Cuckoo is a video slot by Endorphina with an elegant feel and design, and a rather unique theme. The game is inspired by cuckoo clocks, gadgets that were highly popular in the 18th century. They served as clocks, but they also contributed to the posh appearance of salons and living rooms. On the other hand, the designers also drew inspiration from the magic of Easter, so they incorporated elegantly hand-painted Gzhel ceramic eggs into the game and created a distinct aesthetic that is irresistible and very easy on the eye.
Endorphina’s Cuckoo relies on 5 columns, each 3 symbols high. There are 10 possible win lines, and the player can choose how many he or she wants to activate. The reels are royal blue, framed in a glazed white frame with gold lining. The dashboard with some of the controls and functions is below the reel grid, as per usual, offering all the basic buttons with the addition of Autoplay and Turbo mode. The settings menu is above the reel set, giving access to the paytable, game rules, video and audio adjustments and a few other subtleties so that the players can customize the game to suit their personal preferences.
The paytable showcases 8 symbols in total: a gold decorative egg, a grey decorative egg, a blue decorative egg, A, K, Q, J and the Scatter. Payouts are awarded for a combination of matching symbols on a betway and the player needs to collect at least 3 identical icons to boost his/her balance. The great thing is that eggs can be combined to create winning combos – you can mix them or land one-of-a-kind series for decent payouts. That’s a creative way to go around the fact that there are no Wilds in the game.
The bonus action comes down to Scatters. A Scatter symbol is a porcelain clock and if you get at least 3 of them on the reels, you will unlock the Clockwork Bonus. This is not your average bonus round, as it doesn’t feature any freebies or re-spins, or anything of the sort. In this bonus, you need to set a hidden alarm on the clock by using the Golden Hand. The winning potential rises the further you set the time. Two meters will show you the risk level and the winning potential as you’re setting the Golden Hand in position. The clock will start ticking and you can either win a prize and another attempt or meet the cuckoo and see the round end.
The Cuckoo video slot is available on your tablet or mobile device for play on the go. We find it to be a nice change of pace from the usual animated online slots. Its unique bonus feature sets it apart from the rest of the conventional range of games we’re used to seeing at casinos and the RTP is high enough to warrant a satisfactory return.