Provider: Thunderkick

What’s at the carnival

It’s the graphics that really make this slot stand out from the crowd, giving it a distinct identity. There’s a real party/nightlife atmosphere with plenty of people enjoying the festival under a dark blue sky, their silhouettes glowing. Lights decorate the buildings either side of the playboard, and the Brazilian flag hangs down from the balconies. For such a cartoon-style, it’s really immersive and transports you to the streets of Rio instantly.

There’s some intense pumping dance music playing too, and various sound effects to make it feel as if you’re really there taking part in the celebrations. It gets more intense once you give the reels a spin, transporting you to the heart of the action. Perhaps something a little more Brazilian would have been a nice touch, as a number of slots have this sort of dance music, but nonetheless it works when together with the impressive graphics.

Queen of the play board

The play board in Carnival Queen has six reels, and each reel contains four symbols. In total, along this play board there are a huge 4096 ways to win – there are plenty of opportunities to start celebrating while you’re part of the festivities! To make things even more exciting, all symbols that are part of winning combinations disappear off the reels, with new ones coming down in their place thanks to the avalanche feature! There’s no limit to how long this can go on for either, as new symbols will only stop falling down when there are no more winning symbol combinations.

A multiplier always makes a slot better, and Carnival Queen is no exception. For each avalanche feature, the multiplier increases by one level – just like the avalanche itself, this continues until there are no new winning combinations. You might also see the wild symbol, which substitutes for all symbols apart from the scatter symbol, while there are 11 regular symbols to look out for! They range from numbers and letters to various festival-goers, and then the crown symbol, which is definitely fit for a Carnival Queen!

Brazilliant bonuses

What’s a carnival for if not some great bonus features? To trigger the bonus game in Carnival Queen, you just need to find three or more scatter symbols on the play board. You’ll win a minimum of 12 free spins, with every additional scatter symbol upping the total by four. You can win extra spins while in the bonus game too – two scatter symbols will give you three additional free spins, with each additional scatter awarding you another three.

As for the bonus game itself, the multiplier won’t reset, so you’ll have the chance to amass some decent wins! What if there aren’t any winning combinations, however? In this instance, a wild symbol will remove all other symbols – apart from scatter symbols – vertically and horizontally, triggering an avalanche and potentially inviting in some exciting wins…

Conclusion

For something a little different, Carnival Queen could be just what you need. The Brazilian carnival theme isn’t something that’s been done too often before, and the graphics really draw you in, bringing the game to life. At 96.1%, the RTP is about average, and this is a medium-volatility slot, so it’s suitable for players of all experience levels. It might not be a big name yet, but it could be in the future if players enjoy the bonus games – which are certainly worth a try…

Provider

Founded in Sweden in 2012, Thunderkick are quite young when compared to their competitors, but have made an impression since they arrived onto the scene. Already, they’re one of the best-known providers, and offer a range of immersive slots with great visuals ready to play. Their games will have you going round the world and back in time, with the likes of Midas Golden Touch, Jaguar Temple and Sword of Khans alongside the festival-fuelled Carnival Queen!