Hot Potato Slot Review (Thunderkick)

This 100 Spin test was updated by Steve Madgwick on 4/01/2024

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Test Comments

The one thing i never expect when doing a 100 spin test on a thunderkick game is hitting the bonus round, but here, we started with a 35x base game win, and hit the bonus spins TWICE!! - It was touch and go whether even after all that we would hit a profitable session, but we came out with 120.8% RTP for the session in the end, despite the low 14/100 win frequency - An enjoyable but not typical 100 spins test for Thunderkick here

The thing with this game is it is just so good at delivering that essential element for a slot game - edge of your seat potential. You just feel like there is something spectacular about to pop at any time, which can be tricky to manage. Overall, an enjoyable but below par 100 spins test this time. HOT POTATO!

Intro

Don’t most of us love a hot potato? Whether it’s mashed, fried or roasted, it’s delish. You’ll see Mr Hot Potato all over the reels in this game alongside some tasty fries.

In this game, Mr Hot Potato is an exploding potato, as his official title is Exploding Wild. This symbol can randomly land and explode, potentially giving out top wins.

During this in-depth Hot Potato! slot review, you’ll be able to read about all aspects of this brand-new release so let’s get started.

Graphics, Music, and Sound Effects

Brightly-coloured images fill up the reels with graphics of fast food which is there to be chomped on.  In the base game, the scene shows a typical street in the USA. And in the bonus round, you’ll see a flaming-hot kitchen where burgers and fries are being cooked up.

Hot, hot hot is how the sound effects can be summed up. When the Potato Wild and Hot! Bonus Symbols land they make a distinctive sizzling sound. 

Funk music can be heard as the backdrop to the base game. When you switch to the Bonus Game the heat gets taken up a notch and the tempo increases. The music sounds like the exit music of a feel-good 1980s film full of sax and electric guitar riffs.

I've now talked about the summary, intro, graphics, music, and sound effects. Next up, I’m going to cover the key game features which will help you create an impression of the game.  

At OLBG we create slot games reviews that include up-to-date info about essential features such as the theme, paylines and reels, bet range, and bonuses. I’ll complete the review by talking about my play experience, first impressions and expert verdict.

Theme – Food

The good ol’ U.S. of A. is the backdrop for the Hot Potato! game. In the base game, you’ll see a typical American street complete with skyscrapers, fire hydrants, sirens and yellow taxis. The Bonus Game flips to a restaurant kitchen setting which is covered in red-hot-flames. The saying ‘If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen’ springs to mind.  Ouch, it’s scorchio in there.

The reels are cheery and are filled with vivid-coloured visuals of food. In order of value from the highest first there’s a chef, a burger, some fries, a can of drink, a doughnut and a pickle. You've got yourself a tasty meal right there.

The Bonus Symbol is depicted by the writing HOT! And you can't miss Mr Hot Potato himself who is the Exploding Wild Symbol.

Reels

The Hot Potato! game is made up of 7 reels and 7 rows to play with. 

Paylines

Hot Potato! is a Cluster Pays slot game, wins take place when 5 or more identical symbols connect horizontally or vertically. The Bonus Symbol can not be one of these 5 symbols.

RTP

You've probably seen the acronym RTP on slot sites, the full meaning of this is ‘return to player’. It’s a way of telling players theoretically what percentage of their stakes they will see returned to them over the long term. So of course, the higher the percentage the better! Nowadays I’d expect to see 96% or more. Hot Potato! has an above-average RTP of 96.16%

Thunderkick uses this RTP figure as a default value so if you shop around you’ll discover several RTP rates. To save you some time. We’ve identified a few at some of the popular UK online casinos and added them to the table below.

RTP is just one consideration when deciding which site to play at. You should also think about payment options, game library, customer support and welcome bonuses and deals. Our casino reviews analyse this info and much more.

Do you fancy playing more than one game? If so, you should visit this page with the slot sites we recommend. 

Stake Range

There’s a decent bet range for the Hot Potato! game which starts at £0.10 and goes right up to £100. 

Max Win

You can win 10,000x your total stake when playing the Hot Potato! game.

Wild Symbol

The Wild for this game is provided by the Exploding Wild Symbol which can randomly land and explode during the spin or avalanche. Or it can be automatically generated and explode in a Cluster Pays area. The Exploding Wild removes all symbols in a 3x3 Multiplier Grid around and under the symbol.

Free Spins

When 3 Bonus Symbols land, the Free Spins Bonus Game will be triggered. This gives you 10 Free Spins. Multiplier Grids are activated in the base game and reset upon the start of the Bonus Game. The Multiplier Grids in the Bonus Game are sticky and remain active throughout the Bonus Game.

Jackpot

Like most slot games nowadays, the Hot Potato! game doesn't have a jackpot element. If jackpots are your bag you should visit our page with the best jackpot slot games.

Play Experience & First Impressions

The Exploding Wild Symbols were a bundle of fun and could randomly land and explode anytime. Visually it looked strong and it triggered frequently. The Bonus Game is the headline act and is a solid mix of Free Spins, Retriggers, and Sticky Multiplier Grids. The Multiplier Grid Feature involves cells in the underlying grid having a multiplier with an initial value of x2. If any new Exploding Wild Symbols land and explode on top of an existing Multiplier Grid, the multiplier will double (up to a maximum of x128) on the grid cells that overlap it. The gameplay was straightforward which is appealing when you want to enjoy a game without constantly checking paytable information.

An Avalanche feature works well in any slot game and Hot Potato! is no exception. When a win occurs, the winning symbols are removed. New symbols are then ready to fall from the top and cascade down. This process continues until winning combos are created. This was an extra layer and looked striking on the grid.

Hot Potato! is an appealing game, with both its features and visuals. Thunderkick games tend to be niche and this title fits comfortably into that category. The studio's last release was Bones and Bounty which was also highly entertaining. The max win was on the low side for a game with a high volatility rating as there are others on the market with a higher amount.  

The RTP is above average at 96.16% which is a pull. The features were a strong selling point, especially the Multiplier Grid. When an Exploding Wild hits and the multipliers double it works fantastically. The multiplier function was similar to Pragmatic Play’s Sweet Bonanza. The simplicity of the game was enjoyable, it felt like it had the essential meat and potatoes so that you could enjoy it without any distractions. If you catch this game definitely don’t throw this Hot Potato! on straight away and make sure you enjoy a few spins.

If it's potatoes you're after, Royal Potato and Royal Potato 2 by Print Studios are highly recommended. Want something hot and spicy? Big Time Gaming's Extra Chilli Megaways should do the trick. For more options, check out our food-themed slots guide: 

ALSO READ 🍔 Satisfy your cravings with the Best Food Slots

Hot Potato slot review was written by the OLBG Slots Content Team, beginning with Jenny Mason our prime Slot reviewer who has 17+ years in online gambling, top UK brands. Expert in sports betting, slots, and bingo. Then Andrej Trajkovski, who has worked in the online gambling industry since 2013, playing and reviewing online slots and casinos daily for the past four years. 

Contributing to the review was Jake Ashton, a slots fan who is also part of the casino and sports betting team here at OLBG.

The review is Fact Checked by William Westerlund, an online casino expert reviewing casinos and slots for over five years, and published by Steve Madgwick, our Editor-In-Chief with over 18 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting and Casino content for OLBG & multiple other publications and a self-confessed online slots fans who has played at 100's of the best slot sites online and completes the Spin tests.

100 Spin Test Criteria

The 100 Spins test is undertaken on a demo slot, staking 100 spins at £1 per spin

Session RTP - Return to the player after 100 spins - Eg, A return of £45 from 100 spins is 45%, or a return of £107 is 107%

Win Frequency - A winning spins to spins frequency, higher frequency regardless of prize, is often more entertaining.

• 0-10 Very Low
• 11-15 Low
• 16-30 Medium
• 21-35 High
• 36+ Very High

Biggest Base Game Win  - Highest single base game spin winning value

Spins to Bonus - How many spins were completed before the main bonus round was achieved

Bonus Paid - Value of bonus once complete

Time Taken  - How long did the 100 spins take to complete?