experimental perversions of nature in the cold dark of space where prying eyes are unable to judge them, are solid - cascades, a growing total multiplier, and expanding wilds on a ways to win pay system and 12,000x max win potential. Hard to go too wrong with that combo.

Add it all together, and Mutagenes is a fun Peter & Sons-styled game, maybe not as cutting edge as its thematic makeup but delivering a solid set of features to go with sizable winning potential and entertaining gaming.