Going Ape Slot Real Money Review – Bonuses, RTP and How to Play

Introduction to Going Ape

Going Ape is a casino slot game developed by Big Daddy Gaming, transporting players to a tropical wilderness where monkeys inhabit a hidden natural sanctuary. The studio embraces its primal theme by featuring mighty apes as bonus symbols, appearing occasionally to celebrate significant wins. This vibrant world is rich with lively fauna and exudes energetic vibes. Players will spin a grid carved from a massive stone slab, aiming to create combinations in a scatter-pays system while hoping to collect Multiplier Symbols that can enhance payouts by up to x500. Keep gathering these multipliers until the jungle erupts with a maximum win of 5,000x the bet.

If you wish to familiarize yourself with the game and its features, you can try the demo mode available free of charge.

Theme, Gameplay & Payouts

Going Ape features a video slot format with 6 reels, 5 rows, and a scatter-pays system, rewarding payouts for 8 or more matching symbols anywhere on the grid. Players can select their betting amount, starting from a minimum bet of 0.1 and going up to a maximum bet of 200, which can increase to 300 using the Ante Bet function. The game comes with a default RTP of 96.00%, allowing for steady long-term returns, though alternative versions with 94.00% and 92.00% RTP are available. While wins may be less frequent, they tend to be more generous due to the high volatility, with a top prize of 5,000x the bet possible from a single spin. The bonus game triggers approximately once in 211 spins, averaging 64x the bet per win, while the base hit frequency stands at 30%.

<p setIn a tropical landscape featuring distant mountain ranges and surrounding jungle fauna, a large stone slab serves as the game board. The slab is rugged and primitive, reminiscent of ancient tools used by early humans. However, this once unusable artifact now hosts vibrant gems and fruits that grant lucrative payouts. The game is enhanced by a soft yet upbeat soundtrack combined with nature's sounds, creating a welcoming atmosphere for players. It is accessible on any modern device, whether desktop, smartphone, or tablet, thanks to its responsive design.

In the paytable, two distinct sets of symbols comprise the payout hierarchy. Players need at least 8 matching symbols anywhere on the board to secure a win. The low-paying symbols comprise various colorful fruits, including mangoes, pomegranates, dragonfruits, pineapples, and bananas, offering payouts from 2x to 10x the bet for 12 or more matches. The high-paying symbols feature blue, green, orange, and red gemstones in various shapes, delivering payouts between 12x and 50x the bet for collections of 12 or more identical symbols. In addition to standard icons, players can also encounter Multipliers marked by a gold badge and Scatters represented as a flaming ape.

Special Features & Slot Mechanics

What is the max win in the slot Going Ape?

You can achieve a maximum win of 5,000x your bet.

What features are available in the slot Going Ape?

The game includes features such as Cascading, Multipliers, Free Spins, Random Bonus Symbols, Blast, and Feature Buy options.

Cascading

Winning symbol sets will burst and vanish from the grid, allowing remaining icons to fall into empty spaces. New symbols will then fill these gaps, potentially resulting in additional wins. This process continues until there are no new winning combinations.

Multipliers

Multiplier symbols can appear randomly on all reels and can have values up to x500. If there is at least one win during a game round, the total value of all Multiplier symbols on the grid will be calculated and applied to the final payout from that spin at the end of the cascading sequence.

Free Spins

Landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatter symbols during a single base game round activates a reward of 11, 15, 19, or 23 Free Spins, respectively. Before the bonus begins, players can gamble their received Free Spins for potentially more, albeit with the risk of losing them entirely. Any multipliers present on the triggering spin are combined to form the starting value of a progressive multiplier. During the Free Spins, any new Multiplier symbols activated by winning combinations will further increase this progressive multiplier, boosting all qualifying win payouts.

Random Bonus Symbols

At the beginning of any base game spin, up to 2 Bonus symbols can be randomly added to the grid, enhancing the chances of triggering Free Spins.

Blast

The Blast feature allows players to automate hundreds of spins instantly without needing to watch each round. Players can select between 10 and 1,000 spins, with the sequence quickly highlighting any wins as they occur.

Feature Buy

The game offers multiple Feature Buy options that enhance base game spins and allow for immediate access to Free Spins.

1.5x = Bonus Boost, increasing your chances of triggering Free Spins.

60x = triggers 11 Free Spins.

100x = triggers 15 Free Spins.

150x = triggers 19 Free Spins.

Final Thoughts on Going Ape

Going Ape is Big Daddy Gaming’s second release and shows greater promise compared to their debut title, BonBon Boom! The game’s design utilizes a larger grid, creating a fuller scene, while also providing a richer environment. While it may not break new creative ground, it cultivates a more lively atmosphere with an appealing visual presentation. The overall theme remains straightforward, offering a tropical setting filled with vibrant colors to enhance the exotic vibe, allowing players to focus on the gameplay itself.

From a technical perspective, the game follows a trend of replicating popular mechanics seen in the online slots world. It began with a resemblance to Starburst and now it echoes features from Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play. For those unfamiliar, Gates of Olympus centers around hunting Multiplier symbols that gather during winning rounds to multiply final payouts. This format has been mimicked by numerous studios, with Going Ape being another rendition that does not introduce anything particularly novel. However, it does have a higher Free Spins trigger rate, approximately once in 211 spins, compared to 1 in 448 in Gates of Olympus. Despite similar payouts, multiplier ranges, and a maximum win of 5,000x the bet, one might wonder if the game’s title is a subtle self-reference, as “to ape” implies imitation.

Going Ape is a visually appealing exotic game that reflects the industry’s preference for scatter pays and multipliers.