Alchemy Gaming, a Microgaming partner, has created a potential breakthrough game called Africa X Up. The game stands out with its impressive audiovisual presentation, avoiding clichés commonly found in similar games. The main objective is to climb the Multiplier ladder, but the benefits of the achieved multiplier tier are only realized during the bonus round. Throughout the game, expanding wilds assist players, but reaching the top-tier 25x multiplier requires a long and potentially risky journey. A paradox arises as players may not want to trigger the bonus round until they’ve reached a solid multiplier, creating an interesting tension. However, non-UK players have the option to bypass this by purchasing the bonus round. The wild symbol appears on all 5 reels and expands to cover the entire reel. It substitutes for regular pay symbols to create winning combinations and is also the highest paying symbol in the game. A screen full of wilds is worth 1,245 times the stake. Landing two X Up scatters triggers the X Up feature, awarding an X Up token that increases the Multiplier meter. The multiplier level increases during base game play but only becomes active during the bonus round. The achieved multiplier tier is specific to the bet level, so changing the bet size resets the progress. Three X Up scatters trigger the Bonus Round, awarding 8 free spins with the active multiplier tier. Landing two X Up scatters during the feature grants +2 extra spins and increases the multiplier. Players who wish to avoid collecting X Up scatters can purchase the bonus round from the in-game menu, with multiplier tiers available for different prices. A mystery option awards a random multiplier between 2x and 25x. The cost of purchasing the bonus round decreases with the number of X Up scatters collected. The game’s audiovisual presentation is smooth and pleasant, with no interruptions. Alchemy Gaming deserves credit for creating a unique African/tribal-themed game that avoids clichés. One improvement suggestion would be the option to exchange a triggered bonus round for X Up tokens, as it can take a long time to reach the top-tier multiplier without triggering the bonus round prematurely. However, lower-tier multipliers can still result in big wins. The 25x multiplier is necessary to achieve the game’s maximum potential of 30,000 times the stake. Other safari-themed games worth considering are King of Cats by BTG, Serengeti Gold by JFTW, and Big Cat King Megaways by Blueprint. These games offer unique features and potential high payouts.
