Piñata Bucks from Lightning Box Games: Slot Review - a smashing good time on the reels!

Take a trip to Mexico and take part in the mother of all fiestas in this new title from leading software producer Lightning Box Games! So what exactly are fiestas? Well, simply put, they are street parties where everyone comes together to enjoy some proper Mexican food and drink as well some good old-fashioned Piñata bashing! The unlucky Piñata in this game that’s going to take a good few hits to the noggin is a beautifully constructed multi-coloured donkey. Without further ado, let’s take a few swings to see if we can land more than a few Piñata Bucks in this fun-looking online slot.

Piñata Bucks is a 5 reel slot with 1,296 ways to win that comes with Wild Symbols, Free Spins, and 4 Fixed Jackpots.

Special Features

The first feature to discuss is that this game utilises the popular Reelfecta game engine. This means that the middle reel is essentially a 4x4 block that displays 16 symbols together on reel 3 while reels 1, 2, 4, and 5 display 3 symbols each. It is highly innovative and extremely fun to play when compared to more traditional 5 reel slots. In addition to this, it also has a whopping 1,296 ways to form winning combinations on the reels too!

Piñata Bucks features a host of colourful fiesta-related symbols that appear on the reels as you play. These include Lizards, Cacti, Dancers, Bottles of Tequila, Mariachi Guitarists, along with a bunch of classic A – 9 playing card symbols. The most valuable of these symbols is the Mariachi Guitarist as if you happen to land 5 on a payline then you will win a nice cash prize worth 10X your original stake.

The Wild symbol in the game is represented by an image of a sun setting in the distance with cactus plants and a tall canyon in front of it. Like most Wilds, the main job of this symbol is to replace all other symbols apart from the Scatter to help form winning combinations. It appears on reel 3 only in the main game.

A colourful Piñata in the shape of a donkey is the Scatter symbol. It is the most profitable symbol in the game as if you land 11 or more of these symbols on the reels then you win the top prize worth a whopping 2,000X your stake! This symbol is also used to trigger the Piñata Lock Spins bonus feature. To do so, you must land 6 or more of these symbols anywhere on the reels on the same spin. Once activated, you will be taken to a new screen featuring a 4x4 grid that displays only blanks and blue Piñata symbols. 5 Free Spins are awarded and every time a blue Piñata symbol appears then it will become sticky and lock into place. If the locked Piñata symbols form a square then they will join together to become an even bigger Piñata. After your 5 Free Spins are up then the Piñata will be smashed to reveal a nice cash prize.

Piñata Bucks also features 4 Fixed Jackpots which can be won during Free Spins. The bigger the pattern you create in Free Spins then the bigger the prize you will win and the higher the chance of hitting one of the 4 different jackpots. The Jackpots are given out as follows:

• 2x2 Piñata Symbol awards a 25X win plus the Mini or Minor Jackpot
• 3x3 Piñata Symbol awards a 50X win plus the Mini, Minor, or Grand Jackpot
• 4x4 Piñata Symbol awards a 500X win plus the Major or Grand Jackpot

Theme, Graphics and Sound

The graphics are bold and vibrant as the game is set in a Mexican town during a lively fiesta. For example, you’ll spot bunting everywhere surrounding the narrow streets of the town in the background. Symbols in the game are extremely stylish and colourful and consist of a Mariachi Guitarist, a Female Dancer, a Lizard, a Cactus, a Bottle of Tequila, a Piñata, along with classic A – 9 playing card icons. The animations are spectacular as symbols fly down the reels and dramatically burst into life when part of a win. For instance, the Wild symbol will quickly transition from Sun to Night when it is part of a winning combination. The Reelfecta engine also shines here as reel 3 displays 16 symbols all packed together every time you spin the reels. It really enhances the gameplay.

The music features a mariachi-style soundtrack with slow guitar strums playing softly in the background. It ties in nicely with the Mexican theme of the game.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game has 1,296 ways to win, a reasonable RTP of 95.74%, 4 Fixed Jackpots, and a maximum payout worth 2,000X your bet.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, 5.00, 7.50, 10.00, 12.50, 25.00, 40.00, 60.00

Based on a bet of 0.10:

• Piñata Donkey Scatter Symbol: 0.10 for 6X, 0.50 for 7X..50.00 for 10X, 200.00 for 11X
• Mariachi Singer Symbol: 0.12 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• Dancer in Purple Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.16 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X
• Lizard Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X
• Cactus Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X
• Tequila Symbol: 0.04 for 3X, 0.08 for 4X, 0.20 for 5X
• A Symbol: 0.01 for 3X, 0.06 for 4X, 0.10 for 5X
• K Symbol: 0.01 for 3X, 0.06 for 4X, 0.10 for 5X
• Q Symbol: 0.01 for 3X, 0.02 for 4X, 0.06 for 5X
• J Symbol: 0.01 for 3X, 0.02 for 4X, 0.06 for 5X
• 9 Symbol: 0.01 for 3X, 0.06 for 4X, 0.10 for 5X

Our Verdict on Piñata Bucks

Lightning Box Games created this slot and we are happy to report that it is one fiesta we thoroughly enjoyed attending! Featuring beautiful stylish graphics and animations along with a nice range of bonus features, you will be whacking Piñatas for a long time to come here! The Reelfecta game engine ensures lots of excitement on every spin but this slot is all about Piñata Lock Spins as not only can you create huge Piñatas to win big cash payouts but also have the chance to win one of 4 Fixed Jackpots as well. The only downside to Piñata Lock Spins is that unfortunately, you cannot retrigger it. The top prize for this game is a massive 2,000X your wager which can be won by landing 11 Scatters on the same spin. For variance, I would say this slot is Medium so you can expect to land a steady stream of decent-sized cash prizes the more you play. For slots with a similar Mexican flavour, check out Spiñata Grande and La Bomba.

Create fantastic wins worthy of a fiesta when you spin the reels in Piñata Bucks!