ELK
Powered by ELK Studios, Cygnus is a 6-reel video slot with 4,096 ways to win. Playable across all devices, the game can be enjoyed from just 20p per spin on your desktop, mobile or tablet. The slot is based on the Northern constellation, which isn't something you see every day when gambling online. It uses an Avalanche feature where successive wins add rows to provide 262,144 different ways to win. It also benefits from multiplier wilds that can increase your payout by up to 64x – impressive, right? Better still, this remains in play during the Free Drops Bonus feature where you can enjoy up to 14 free spins. Want to know more about this slot and its features? Sit back, relax and enjoy our Cygnus slot review.
As you might have guessed from the name, this slot is based on the Northern constellation which sits on the plane of the Milky Way. The game is set in ancient Egypt where the constellation is clearly visible behind the pyramid. Behind the reels, you'll see the entrance to the pyramid and a variety of trees, plants and two Sphinxes. The reels themselves are set between 2 pillars and contain various theme-fitting symbols. You'll see 3 different gemstones as the low paving symbols, which have a round marble format. The more lucrative symbols are the green pelican, the red cat, the blue camel and the lucky 7 poker chip. The latter is the most rewarding, paying 5, 10, 15 or 30 times your stake for landing 3, 4, 5 or 6 on a payline. You'll also see a wild symbol, which replaces any of the other symbols bar the scatter to help form a winning combo.
As Cygnus is a 4,096 ways to win slot, you need to land 3 or more of the same symbol to form a winning combo. The symbols must land on adjacent reels, beginning from reel 1. When you land a win, a new game mechanic comes into play that causes symbols to slide from left to right. This allows for avalanches and more winning combos from a single spin.
When betting on Cygnus, your wager is split across all the paylines. This means that you don't need to select the number of lines or the line bet, you only need to choose the total amount. Depending on your preference, you can bet anywhere between 20p per spin to £100 per spin.
In terms of prizes, the most you can bag is 5000x your total stake. This is pretty good, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a high volatility slot. If luck is on your side, you could walk away with a jackpot of £500,000 – if you're playing with the maximum wager, of course. ELK Studios have rated Cygnus an 8 out of 10 on their volatility scale. The RTP is set at 96.10%, which is just above the industry average for a slot of this sort.
Like most slots, Cygnus comes with various bonus features including the Avalanche feature, the Multipliers feature, and the Free Drops bonus round. Below, we explore these in more detail.
First up, you've got the Avalanche feature. Whenever you form a winning combo, the successful symbols are removed from the reels to make space for new ones. The new symbols then drop into place to give you another chance to form a win. The feature continues for as long as a new winning combination is formed. With each successive win, more rows of symbols are added to the reels. If luck is on your side, you could end up playing with the max number of 8 rows and enjoy 262,144 different ways to win. When playing with the standard 4 rows, there are 4096 ways to win available. With 5 rows, this increases to 15,625 ways to win. 6 rows give you 46,656 ways to win, 7 rows give you 117,649 ways to win, while 8 rows give you the maximum of 262,144.
During the base game, keep your eyes peeled for the multiplier scatter symbols. When these drop to the bottom row, the multiplier value increases to a maximum of 64x!
Finally, you've got the Free Drops bonus feature. When the bonus symbol gravitates to the left pillar, the feature will be triggered, and you can play with 7 free spins. You can play the round on the full grid, with 8 rows and the maximum 262,144 ways to win. Better still, the multiplier scatters are sticky during this feature, meaning that multipliers of up to 64x are easier to achieve!
Overall, Cygnus is another fantastic slot from ELK Studios. Visually, it's awesome – not only are the reels filled with beautifully-designed symbols, but the starry night's sky is just as breathtaking. The Ancient Egyptian theme combined with the Northern constellation provides a unique theme in a crowded market. If you're looking for a feature-rich slot game with decent winning potential, Cygnus is certainly worth a few spins.