Playboy: Hot Zone Slot Review

You cannot miss the Playboy themed slots in any casino. The familiar bunny logo, as well as images of the girls, are created especially to catch your eye. I’m afraid that slots fans looking for a little bit of skin to go with their gaming will be disappointed – this is very much a cartoon animated theme. On the other hand the inclusion of ‘hot zones’ does make a real difference to the game play. These are Tetris like pieces which fall over the reels in different shapes and sizes. When they land on top of the reels, any of the colored squares turn into wild symbols. This can create a lot of wins, giving you the potential to turn any spin into a big payout.

The solid and effective Bally game-play shines through in this slot. There are some animations, some of them a little ‘cheeky’ – though they do not get in the way of what is a very professionally produced slot. You will even find a (young looking) Hugh Heffner on the reels and animation screens, together with a pair of cartoon Playboy Bunnies. This slot has now been made into a mobile version too.

How to Win with Playboy Hot Zones

When you look at pay table for Bally slots, the prizes can seem a little on the small side. These are listed as a multiple of your total stake (up to $100 per spin) instead of as a multiple of your coins which other manufacturers use. What you will find is that the bigger wins come from triggering prizes on multiple win-lines at the same time in the Playboy Hot Zones slot. A couple of strategically placed wilds can see you with 5+ simultaneous wins, which add up very nicely.

The main way to win is via the ‘hot zones’, which really will remind you of giant translucent Tetris pieces falling through the reels. These can land either fully or partially on the reels, and will convert any symbol they land on into a wild. Sometimes you’ll see a huge one go past, the largest you can hit is big enough to cover the entire 5 reel, 4 row grid in one go – this obviously produces the biggest possible payout.

3 or more of the bonus symbols takes you (accompanied by Hugh and the girls) to a free spins bonus game. Here the hot zones will hit a lot more often, creating significant wins. You can retrigger for more free spins from within the bonus, and with the right combination of Hot Zone pieces you could walk away with hundreds of times you initial stake.

Behind the cartoon bunny girls and brash styling, this is a 5 reel video slot with 4 rows of symbols and 40 pay lines. You can play from just 1c per line with a minimum / maximum spin amount of 40c / $100 in most casinos. Like all Bally slots, auto play is available as an option.

You might be surprised that most of the symbols on this slot are not the glamourous girls. These are actually traditional slot symbols, including cherries, bells and playing card symbols. There are some themed symbols. These include the one of Hugh with a Playboy bunny on each arm, and also the logo – which is the bonus symbol.

Most Bally slots are fairly quiet; having only the computer generated spinning noises and familiar tunes which depend on the size of the win you trigger. Playboy Hot Zones is an exception; you get a rock tune with loud guitars for the bonus game for example. There are also plenty of break out animations to keep you amused. Some of these acknowledge the glamour of the Playboy brand, for example a bunny girl walking away from behind, and one which pops up in front of the reels to wink.

Overall Experience with Playboy Hot Zones

The Hot Zones concept is not new. This is a Bally creation which has been used very effectively in Sumo Kitty and Jewel of the Dragon. I think it works very well to add that extra element to this Playboy slot too. It would be too easy to make the theme just about the girls. What Bally has done here is focus on player engagement and game-play, and added a fun, cartoon-like Playboy theme on top. This is a great all round slot, and is worth a look next time you are in a live casino.