Ugga Bugga

Ugga Bugga Slot Review

Transport back in time to the dense jungles of Playtech’s Ugga Bugga. The game’s retro look and feel can be just as appealing to some as it can be revolting to others. For my part, I enjoy playing through older slot games, appreciating all that they managed to achieve all those years ago, while also reminding myself of just how far along we’ve come since then.

Visually, Ugga Bugga isn’t a stunner. Sure, the visuals look fine, and the soundscape is good enough. But it doesn’t hold up with modern games at all. Animations are barely existent, and the game lacks a distinct visual style that could make it stand out from the crowd. That’s not to say that it’s an ugly game, but it’s missing that distinct element that could make a real impression.

Looks aside, this slot is quite low on special features too and as you’ll see in my unbiased Ugga Bugga slot review, it all revolves around the crucial hold reel feature.

⚡ RTP	99.07%
🎲 Volatility	Low
💰 Paylines	10
🔼 Maximum Bet	50
🔻 Minimum Bet	0.1
⭐ Bonus Features	Wild Symbols, Hold Reel Feature

Ugga Bugga Slot Demo

We’re dealing with quite an old game here and although there aren’t all that many features in Ugga Bugga, the hold feature can take some getting used to. So, instead of jumping straight into regular spins, I’d suggest trying out the Ugga Bugga slot demo first.

This gives you the freedom to explore all the game has to offer, familiarising yourself with its mechanics and understanding how it pays out. It’s an excellent way to decide on the best bet levels that you’d like to have when playing the game for real.

Pro Tips:

Ugga Bugga slot machine is a rather unique game, where the hold reel feature allows for some strategy. I suggest studying and constantly referencing the paytable to make sure you can identify the best symbols that can lead to the game’s biggest prizes. This can be crucial in deciding which reels to hold after the initial phase. Sure, the game can hold these for you, but it helps to have a first-hand understanding which can help you make more calculated decisions.

The game also comes with a low volatility and an RTP of 99.07%. So, I suggest putting up your bet levels further, as you’ll be getting quite a lot of consistent rewards when playing.

Ugga Bugga Slot Bonus Features

Minimal is one way to describe Ugga Bugga’s feature list. The game follows a trend that was quite popular back in the 2000s, where everything revolves around a hold feature. This is not the more recent hold-and-win function, but a more primitive, if not altogether different mechanic.

The paytable is made up of all kinds of African-themed symbols. The selection is incredibly varied, ranging from bowls of food to African warriors, huts and traditional masks. The low-paying symbols can give you 10x your stake, but higher-paying symbols push this to a more lucrative 125x.

As I said, there aren’t all that many features to cover here, but I’ll be discussing both the wild symbols and hold feature below.

Wilds

Wild symbols can be a saving grace whenever they pop up. Wins in Ugga Bugga can be quite particular. Some symbols can be paired with others to deliver a win, while others need to be paired exclusively with identical tokens. But wilds can ignore all that, stepping in for any pay symbol that could form a win.

They’re also the game’s highest-paying symbol, awarding you with 1,000x your stake if you manage to get a win with three wild symbols.

Ugga Bugga Jackpot

Playtech didn’t include a jackpot in Ugga Bugga, but you will have the chance to win up to 1,000x your prize.

Scatter symbol

There’s no free spins bonus in Ugga Bugga, so you don’t need any scatter symbols.

Hold Feature

Although Ugga Bugga slot machine doesn’t have a free spins or respins bonus, the hold feature is the slot’s most exciting asset. To understand it, I’ll have to give you a better idea of how this game is structured.

You get two boards with three reels and three rows each. But you only spin the bottom row of the first board. After the spin, if a symbol lands in full view it gets automatically held. Once held, its entire reel gets covered in identical symbols. This also applies to the same reel on the second board. So, if you hold the second reel on the first board, it also gets populated and held on the second board.

It’s quite similar to what Goblin’s Cave offered and although the game automatically decides to hold reels with symbols in full view you can still modify and un-hold any reels you want to free up for the following spin.

During the second spin, each row, starting from the bottom one on the first board, spins its free positions to display new symbols. You make your way across all two boards, uncovering wins or losses accordingly. In the end, wins are paid out for each win.

RTP and Volatility of Ugga Bugga Slot

Playtech seems to have had casual players in mind when it produced Ugga Bugga, fitting the game with a low level of volatility and a high RTP of 99.07%. So, wins hit quite often, even if they’re not all that rewarding. Your maximum bets cap at £50, so if you manage the game’s highest win of 1,000x your stake, you can walk away with £50,000. It’s hardly nothing, but cannot be compared to the maximum prizes that you can win from contemporary games.

Ugga Bugga is developed by Playtech, one of the most renowned providers in the industry. So you can rest assured that the game is safe and secure to play. But although you have nothing to fear from the slot itself, I’d suggest playing at an online casino that is just as safe. You ought to find a site that comes with strong gambling licenses which can make sure you get the best experience possible.

Ugga Bugga Slot on Mobile

You’d think that a game like Ugga Bugga might not perform all that well on mobile, but you’d be wrong. Sure, Playtech forces you to play in landscape mode, but besides some issues with touch sensitivity, the game works like a charm on smaller screens. You’re treated to the same graphics, features and win potential, so the experience is seamless across all systems. The slot is compatible with both Android and iOS, so you can virtually play it on all your mobile devices.

Conclusion

I’ll just cut to the chase. Ugga Bugga isn’t a must-play by any stretch of the imagination. It may have been an intriguing slot back when it came out, but outside of its hold feature, it feels quite bare and dated.

Even when it was released back in 2013, the lack of a free spins bonus was a point of criticism, and the years haven’t changed that. To the game’s credit, you can hit the somewhat decent 1,000x win through the base game spins, especially if you’re lucky (and wise) enough to hold the right symbols in your reels. I had quite a few good rounds during my playthrough, even managing to secure a £1,000 win by holding three matching symbols during the initial round.

But my issue is more related to pace than win potential. With nothing to look forward to in terms of features and functions, the game can get quite tedious with no sense of progression to make you keep spinning.

Ultimately, Ugga Bugga is a niche game, one which will appeal to a specific crowd that enjoys its hold feature. If you’re one of that lot, then you’ll have a blast playing the slot. But if you’re looking for a deeper slot experience filled with exciting features and nail-bitingly high volatility, then this ain’t your spot.