Play Big Kahuna Snakes & Ladders for Free

The first thing to note about Big Kahuna II is its incandescence. I’ve rarely encountered a video slot so colourful: the reels are an assault on the senses, with only the brightest, warmest colours used throughout. The screen almost seems to be bathed in dazzling sunlight, and the cartoonised symbols include chirpy monkeys and lush pieces of ripened fruit. This is certainly a game that takes the feel-good factor seriously.

Big Kahuna II is a five-reel slot that offers 15 pay-lines (the original, if you’re wondering, offered nine). Players can wager up to 20 coins per pay-line, though as with any new game, it’s advisable to play a few dummy hands while growing accustomed to the volatility. You can play Big Kahuna II for free at a brace of online casinos powered by Microgaming.

A word on the symbols: the Big Kahuna icon is the wild in the game, and thus substitutes for all symbols except for the snake and ladder scatter. The wild also acts as a multiplier for all base game wins. The only exception to this is when you hit five Big Kahunas in succession.

As with most slot games the world over, five wilds is pay dirt: land this combination and you’ll win between 5,000 and 100,000 credits, depending on your bet-per-line.

Lesser pay-outs include 2,000 coins for five elusive masks, 1,000 coins pays out for five jungle boys, while 700 coins represents the remuneration for a combination of five jungle girls. All in all, there are more than 30 winning combinations one can aim for. That’s hours of fun to be had.

As with many slot titles, Big Kahuna II includes a free spins bonus round. Unlike others, though, the free spins aren’t triggered by landing certain combinations. Rather, free spins are awarded completely at random. Out of the clear blue sky, lucky players will be awarded with five free spins, during which wins are doubled. The only exception is when the wild is being used as a substitute to form a winning combination … In this case, the pay-out is quadrupled! Hold on to your hats.

A second bonus game is activated when you hit the entwined snakes and ladder symbol on reels one, three and five. At this point, you are essentially transported back to the innocent days of your youth and a humble game of snakes and ladders. There are five dice to roll, and as with the popular board game, landing on the ladder will allow you to climb the grid, while landing on the snake sends you careening backwards. Roll six on any die, meanwhile, and you’ll be given a second roll. The higher you climb, the more prizes and multipliers you receive. If you emerge at the summit of the table, you’ll get to grab the mask and receive 100x your bet.

It must be said that Big Kahuna II is a considerable improvement on its predecessor. The addition of an extra bonus round is most welcome, while the gaudy colours and cartoonised symbols put a smile on even the most inexpressive poker face. Whether playing for free, or for $75 a spin, you’ll likely appreciate the effort that has gone into this pleasant video slot.