STICKY BEES
Sticky Bees online slot produced by Pragmatic Play comes with a default 96.06% RTP and a 7-reel, 7-row playing area featuring a “cluster pays” win evaluation mechanism.
It’s interesting to see how nature-based themes permeated the slots industry from the very beginning. If you recall some of the early-day machines, they almost always involved some type of fruit on the reels. The idea evolved massively over the last decades, and now, we can experience a myriad of beautiful productions tantalizing our senses with spectacular images representing flora and fauna in their breathtaking and sometimes mysterious forms. Players can admire one of such gorgeous settings in this buzzing, fruity game brought by Pragmatic Play.
Despite the title, bees are not the core focus of the theme, although they play a vital part in being closely connected to the main feature. The picturesque scene takes place in a magical clearing where shafts of sunlight pierce through the dense foliage, creating enchanted spotlights illuminating the forest’s hidden corners. A sense of utmost peace and serenity would wash over anyone stepping into this magnificent place. It’s a perfect spot to sit back, relax, and watch the mouth-watering fruit connect into valuable clusters enhanced by magical golden bees, capable of producing wins up to 10,000 times the bet.
STICKY BEES
Sticky Bees online slot produced by Pragmatic Play comes with a default 96.06% RTP and a 7-reel, 7-row playing area featuring a “cluster pays” win evaluation mechanism.
It’s interesting to see how nature-based themes permeated the slots industry from the very beginning. If you recall some of the early-day machines, they almost always involved some type of fruit on the reels. The idea evolved massively over the last decades, and now, we can experience a myriad of beautiful productions tantalizing our senses with spectacular images representing flora and fauna in their breathtaking and sometimes mysterious forms. Players can admire one of such gorgeous settings in this buzzing, fruity game brought by Pragmatic Play.
Despite the title, bees are not the core focus of the theme, although they play a vital part in being closely connected to the main feature. The picturesque scene takes place in a magical clearing where shafts of sunlight pierce through the dense foliage, creating enchanted spotlights illuminating the forest’s hidden corners. A sense of utmost peace and serenity would wash over anyone stepping into this magnificent place. It’s a perfect spot to sit back, relax, and watch the mouth-watering fruit connect into valuable clusters enhanced by magical golden bees, capable of producing wins up to 10,000 times the bet.
8/10
SLOT DETAILS
Provider:
PRAGMATIC PLAY
Layout:
7x7
Theme:
FRUITS
Pays:
CLUSTER PAYS
RTP:
96.06%
Bets:
0.20/100
SLOT FEATURES
Wild:
Jackpot:
Re-Spins:
Bonus Buy:
Multipliers:
Super Bet:
PLAY FOR REAL
How To Win On Sticky Bees Slot - Features & Mechanics
Taking the first step into this forest of wonders means choosing the stake per spin value from a wide selection between €/£/$0.20 - €/£/$100. The 7x7 grid sits in a neat wooden frame wrapped with vines and awards base wins from at least 5 matching images forming a cluster. Symbols must be adjacent vertically and/or horizontally to qualify for a payout. The cascading function will remove any successful combinations, drop the remaining characters down the grid, and complete the view with new instances. The same magical forces that sprouted the forest bring a math profile with a high volatility rating and a default return to player value of 96.06%. Treasures hidden among the rich vegetation can amount to 10,000x.
Regular payouts are delivered through ten regular symbols divided into two distinct groups. The low-paying imagery appears as four royal letters: J, Q, K, and A, awarding between 0.25 - 0.50 times the bet for the smallest clusters and from 12.50 to 17.50 times for sets of 20 and more matching instances. Premium iconography involves six fruit: cherries, grapes, an orange, a watermelon, a plum, and a strawberry. These pay from 1 to 5 times the bet for a cluster of 5 and from 22.50 to 125 times for groups comprising 20+ symbols.
Marked Positions & Super Wilds
On any spin, from 12 to 19 positions on the grid will be marked with a special round icon. A Super Wild symbol in the form of a golden bee may land on any reel and substitute for any regular icon in win evaluation. If a Super Wild lands on the marked area, it will turn it Wild for the remainder of the cascading sequence. Additionally, Super Wild releases from 2 to 6 copies of itself that occupy random marked positions in view. Those will also turn Wild until the end of the spin.
Sticky Bees Free Spins
Landing at least 4 Bonus symbols activates 7 free spins, plus 1 extra spin for every additional instance during the triggering spin. The number of marked positions will be fixed throughout the entire round and may include from 16 to 19 areas. From 1 to 3 Super Wilds are guaranteed to land on marked positions on every spin, and all affected areas remain active until the end. Landing 3 or more Bonus symbols grants 1 extra free spin.
Free spins can be activated instantly through the Bonus Buy option for a fixed buy-in of 100 times the active stake.
Sticky Bees On Mobile
As the current industry standards dictate, the game is available in the latest HTML5 technology on all mobile devices, so players can enjoy the wonders of the enchanted forest ruled by golden bees on any smartphone or tablet. The landscape variant is a copy of the desktop view, with much of the UI shifted to the right for more convenient access. In the portrait orientation, the playing area occupies the center of the screen, leaving plenty of space for the immersive background. Thanks to the fast and lightweight package, the mobile gameplay is smooth, crispy, and free of lags or interruptions.
Final Thoughts
Sticky Bees slot is an unquestionable step up from Pragmatic Play's usual approach to design. Not to say that their regular productions are missing anything in particular; on the contrary, they maintain a proper quality level which many players recognize and prefer. Nevertheless, this vivid natural scene makes us think there's some new blood in the design department or some old blood heard a different calling. We couldn't get enough of the absolutely gorgeous, lively backdrop teeming with all shades of green, juicy, shiny fruit on the reels and dynamic yet smooth animations of wins and features. However, we weren't too crazy about the main music, which came across as a bit too drummy and electronic at times. Something more relaxing and spiritual would probably set a better mood, but ultimately, it's a question of preference. For us, it's "sound off" and enjoying the view while waiting for the titular bees to invade the screen and shower us with Wilds.
The mechanical side of the game follows a recognizable pattern in the studio's latest roadmap. They often experiment with large grids featuring a "pays anywhere" or a "cluster pays" win evaluation while zeroing in on a single extra functionality to elevate the experience. Such an approach has already brought hit games like Sweet Bonanza or Sugar Rush, so why not keep trying? Wilds are always a welcome sight, and with the option to get up to 16 sticky ones in the base game or up to 19 in the bonus, it's a massive help in connecting those clusters. The only minor downside of this mechanism is the fact the bees can land on already-activated areas, making them worthless. So be prepared that it's not so easy to mark all the highlighted positions during free spins, even if you keep hitting 3 bees per round. Nevertheless, the feature is clear, logical and doesn't require more than several spins to grasp the idea. All in all, Sticky Bees is a title proving that simplicity can still be in fashion when paired with reliable mechanics and an appealing theme.
