Monster Blox

Monster Blox: Slot Overview

Being partnered with a larger, more established studio has a number of benefits. Not least of all is getting your hands on a pre-made selection of game mechanics and features. We've seen several of Yggdrasil's partner studios have a blast with the Gigablox mechanic for better or for worse; now it's the time of Armenian bunch Peter & Sons. One of the first things they've done with it, interestingly, is alter the name. Where we technically might have had Monster Gigablox, they've shrewdly shortened it to Monster Blox – stamping their individuality on the game from the outset. The rest of the slot is just as personalised, as Peter & Sons provide their unique brand of entertainment using the popular Gigablox system.

Peter & Sons games are so distinctive that if you wore a blindfold, you'd still probably be able to pick them out of a line-up. Monster Blox is no exception, where the team has used their trademark look to create a fantasy land of wizards, dragons, castles, tree people, and rolling green hillsides - the clean outdoor air has an almost Big Bad Wolf feel to it. Monster Blox is an attractive game with the sort of graphics that make it easy to like and quicker to forgive when on the receiving end of a tough session.

It's also very dynamic since Gigablox mixes up the way symbols land on the 6-reel grid, plus there's plenty of zooming in and out as rows are added to the panel following wins. It randomly merges reels on every spin to produce larger than normal symbols. For instance, reels 1 and 2 might meld to create 2x2 sized Gigablox, while reels 4-6 hold 3x3 sized Gigablox. When calculating payouts, Gigablox symbols are broken down to the default 1x1 tiles for evaluation.

Highly volatile, Moster Blox offer bets from 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin – possible on tablets, smartphones, or desktops. Rather than a wide range of RTP versions, the game uses only one, coming in at a solid 96.10%. Landing 3 to 6 matching symbols left to right from the leftmost reel constitutes a winning combination. In default mode, the grid is 4 rows high and provides 40 fixed ways to win. Neatly designed diamonds, spades, clubs, and hearts are the low pays, while four characters, including a dragon plus a tree person, are the premiums. Higher value symbols pay out a win of 2 to 10 times the stake when a six of a kind combo hits.

Monster Blox: Slot Features

In Monster Blox, the core Gigablox feature is accompanied by respins, wild transformations, and free spins with a progressive win multiplier. Every time a win lands, a respin is awarded, and an extra row is added to the game grid. If consecutive wins occur, reels can grow up to 8 positions high at the most, then reset back to 4 at the start of each new spin. On the 6x5, 6x6, 6x7, or 6x8 sized grid, the number of paylines increases to 55, 70, 85, or 100, respectively.

The wild transformation is a random extra, so be on the lookout for the wizard standing to the left who may zap symbols, including the larger Gigablox symbols, turning them wild. Wilds can substitute for any of the paying symbols to complete winning ways.

The bonus game is triggered when 5 or more free spins symbols land in view - each individual symbol counting as 1 free spin. When free spin symbols hit during the round, they add an additional free spin and are collected in a meter at the left side of the reels. When certain amounts of scatters have been collected, they progress the win multiplier to x2, x3, x5, and max out at x10.

Monster Blox: Slot Verdict

Well, Peter & Sons are certainly a studio that sticks to their guns and does things their way. We've mentioned their unique graphical style before, and if anything, Monster Blox shows they're continuing to refine it. Gigablox as well continues to display versatility, appearing in a huge variety of games as diverse as 3021 The Bounty Hunter to Hunters Moon or Sabres and Swords. One of the pleasing things that makes Monster Blox stand out is just how well each part complements the other to create a charming slot which functions just so.

Peter & Sons' individual approach spills over to the gameplay too, where Gigablox runs the show but somehow doesn't dominate like it can do in other slots using the mechanic. The graphical presentation is so eye-catching, Gigablox's effects are pushed slightly out of the spotlight, giving the game more balance. Winning spins leading to respins and reel expansions are executed as seamlessly as you like, occasionally leading to decent payouts as a result as well.

Triggering free spins wasn't always the easiest task, but the expanding grid and side features keep your mind occupied. Once the bonus game is activated, we generally managed to land a fair few scatters, thereby drawing out the round with additional spins. Adding the increasing multiplier to free spins provides the extra oomph needed to potentially lift a session to the next level while being an incentive to power on through the base game. If you've ever played Hades Gigablox, you will know what we're talking about, as the two games have a lot in common. In any case, pushed to its limit, P&S notes that wins of up to 7,485x the bet are achievable - or a maximum of €/$740,000.

In Monster Blox, Peter & Sons have once again forged on, doing their thing, effortlessly incorporating the Gigablox system in the process. Looks, environment, and features have been combined to create one of the best examples of this type of slot out there.