Finn and the Swirly Spin Slot Review

Most of our favorite online slot machines feature one thing in common: in order to win prizes, players must match symbols from left to right across the reels. In some cases, wins are also possible in the opposite direction, but it’s rare that gamblers see winning combinations that run vertically. But with the right format, anything is possible.

That becomes clear once you see Finn and the Swirly Spin by NetEnt, one of the most unique games we’ve come across at online casinos. This new machine doesn’t use reels and paylines, instead relying on a cascading wins mechanic that sends icons spiraling towards the center of the screen. This mechanic would be interesting enough on its own, but when combined with match-three style gameplay and special features that are unlocked by reaching the center of the board, there’s a lot of excitement on each and every spin.

Fields of Green

The Finn and the Swirly Spin video slot may feature a unique format, but it all starts with a classic theme that will be familiar to any gambler. The game is based in Ireland, with plenty of lucky charms on the reels and a traditionally Irish gentleman (Finn) as the main character. The backdrop plays into this well, featuring the rolling green hills of Ireland, while light animations and some peppy, thematic music serving to draw players into the game world.

As with most games included in software by NetEnt, this title has compatibility with just about any device you might want to play on. That includes mobile options like the iPhone or Android devices. There are a wide range of betting sizes offered, from low limit stakes that cost less than €1 per spin, to options that will only be utilized by a very narrow set of high roller clients. In addition, a play for free machine is available in order to test the gameplay out before you wager any real cash.

Luck of the Irish

The Finn and the Swirly Spin video slot may initially look like a five-reel game, but in reality, you won’t be worrying about reels and paylines on this machine. Instead, it’s possible to create winning combinations by matching identical symbols either vertically or horizontally anywhere on the screen. Hit three in a row of the same symbol, and you’ll earn a prize, with the maximum prizes coming if you hit the maximum of five in a row.

There are six normal icons that can earn prizes. Lower prizes come from spades and hearts, while the middle portion of the pay table is made up of clovers, horseshoes, and acorns. Finally, red diamonds offer the largest payouts, earning players up to 500 coins per betting level if you can hit five in a row. Each time you make a winning combination, the icons involved will leave the screen, allowing the remaining symbols to travel around the screen clockwise, working their way towards the middle of the layout. New icons will then be added in order to completely fill the screen.

Shooting Stars

Every winning combination will also result in the creation of a star symbol. These are wild symbols, which can substitute for any other icon in order to create winning combinations. When a wild star takes part in a win, it won’t create another wild; however, it will explode, destroying the symbols adjacent to it, and forcing even more new ones to enter play. Once this is done, any new wins will now be paid. This process continues until there are no prize-earning combinations available on screen.

Several special features can also be randomly triggered during spins. Starfall Wilds will add at least two wilds randomly to the reels, and will always ensure at least one win. Dragon Destroy will eliminate a random number of icons from the screen, allowing more to enter, once again guaranteeing at least a single win. Irish Luck will add a full line (either horizontal or vertical) of a single symbol. Finally, Magic Transform will turn all of your hearts and spades into high-paying symbols instead.

The Free World

There are no scatters in this game, but there is a free spins round that can be reached in a unique manner. At the start of each spin, you’ll see a frozen key located on the bottom-left corner of the play area. If this should ever make it all the way to the center position, it will transform to unlock the keyhole, sending Finn into the heavens where he will eventually land in a special free spins world.

There are four different bonus rounds that can be triggered from here. However, it will take some time in order to unlock all of them. Each time you reach this bonus, you’ll collect a key. With enough keys, you can open up additional options that play in somewhat different ways. Here’s a quick rundown of the various free spins games, and how many keys it takes to make them available:

• The Star Bar: This is the default option available from the first time you trigger the feature. You’ll get seven free spins, each of which comes with the Starfall Wilds feature described above.
• Lava Lair: If you have at least four keys, you can choose this option. Though there are only three free spins, the Dragon Destroy feature is triggered every time, and all of your stars will become sticky wild
• Lucky Mug: Opened up with nine keys, this game offers four free games, each of which will be enhanced with the Irish Luck feature if no wins are available.
• Golden Pot: Gamblers will need to collect 16 keys to unlock this option. Though there are only two free games, each one will be improved with the Magic Transform feature.

A Pot of Gold

It’s rare to find something that truly feels new in the online slots world, but NetEnt has absolutely done that with Finn and the Swirly Spin. While several developers have been experimenting with the match-three style gameplay usually found in social gaming, most of these use cluster pays, and we haven’t seen any that combined that will the spiraling nature of the board found here. If you want a quality title that will offer you something very different from the standard slot experience, check this one out.