Penguin City - NZ Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction to Penguin City

The Yggdrasil development team are known for their incredible design aesthetic, and Penguin City doesn't disappoint on this front. There is incredible attention to detail in every aspect of the game, and you'll love the special features you come across. The game is set in a Japanese sushi restaurant, and the symbols heavily feature traditional Japanese dishes and cooking equipment. This might sound like a strange premise for a slots game, but it really works. The game has the standard five reels, but as you would expect from Yggdrasil gaming slots, it doesn't just pay out on a few measly paylines. In fact, there are no paylines at all in this game - it's a Win All Ways slot, meaning you just need to land matching symbols anywhere on adjacent reels. This gives you a huge number of potential winning combos with every spin. Your combos can run from the leftmost or the rightmost reel, meaning it's possible to land a win that pays out in both directions if you hit a combo of five matching symbols with one on each reel.

Review / First Impressions

This is certainly an enjoyable game, and you'll love the animated intro sequence that launches when you first open the slot. Notice the penguins bustling around at the edges of the game reels, too. As with most slots, it can be hard to trigger the special features, but the game is entertaining enough that you won't mind too much. The Win All Ways set-up is certainly lucrative when you land a combo that runs across all the reels, as you can get a double payout when the game pays in both directions. The lack of paylines is also refreshing - as anyone who's played a lot of slots will know, it's incredibly frustrating to almost land a killer combo only for one of the symbols to be in the wrong position and thus out of the winning payline! If you love this, why not take a look at Kobushi slot too?

Payout Ratio (or RTP) of Penguin City Slot

The theoretical RTP is 96.2%. If you're new to slots, here's a quick explanation of what this means. Say you bet 100 coins on Penguin City. In theory, you could expect to win back 96.2 of those coins. Of course, it doesn't work exactly like this, and some players would end up winning a lot more while some would end up with less. The RTP is a rough guide of the return a player can expect over time, however. Most keen slots players would suggest avoiding slots with an RTP of less than 96%, meaning Penguin City just makes the grade. Most slots will pay out somewhere in the mid-90s, and you might want to pass on any that offer returns considerably lower than this.

Penguin City Slot Graphics

When you first launch the game you'll be treated to a short animated sequence that introduces the game and the characters you can expect to come across. The game itself features intricately designed symbols and a detailed backdrop of a Japanese restaurant. Yggdrasil have created some stunning games over the past few years, and Penguin City certainly holds its own.

Penguin City Game Theme

The game is set in a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. The restaurant is the backdrop to the reels, and the picture symbols are all things you might expect to find in such an establishment. The penguins in the game's title are working in the restaurant and march up and down alongside the reels as you play. The Penguin Escape mode is triggered when you activate the special feature, and the penguins will then try to escape from the restaurant by jumping onto the reels! It sounds like a slightly bizarre theme for a game, but all we can say is give it a go and try it for yourself!

Max-win 250x

Volatility Medium

Top RTP 96.2%

How to Play Penguin City Slots

If you're new to Yggdrasil slots, you might find the bet size settings a little unusual. You'll soon get the hang of them, though, and the gameplay itself is as simple as any other standard slots game. Unlike most slots, Penguin City gives you the option of betting less than one penny per line (although there aren't actually any lines in this case, so think of your bet as a multiple of 25, which is the bet amount). The smallest best possible is 10 coins, which works out at 0.04 coins per "line". To change your bet size, simply use the plus and minus buttons alongside the coin value display. You'll see the total bet amount change accordingly as you cycle through the coin sizes. Once you are happy with your total bet size, you're good to go. Hit the spin button and the reels will go into action.

If you want to bet big, there is a Bet Max option. This automatically sets your bet at the maximum possible amount. Make sure you don't press this button by accident unless you're happy betting this much! There is also a handy autoplay function. This lets you set up a pre-determined number of spins in advance. You can then sit back and watch the reels spin and the wins (hopefully) roll in. If you want to stop the autoplay function, you can do so at any time by hitting the stop button.

Penguin City Game Volatility

This is a medium-volatility slots game, meaning you can expect fairly steady game play. Low-volatility slots tend to pay out a lot of very small wins, whereas high-volatility games tend to throw out a lot of dead spins, occasionally punctuated by large wins. Most slots will fall somewhere in between the two, as Penguin City does. You can expect fairly frequent wins, but these will most be small to middling in size. There is of course still potential for some big wins if you get lucky. Most new players will be better off sticking to low- to medium-volatility slots because these are less likely to give you long runs of dead spins, which can become boring if you're not a fan of high-volatility gameplay. Many experience gamers, however, love the excitement and huge win potential of higher-volatility slots. It's a good idea to try a few different games with various levels of volatility and see what you prefer.

How To Win at Penguin City Slots

As already mentioned, this is a Win All Ways slot. This means there are no paylines, and you can win in both directions. While most slots have paylines, whether fixed or not, this one pays out winning combos where matching symbols sit on adjacent reels. You simply need to make sure these combos start at either the leftmost or the rightmost reel. Most other slots only pay out for combos beginning at the leftmost reel, and wins are paid out from left to right. This game allows you to create winning combos from left to right and right to left. This means that if you land matching symbols on all five reels, you can receive a double payout because the combo will be counted from both directions!

Penguin City Bonus Features

The game's main bonus feature is the Penguin Escape Mode. This is triggered whenever you win with a wild symbol in the base game. This might sound like it's really easy to trigger and that the wilds will be popping up all over the place - as they are in many other slots. In actual fact, the wilds are not all that frequent in this game. Even if you do see a wild, it has to be part of a winning combo in order to trigger the special feature. The Win All Ways set-up makes this somewhat easier, as the wild can land anywhere, but you still won't find it happening all that often. So make the most of it when it does!

The Penguin Escape Mode continues for as long as you continue to win, meaning you could enjoy a lengthy bonus feature if it's your lucky day. With each spin in this mode, penguins will try to escape by jumping onto the reels. If they are successful, one of two things will happen. In the first scenario, a sticky wild will be added to reel 2 or 4. In the second scenario, a losing symbol on the reels will be changed to a different symbol to create a win. If a penguin tries to jump onto the reels and fails, nothing happens.

The Penguin Escape Mode is also where you'll find the Stacked Emperor Wild. This appears on the middle reel and fills the entire reel with a giant wild symbol. If you see this symbol, you're guaranteed a win, even if only part of it is visible on the reel. The Stacked Emperor Wild remains on the reel, sliding down one position with each spin. The penguins will not attempt to escape while any part of the Emperor is visible on the reel.

Penguin City Strategy and Tips

As this is a Win All Ways game, and you can't choose to bet on certain lines, there isn't really any strategy you can follow to help you get more wins. Sorry!

Free Spins on Penguin City Slot

There are free spins available, but they are a little different to most other slots. The Penguin Escape Mode does give you free spins but only for as long as you are winning, i.e. landing penguins on the reels. There isn't a traditional free spins feature where you're awarded a set number of free spins.

Penguin City Slot On Mobile - Android, iPhones and Tablets

Penguin City can be played across all the most popular platforms, giving you plenty of flexibility. Enjoy this slots game on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC or any other compatible device.

Penguin City FAQs

Is Penguin City available to play for real money in New Zealand?

Yes. You'll find it at selected casinos that feature Yggdrasil slots.

Can I play Penguin City in NZ$?

Yes.

Which NZ Casinos offer Penguin City?

Check out our Casino Joy review to find out if it's available here.

Does Penguin City have a Free Spins feature?

Kind of - only in the Penguin Escape Mode.

Disclaimer: Penguin City trademark / license is owned by Yggdrasil Gaming. This site is not endorsed by Yggdrasil Gaming.