Chicken Run is a thrilling online casino slot machine developed by Microgaming, one of the industry’s leading game developers. This 5-reel, 15-payline video slot promises an immersive and entertaining experience for players who love animals, adventure, and excitement. The game revolves around a storybook-inspired theme Chicken Run where chickens have to escape from farm owners in pursuit of freedom.
Design and Graphics
One of the most striking features of Chicken Run is its captivating design and graphics. Players are transported into a colorful, whimsical world filled with charming animations that bring the characters to life. Each reel is set against a beautiful sunset sky with vibrant flowers surrounding it. The symbols on the reels include chickens of different breeds in various colors and outfits, farm animals like cows and pigs, as well as high-ranking card suits (10-Ace).
The game’s design team has done an excellent job incorporating subtle details that add depth to the overall theme. For instance, a background melody plays during gameplay, featuring traditional British folk music with catchy whistling tunes. Visual effects are smooth, ensuring seamless transitions between spins and animations.
Symbols
Chicken Run features standard slot symbols as well as some creative ones inspired by farm life. The low-paying symbols consist of the usual 10- to Ace-ranking card suits in a range of colors (red, blue, yellow, green). Players can also find higher paying chicken-themed icons:
- Low-pay chickens: each colored chicken offers modest rewards
- High-payout chickens: rarer breed chicken symbols like Leghorn and Plymouth Rock offer larger rewards
Farm animals also appear as standard-paying symbols. Other game-specific symbols include a scatter egg icon (Easter Egg) with free spin potential.
Payouts
Microgaming has programmed the slot’s payout table to offer generous returns for matching combinations of three or more identical symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, starting from reel one. Here are some approximate payout ranges:
- Low-pay card suits: up to 1x bet per combination
- Farm animals: up to 5x bet per combination
- High-payout chickens: up to 100x bet (Leghorn) or up to 125x bet (Plymouth Rock)
Scatter combinations also bring rewards.
Wilds
Unfortunately, Chicken Run does not have a dedicated wild symbol in the traditional sense. However, each chicken breed acts as a special "wild" version of itself on reels one through four only during non-free spin games, thereby increasing winning opportunities by substituting for missing symbols to complete pays.
In free spins mode, wild chickens become fully fledged and cover entire rows.
Scatters
Chicken Run includes an exciting scatter symbol that triggers the game’s main feature: Free Spins , also known as "Great Escape" bonus. This is triggered whenever three or more scatters land on any active payline in a single spin (not necessarily adjacent reels). Each time 3-6 Easter Egg symbols appear, they award:
- 15 Free Spins with 1x bet multiplier and wilds activated
- 10 free spins + a 5x stake multiplier if three eggs are collected
More eggs give even more rewards!
Bonus Features
Free Spin/ Great Escape Bonus: Players collect scattered chicken eggs on reels one through five during any non-winning spin in the regular game. The maximum number of available eggs is six, and collecting these unlocks additional free spins.
Escape Mode: When all 6 scatters are collected within the initial 30 games, the player enters Escape mode with increased win potential:
- Win up to 250x bet every time on any spin in escape
- New egg collections do not increase available credits; it is just a visual effect
Breakthrough Bonus Feature (only triggered during Escape):
- A hidden "Egg Cell" is randomly activated, awarding an additional number of free spins or bonus funds.
Volatility and RTP
Chicken Run has medium to high volatility with an average Return To Player (RTP) rate of approximately 96% . According to Microgaming’s documentation, Chicken Run features a theoretical return of 95.8-96.2%.
High Volatility:
- More risks involved; higher potential reward rates for infrequent larger wins
Medium Volatility:
- Balanced payout distribution with mid-to-high frequency smaller and medium-sized rewards.
In other words: bet strategically according to the chosen volatility preference.
Betting Range
Chicken Run offers flexible betting options catering both beginners and experienced gamblers. Players can adjust stakes between:
Min Bet: £0.20 (£2 per spin) – suitable for low-risk, casual gamers or those on a budget Max Bet: £50 (£500 per spin) – ideal for serious bettors aiming to maximize winnings
Keep in mind that increasing the minimum stake will directly affect your RTP.
Maximum Win
Chicken Run allows players to win up to 5x its total staked amount during any single spin , offering significant payout potential, although maximum wins are rarely achieved due to volatility.