Released: 2 Nov 2022

★★★★★

Asian cultures play a significant role in video slots, serving as inspiration for countless games over the years. This is especially true for Chinese and Japanese cultures, and now we will focus on the latter. If you are unfamiliar, Kokeshi are small wooden dolls that have been a big part of Japanese culture and history. Now they are the main attraction of the latest KokeshiPop slot by AvatarUX. Read my in-depth review to learn more about the details and how you may win up to 10,000x the stake!

Kokeshipop Slot Review

One of the most fascinating things about Japanese culture is its multifaceted nature, which has resulted in all kinds of video slots. Whether they focus on historical figures, like the Legend of Musashi slot, or on stunning Japanese landscapes, like the Winds of Winter slot, they can provide an immersive experience. The KokeshiPop slot offers a more unique atmosphere, spiced up with multipliers, a Free Spins bonus round, a special gamble wheel, and more.

About KokeshiPop Slot
Design, Symbols and Graphics
RTP, Variance and Payouts
Gameplay and Features
SlotsWise Verdict

About KokeshiPop Slot

If you are unfamiliar with the PopWins mechanic this game employs, let’s explain it briefly. Namely, the default layout of the KokeshiPop slot comprises 3 rows and 5 reels, where winning combinations can be formed across 486 ways to win (up to 19,208). Speaking of which, matching symbols need to land on successive reels left to right for a payout to be made. However, winning combinations can also expand the grid, but more about that later.

Moreover, the KokeshiPop slot also has a relatively good betting range, which is suitable for most players. The options range between £0.20 and £40 per spin.

Design, Symbols and Graphics

As is often the case with Japanese-themed games, visuals of nature are dominant on screen. The reels are set against a pagoda-like building with lots of greenery around it. Moreover, the game employs a unique animation style, made even more prominent thanks to the sharp graphics and vibrant colours. The fitting soundtrack can also be a big plus in the overall experience.

Even though the paytable starts with typical 10-A royals, they are designed to look like origami, making them more unique and fitting of the theme. They are followed by the medium-paying amulet, sword, and mask, while the high-paying symbols are four different Kokeshi dolls. The most valuable symbol is worth 5x the stake for a 5-symbol combination.

A portal serves as the scatter symbol in the KokeshiPop slot, while a cat symbol is the wild that can replace the regular pay symbol in winning combinations.

RTP, Variance and Payouts in KokeshiPop Slot

The game employs a medium volatility model, potentially creating somewhat balanced gameplay with relatively frequent rewards at moderate values. Moreover, the KokeshiPop RTP of 96.09% is paired with a tremendous maximum win potential of up to 10,000x the stake!

You can learn more about these technical terms and how they work in our detailed Variance, Volatility and RTP Guide.

Gameplay and Features on KokeshiPop Slot

I came across several exciting bonus features while playing the KokeshiPop slot, so let’s explore them in more detail and see what they can potentially deliver.

PopWins Mechanic

The PopWins is the whole gameplay concept, and it can be pretty dynamic. Namely, when a win is formed, the participating symbol will be removed from the grid, and 2 more will replace them. This way, the grid can expand, create a more engaging experience, and ultimately create up to 19,208 possible ways to win.

Base Game Multipliers Feature

This feature will be triggered if all reels reach a height of 6 rows. A random multiplier of x5, x10, or x20 will be awarded, which will be doubled with each consecutive cascade. This multiplier will reset between spins.

Free Spins Feature

Managing to land 3, 4, or 5 scatters simultaneously will award you 5, 8, or 12 free spins, respectively. The layout in the bonus round is 4 rows high, and each reel can expand to 7 rows, but they will return back to the original size after each spin. A win multiplier is also included and will be doubled with each consecutive cascade. Moreover, if all reels expand to 7 symbols, a random multiplier will be added to the current win multiplier. All multipliers are reset after each spin.

Gamble Wheel Feature

Before starting the bonus round, you can choose to gamble with the free spins. This can award you additional free spins (up to 12), or it can result in losing the bonus round completely.

Ante Bet Feature

This feature may not be available in certain territories, but activating it will increase the selected bet by 25%. Consequently, this will double the chances of triggering the bonus round.

Bonus Buy Feature

The bonus buy feature is not available in the UK, but it consists of a few options to enter the bonus round directly - 60x the stake for 5 free spins or 240x the stake for 12 free spins.

Other AvatarUX Slots

AvatarUX has released numerous high-quality games over the years, but it mainly specialises in the PopWins mechanic. You can check out many of them here on SlotsWise, such as the HipHopPop PopWins slot, the Zombie aPOPalypse slot, and the CritterPop slot.

SlotsWise Verdict

Overall, I enjoyed the KokeshiPop slot, as it offers an immersive atmosphere and a dynamic way of playing. Moreover, the spectacular visuals and the unique animation style made them even more enjoyable for me. Regarding the gameplay, the expanding reels can create a much more dynamic experience, spiced up with multipliers and free spins. You can check out the KokeshiPop slot first-hand and see what it can offer.