Xpander Slot Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Xpander Review

The mobile-friendly Pocketz series from Hacksaw has been a joy to follow so far, and Xpander is another strong installment from the clever developer. This crew has a knack for making simple concepts interesting, and they’ve clearly allowed the success of Hop N Pop to be a source of inspiration. The Hopper concept takes a different direction this time however, with an overlay symbol that can grow both in size and value.

Visually, this fruit slot inspired release is rather simple, and you can expect tense moments of pure delight when things go your way. As usual in this volatile series, the opposite is also true when you don’t have the day. However, XPander offers plenty of unpredictable entertainment either way. The Synthwave soundtrack gives off a pleasant 80s vibe, but there are some awkward hiccups in the game pace that could have been ironed out before the final release.

Xpander Slot Features

All winning clusters are removed from the grid via the Tumble feature, and new and/or existing symbols drop down from above to fill the gaps. This process repeats as long as you keep winning, and you also have a wild symbol that can help you out by stepping in for all regular pay symbols.

You will see a x2 multiplier icon that overlays the symbols, and it starts out as a 1x1 sized symbol.

You have several special symbols that can land to upgrade both the size and the value of the Hopper Multiplier Icon. Double up symbols will double the current Hopper multiplier when they land, and it can go as high as x128. You can land multiple Double Up symbols at the same time.

The Grow Symbol comes in the form of a green arrow, and it’s collected whenever it lands. You need 3 Grow Symbols in a single Tumble sequence to increase the size of the Hopper Icon from 1x1 to 2x2. You can grow it up to 4x4, but this would require 9 Grow Symbols in a single Tumble sequence.

You need at least 3 FS scatter symbols anywhere in the same Tumble sequence to trigger the Bonus Round. The big difference is that the Hopper Icon size and multiplier value does not reset during the free spins round. The x128 multiplier is still as high as it can go though, and 4x4 is still the maximum size. You start with 5 free spins, and 1UP symbols award +1 extra spins per symbol that lands.

Non-UK players who’re not interested in waiting around for the feature to trigger can purchase the bonus round from the in-game menu. This will set you back 129x your total stake, and you’re then guaranteed 3 FS scatters on the next spin.

The 200 Spins Xpander Slot Experience

We played around in the base game for a while, and some of it has been included in the 3-minute highlights video. We purchased the bonus round at 0:45 however, and the Hopper icon took us for quite a ride. You can check it all out for yourself by hitting the play button below.

Review Summary

Hacksaw knows how to make simple games engaging and fun, and Xpander feels like a follow-up to their highly successful Hop'n'Pop. Having a multiplier overlay symbol that roams around while also growing in size and value is not only innovative, it can also create moments of high tension.

The real fun starts when the Hopper symbol doesn't reset in the bonus round, but 5 spins will sometimes be over in a blink when things don’t go your way. Longer tumbling sequences and extra spins are not all that rare during the feature though, and a 4x4 Hopper with a sizable multiplier to boot is a sight to behold for sure. The 10,000x potential is solid, and this is yet another exciting release in the Pocketz series.

Pros

• Roaming overlay ‘Hopper’ multiplier symbol
• Can increase to 4x4 w/ up to x128 multiplier
• Hopper does not reset in the bonus round
• Win up to 10,000x your stake

Cons

• Bonus Buy not for UK players

If you enjoy Xpander Slot you should also try:

Hop N Pop - is a somewhat similar release from Hacksaw, and it also plays out on a 7x7 cluster pays grid. A x2 roaming multiplier symbol splits in 2 or doubles in value per consecutive tumble win it partakes in, and up to 4 x64 roaming wilds can jump around in the bonus round. The max win is a solid 12,500x your stake.

Stack Em - is another installment in Hacksaw’s Pocketz series, and it plays out on a 5x6 cluster pays grid. It’s all about building stacked winning symbol reel multipliers, as each tumble win removes non-winning symbols.

Born Wild - is an urban-themed and hard-hitting release from Hacksaw, and it comes with a 5x4 grid with 20 paylines. Sticky wilds can lead to single spin payouts up to 5,000x in the bonus round, and Lion’s Roar Respins can lead to an insane €10 million jackpot.

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