Play Howling Wolves Megaways Free Demo

Howling Wolves Megaways slot review

Booming Games has entered the Megaways arena with their first release, Howling Wolves Megaways. While the acquisition of the Big Time Gaming licence is a significant step, this debut falls short of expectations. The game features a dynamic grid with up to 117,649 win ways and an improved RTP of 96%. However, the core gameplay remains similar to the original Howling Wolves, with four random modifiers. The most notable drawback is the significantly reduced maximum win potential of only 2,168x your stake.

Howling Wolves Megaways slot features

The high-paying symbols include four different coloured wolves, offering payouts between 4x and 15x your stake for six of a kind. The full moon Wild symbol substitutes for all regular pay symbols to form winning combinations, though it has no intrinsic value. Winning symbols are removed through the Cascading Wins mechanic, allowing new symbols to fall into place and potentially create further wins.

Four random modifiers can activate at any stage of the game:

• Howling Wilds: Adds a random number of wild symbols to the reels.
• Alpha Pack Spin: Transforms all wolf symbols on the reels into the top-tier alpha wolf.
• Wolf Pack Multipliers: Awards a starting win multiplier of x3, x4, or x5, which increases by +1 with each cascade.
• Max Megaways: Guarantees a spin with 7 rows per reel, resulting in the maximum 117,649 win ways.

To trigger the Bonus Round, you need four or more wolf gold coin scatters. This awards eight free spins, with an additional two spins for every scatter beyond the initial four. A maximum of 30 free spins can be obtained this way. The bonus round is characterised by more frequent modifier triggers. However, scatters cannot land during the free spins, meaning no retriggers or extra spins are possible.

Gameplay experience

During testing, the base game featured numerous dead spins before a significant appearance of seven scatters awarded 14 free spins. The highlights video shows ample modifier action throughout the free spins. Players can observe the full gameplay experience by watching the provided video.

Review summary

Booming Games' initial foray into Megaways slots is perplexing. Despite securing the licence, Howling Wolves Megaways presents itself as one of the less impressive titles in the genre. It largely rehashes the features of its predecessor, but inexplicably halves the maximum win potential. Even with other aspects being satisfactory, the meagre 2,168x maximum win is a significant deterrent.

On a positive note, the RTP has seen a slight increase to 96%, and the cascading wins offer a good pace. The bonus round hit frequency of approximately 1 in 350 spins is notably higher than the average. However, with such limited potential returns, it is unlikely that many players will be motivated to reach the bonus round.

Overall, this is a disappointing Megaways debut from a developer that appears content with mediocrity. Players would likely find more value in the original Howling Wolves slot.

Pros

• Cascading Wins and up to 117,649 megaways
• Four random modifiers active in all game stages
• Free spins with increased modifier frequency

Cons

• Extremely low maximum win potential of 2,168x
• Bonus round hit frequency of 1 in 350 spins

Similar slot games

If you enjoy Howling Wolves Megaways, you might also like these titles:

• Howling Wolves: The original slot by Booming Games, featuring a 5x3 reel set with 25 betlines. It offers more frequent base game wins and similar modifiers, though without the Megaways mechanic. The bonus round allows for wins up to 5,000x your stake, but the RTP is slightly lower at 95.49%.
• Wolf Howl: A volatile slot by Just For The Win in the popular wolf theme. It uses a 5x3 reel set with 10 betlines and includes multiplying multiplier wilds in the base game. The bonus round features progressive multiplier wilds, potentially leading to payouts of up to 25,000x your stake.
• Wolf Gold: A highly popular slot by Pragmatic Play. This game features a 5x3 reel set with 25 betlines. The bonus round includes a merging of the middle three reels into a giant symbol. It also offers a money respins feature with jackpots, and a respectable maximum win of 5,000x your stake.