Alien Invaders Slot Real Money Review – Bonuses, RTP and How to Play

Alien Invaders Slot Overview

Alien Invaders is a casino slot game from Pragmatic Play that invites players on an extraterrestrial adventure to uncover new winning combinations. For those who grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, the title may evoke feelings of nostalgia, reminiscent of the classic shoot ’em up video game Space Invaders released in 1978. While they may share superficial similarities, this slot offers unique gameplay mechanics that distinguish it from traditional formats. Alien Invaders presents an innovative base winning system that eliminates conventional paylines, ways, or clusters, while still incorporating classic features such as Wilds, Multipliers, and Free Spins that blend the new with the familiar. Let’s explore the exciting elements of this unique slot.

Alien Invaders features a layout of 5 reels, 5 rows, and no traditional paylines, instead utilizing a winning mechanism based on 3 matching symbols appearing on the bottom row. Players can place bets starting from a minimum of 0.2 to a maximum of 240. The game has a default RTP of 96.50%, although two lower variants of 95.50% and 94.50% are available for operators. Players can expect high volatility, with a maximum win potential of 5,000 times the bet. The likelihood of winning the top prize averages 1 in 27,472,527 spins, while the bonus game can be triggered at a rate of 1 in 206.71 spins. The anticipated base hit frequency stands at 34.48%.

To entice players into claiming their fortunes, Alien Invaders introduces a variety of features including Marked Row & Cascading, Wild Symbol, Scatter Symbol, Win Multiplier, Free Spins, Ante Bet, and Feature Buy.

Alien Invaders Slot Information

Although the title suggests humans may be at risk of alien invasion, the game’s setting is a desolate planet in outer space. It’s unclear whether this is the aliens’ home or merely a launch point for their invasion. The backdrop features twinkling stars against a deep blue sky, complemented by a barren reddish landscape. Players enter the bonus round in a human settlement witnessing alien chaos. To the right, a quirky, seemingly harmless big-eyed alien floats in a small spaceship, watching over the central playing area. The grid is encased in a futuristic frame with light accents and a laser beam dividing the bottom row from the rest of the board. This bottom line is crucial, as players must achieve at least 3 matching symbols on it to complete a winning combination and gather identical symbols from the active reels. Players can embark on this intergalactic adventure from any modern device, whether a desktop, smartphone, or tablet.

The paytable includes 9 standard symbols, each with a single payout level. Combinations are assessed based on the number of symbols included. The low-value icons consist of playing card symbols, including 10, J, Q, K, and A, paying 0.05x to 0.1x the bet per occurrence. The high-paying symbols feature various colorful alien creatures: yellow, teal, blue, and orange, offering payouts between 0.25x to 1x the bet for each unit in a combination. Additionally, players will encounter Wilds represented by a menacing purple alien and Scatters depicted as meteors.

Alien Invaders Slot Features

What is the maximum win in the slot Alien Invaders?

The potential maximum win is 5,000 times the bet.

What features are available in the slot Alien Invaders?

The game includes features such as Marked Row & Cascading, Wild Symbol, Scatter Symbol, Win Multiplier, Free Spins, Ante Bet, and Feature Buy.

Marked Row & Cascading

The bottom row of the grid is always highlighted and serves as the foundation for any winning combinations. On each spin, every column receives between 3 to 5 random symbols. When at least 3 identical symbols appear on the bottom row, they form a winning combination, allowing any matching symbols from the respective columns above to contribute. Subsequently, winning symbols vanish, triggering a cascade that drops the remaining symbols down the grid, potentially resulting in additional wins.

Wild Symbols

Wild symbols exclusively appear on the middle reel during the base game and on reels 2, 3, and 4 during free spins. Traditionally, Wilds substitute for any regular symbols in winning combinations, provided they land on the bottom row. Wilds can also carry a multiplier of 1x, 3x, 5x, 10x, or 25x.

Scatter Symbol

Upon reaching the bottom row, the Scatter symbol detonates, removing all adjacent symbols horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. The removed symbols pay according to their value in the paytable, similar to forming a winning combination.

Win Multiplier

The win multiplier starts at x1 with every base game spin. For every 10 symbols that explode, the counter increases by +1x. Additionally, any multipliers from Wilds landing on the bottom row will be added to the total win multiplier value.

Free Spins

Collecting 3 or more Scatter symbols during a single spin triggers 7 free spins, with an additional 3 spins awarded for each Scatter beyond the third. During free spins, each reel initially contains 3 symbols, but this number can randomly increase on any subsequent spin. If this occurs, the increased number of symbols remains for the duration of the bonus. Throughout free spins, any increase in multipliers persists; Wilds may carry additional values of 50x and 100x, and landing Scatters on the bottom row grants +1 spin.

Ante Bet

Players have the option to activate the Ante Bet, which provides a doubled chance of triggering the bonus in exchange for a 25% increase in the base bet.

Feature Buy

Players can also instantly trigger free spins in one of two modes for a fixed buy-in:

65x = Regular Free Spins

400x = Super Free Spins with a starting win multiplier set to x50.

Alien Invaders Slot Conclusion

As highlighted in the introduction, Alien Invaders may draw inspiration from the classic Space Invaders video game. While the similarities might not be as pronounced as in other games, there are connections that could be interpreted. For instance, the bottom row being central to gameplay may remind players of the line upon which the ship moves in Space Invaders. Additionally, just as shots in that game could only travel straight upwards, winning combinations in Alien Invaders can only gather matching symbols from activated reels. Nevertheless, this could merely be coincidental. It is worth mentioning that Pragmatic Play aims to introduce something noteworthy, in contrast to the countless remakes and sequels prevalent in the industry. While Alien Invaders presents a different approach, it raises questions about whether this innovation genuinely adds originality or simply rearranges familiar elements to create an impression of novelty. The evaluation remains subjective, but credit is due for the effort. Furthermore, the combination of this unique winning mechanism with traditional, familiar features appears to be a prudent choice, avoiding complete overhauling of the game.

Aesthetic-wise, the game offers an appealing yet relatively simplistic space-themed design filled with quirky aliens. The visual style aligns with past releases from Pragmatic Play, though the overall content feels somewhat generic. While Alien Invaders excels at introducing a novel winning format, it may lack the originality and engagement necessary to set a new trend in the gaming landscape.