Play Pollen Party for Free

Bees might not be everyone's favourite creature, but they are one of the most important insects on planet Earth. Not only do honey bees create food for humans and other animals, but they also help to pollinate the world's plant life which in turn ensures healthy natural habitats for every living creature on the planet. This slot machine by Microgaming pays homage to the humble honey bee by presenting a novelty set of reels upon which various characters from the hive can be seen in action. There are worker bees carrying buckets of honey across the honeycomb shaped reels, soldier bees standing guard over the hive, nurse bees to make sure everyone is in good condition for the hard work of making honey and a queen bee to sit rule over the honeycomb kingdom. Other icons on the reels include jars of honey and even some honey flavoured cereal.

It has to be said that the game does feel a little bit childish and outdated. The two dimensional nature of the cartoon graphics and the simple colours through the game screen means that the slot pales in comparison to other contemporary releases. Then again, not everyone is after a serious 3D slot with epic action and this slightly silly game might just provide the perfect antidote.

The most noticeable thing about this video slot is the shape of its reels. Not only is each reel position presented as a hexagonal shape in a honeycomb formation, but the entire reel set up looks like a hexagon with three positions on the first and fifth reels, four positions on the second and fourth reels and five positions on the middle reel. This gives the game 720 ways to win since a prize paying formation is found whenever three or more matching icons appear on consecutive reels from the left to the right.

With a mid range variance level, spinners won't need to wait for too long before the slot promises a bit of winning action. The prizes shown in the paytable are effectively represented as total bet multipliers with top jackpot returns of 100x whenever five scatter icons appear on all five reels. After that, the prize winning potential does drop somewhat with any of the three wild icons awarding 10x when they match up on the reels. The minimum total bet available to play with is 0.50 credits with a maximum wagering limit of 250.00 credits. The theoretical RTP percentage of the game is 96.35%.

Pollen Party truly gets into full swing whenever three or more scatter icons appear on the reels in any position. And with two scatter icons involved in the game, this means that there is double the amount of bonus action to get stuck into. First of all, the game presents a standard set of 12 free spins whenever three or more angry bee scatters appear on the reels. During this gameplay feature, the game will add extra wild symbols over the reels whenever a flower appears in the central position.

Players can enjoy some more interactive action with the Babee Bonus side game. This pick 'em feature is activated by finding three baby bee scatters, taking players to a separate side game in which they have to select random honeycombs for the chance to win bonus prizes. The bonus game continues until the “Pop” icon is uncovered.

There is actually quite a large number of bee themed slot machines out there, which is surprising considering how many people scream whenever a bee flies within a 10 metre radius. What's even stranger is the fact that all bee-themed slots are designed in a similar novelty cartoon style. Perhaps those bees don't look quite as cute in realistic 3D animation! Some of the most notable games which feature bees are Bee Land by Top Game, Honey Buziness by Bluberi and The Bees Buzz by Skillonnet.

With a medium volatility level, a round of 12 free spins and a bonus side game, there are plenty of incentives to have a spin of this sweet and cute video slot. Indeed, the silly nature of the graphics might not be to everyone's taste but, then again, it's probably for the best that these creepy crawlies aren't presented in super high definition!