Peek-a-Boo 5 Reels

The Peek-a-Boo 5 Reels slot by Microgaming uses a set of graphics that will remind players of the three-reel version of this game. However, unlike that classic slot, this game is jam-packed with features that push along the gameplay and give you chances to really get a lot of value thanks to how those features work. There are ghosts, candy, wilds and a trick-or-treater on the reels, and you'll be able to make a lot of winning combinations in this fast-paced title.

Game Layout

The format of this game uses five reels, four rows and 40 paylines. For whatever reason, the 40-payline format seems to almost always be used on a 5x4 layout game instead of the 5x3 formats. In any event, the bet sizes range from $0.40 per spin to a whooping $100 per spin, so you won't have any trouble finding a bet size that suits you. It's worth noting that the payouts we're going to discuss here are based on a bet size of $2 per spin, and the wins amounts in total dollar amounts will scale according to that if you use a different bet size.

Stacked Wilds and Big Wins

The stacked wild symbol shows up on all reels. Five of a kind will earn a $50 payout win. Four gets you $10, and three gives $3. This symbol will substitute for any symbol in the game, and since there isn't a traditional scatter in this Microgaming-powered (read more) slot, you don't have to worry about whether or not it substitutes for the scatters like you do in most other slots.

Aside from the wilds, the kid with the goggles and ray gun is the most important symbol in the game. He pays $25 for five of a kind, and he can shoot up to five ghosts when he lands on the middle reel. This is important to the overall gameplay, which we'll discuss below.

There are four ghosts that make up the top four regular paying symbols, other than the wild and kid with the ray gun. Five of the red ghost gets you $15, and five of the orange ghost picks up $10. A $7.50 prize is up for grabs for five of a kind in the green ghost, and the goofy-looking blue ghost gets you a $5 payout when you line up five on an activated payline.

Other Payouts

Five other symbols can be found on the reels based on typical candy found during Halloween, and this is better than the A/K/Q/J/10 symbols normally found in slots (click for more). The chocolate coin pays a solid $4 for five of a kind, and the purple and red candy pays out $3.50 for five. Five of a kind in the hard candies pays out $3, and five of the assorted mints will get you $2.50. Finally, a $2 payout is available when you get five of a kind for the candy hearts that say things like boo, RIP and kiss.

Free Spins Bonus Feature

The main feature in this game is a set of free spins. You earn the free spins by filling up the ghost meter, and you fill up that meter by having the kid with the ray gun show up on the middle reel and blast ghost symbols. He can shoot one ghost from each reel, so the more ghosts you get on the reels, the faster you'll earn a shot at the free spins. You'll get a number of free turns based on the number of ghosts you collect, but you need at least 10 to trigger the round. You can earn up to 13 free spins along these lines.

During the free spins, you get three extra features. First, the wilds become super stacked on the fourth and fifth reels to give you better chances to hit massive wins. This is tied into the second feature, which gives you a free respin of the fourth and fifth reels when you hit three of a kind (or just of the fifth reel when you get a four of the kind win) to give you a free shot at hitting a much larger payout. Finally, the game converts to a 1,024-ways format during this bonus round, so you're getting a pretty incredible boost of value.

Overview

The graphics in this game aren't the best in the world, but the game mechanic of shooting ghosts to get free spins adds a lot to the gameplay. The free spins feature itself offers up a lot of value, especially since you'll often start with a minimum win that you're guaranteed to earn in the round. This compensates for any bad luck you might have in the free spins. This is another example of a solid game with solid gameplay from Microgaming.