Big Bamboo

Big Bamboo Casinos

Push Gaming has a knack for creating slots that are as brutal as they are engaging, and with Big Bamboo, they’ve added another title to that roster—this time with an unexpectedly cute twist. At first glance, you might think this game is all about adorable pandas and a tranquil bamboo forest, but don’t let the charming exterior fool you. Big Bamboo is a ruthless slot, packed with high stakes and massive risk/reward potential. Despite its seemingly calm and serene visuals, the game is loaded with intense features like mystery symbols, instant coin prizes, and free spins with symbol conversions, all designed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Speaking of bamboo, it’s worth noting that some species can grow up to 30 meters tall. While pandas might not munch on these towering giants, instead opting for leaves, shoots, and stems, the towering bamboo theme adds an element of majesty to the game. Push Gaming has transported players into this world of colossal bamboo, setting the stage with a minimalist, almost mystical green background that exudes a zen-like calm. The 5-reel, 6-row grid in the center of the screen contrasts beautifully with this backdrop, creating an aesthetic that’s both peaceful and slightly mysterious.

Visually, Big Bamboo carries a minimalist, zen quality that might remind some players of titles from Hacksaw Gaming, with a dash of Razor Shark vibes when it comes to the features. The combination of serene visuals and intense gameplay makes Big Bamboo a standout in Push Gaming’s lineup, appealing to players who enjoy a slot that’s as charming as it is challenging.

ig Bamboo offers gameplay across all devices with a betting range from 10 p/c to $/€100 per spin. True to Push Gaming’s style, this is a highly volatile slot that can be challenging to get the ball rolling with. However, the game compensates with four feature buy options and a gamble feature, each with its own RTP value, allowing players to tailor their experience. The default RTP stands at 96.13%, and when purchasing features, the exact return values are clearly indicated, so you know exactly what you’re getting into.

The game is played on a grid with 50 fixed paylines, and wins are triggered by landing at least three matching symbols on a line—except for the top-paying panda, which only requires two to form a win. The high-paying symbols include the panda, boars, monkeys, and birds, offering payouts of 12x to 150x your stake for five of a kind. The lower-paying symbols are the classic card suits—diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs—each of which pays 0.4 times your stake for a five-symbol combination.

Wild symbols can land on any reel, substituting for any of the paying symbols to help form winning combinations. When wilds form their own combination, they’re as valuable as the top-paying panda, making them a key symbol to watch out for as you spin the reels.

Big Bamboo: Slot Features

Big Bamboo packs a punch with a variety of features, many of which might feel familiar but have been cleverly combined and given a unique twist by Push Gaming. Here’s a breakdown of these intriguing elements:

Mystery Bamboo Symbols

Mystery Bamboo symbols can land anywhere on the reels, both in the base game and during bonus rounds. When these symbols hit, they transform to reveal other symbols, which could be regular pay symbols, wilds, or the coveted Golden Bamboo symbols.

Golden Bamboo Feature

The Golden Bamboo feature is where things get really interesting. This feature is triggered when the Mystery Bamboo symbols reveal Golden Bamboo symbols. Once activated, each position with a Golden Bamboo symbol spins individually, potentially revealing one of the following:

• Instant Prize: These are bet multipliers that can range from 1x to a massive 5,000x your stake.
• Collector: This symbol collects the value of all instant prize symbols or other collector symbols in view. The collector stays in place throughout the Golden Bamboo feature, while empty positions continue to spin, giving you more chances to collect.
• Multiplier: These multipliers range from x2 to x10 and boost the value of instant prize symbols or collector symbols, amplifying your potential winnings.

Scatter Symbols and Gamble Scatter Symbols

Scatters and gamble scatters can appear naturally during gameplay or be revealed by the Golden Bamboo feature. In the base game, if scatters land on reels 2 and 3, a gamble scatter may land on reel 4. The gamble scatter then spins to reveal one of the following outcomes:

• A Blank Space: Unfortunately, nothing happens if this is revealed.
• 4 to 9 Free Spins: A straightforward reward, granting you a varying number of free spins.
• 7 to 9 Free Spins with 2 Low Pay Symbols Converted to Mystery Bamboo Symbols:

This outcome not only gives you free spins but also converts two low-paying symbols into Mystery Bamboo symbols, increasing your chances of triggering the Golden Bamboo feature.

• 8 to 10 Free Spins with All 4 Low Pay Symbols Converted to Mystery Bamboo Symbols:

The most rewarding outcome, offering free spins and converting all four low-paying symbols into Mystery Bamboo symbols, significantly boosting your potential for big wins.

These features combine to create a game that balances charm with serious win potential, making Big Bamboo a thrilling experience with every spin. Whether you’re triggering mystery symbols or hoping for a massive multiplier, the game keeps you on your toes, blending familiar mechanics with fresh, exciting twists.

Gamble Feature

In Big Bamboo, if you’re awarded one of the two lower-tier free spins bonus games via the gamble scatter, you have the option to gamble for a chance to move up to a higher tier. The gamble involves a wheel spin—if you succeed, you advance to the next level of free spins with better rewards. However, if the gamble doesn’t go your way, you’ll lose the prize entirely, so it’s a high-risk, high-reward decision.

Free Spins

During the free spins round, scatters play a crucial role by filling up a meter beside the low-paying symbols on the reels. Each of these symbols has a meter with 4 dots. When scatters land, they’re collected, and filling all 4 dots converts that specific low-pay symbol into a Mystery Bamboo symbol. This conversion not only enhances the gameplay but also rewards you with additional free spins:

• First Conversion: +4 extra free spins.
• Second and Third Conversions: +3 extra free spins each.
• Fourth Conversion: +2 extra free spins.

Additionally, converting a symbol also adds a multiplier, which is applied to any wins from the Golden Bamboo feature. More free spins can be won during the free spins round through the Golden Bamboo feature when symbols showing +1, +2, or +3 land on the reels.

Buy Feature

If you’re eager to jump straight into the action, Big Bamboo offers a Buy Feature where you can purchase one of four bonus options by hitting the star icon:

• 99x the Bet: 7-9 free spins with no converted symbols.
• 179x the Bet: 7-9 free spins with 2 low-paying symbols already converted to Mystery Bamboo symbols.
• 608x the Bet: 8-10 free spins with all 4 low-paying symbols converted to Mystery Bamboo symbols.
• 300x the Bet: A random allocation of free spins and converted symbols, offering a mix of potential rewards.

This range of options allows players to tailor their experience, whether they prefer a more conservative approach or are ready to go all-in for the maximum potential.

Big Bamboo: Slot Verdict

Big Bamboo is an interesting contradiction—what appears to be a serene, zen-like slot quickly morphs into something much more intense and, at times, frustrating as you dive into its mechanics. While the initial impression is one of calm and simplicity, the game’s complexities reveal themselves as you play, creating a mix of excitement and agitation, especially when those dead spins start to pile up.

At its core, Big Bamboo is about chasing two main objectives: hitting those lucrative instant prizes in the Golden Bamboo feature and triggering the free spins to convert as many low-paying symbols as possible. The Golden Bamboo feature is where the game’s big win potential really shines, reminiscent of Razor Shark with a bit of Fat Drac thrown in for good measure. When the stars align and you land a top-tier instant prize with a hefty multiplier, the results can be massive, much like in those epic win clips from Fat Drac.

The free spins round is the other key element, where converting low-pay symbols into Mystery Bamboo symbols ties back into the Golden Bamboo feature. The more conversions you achieve, the better your chances of hitting something big, thanks to the increased presence of Mystery Bamboo symbols. However, the journey to these big wins isn’t easy—Big Bamboo often feels like it’s toying with you. The gamble feature, in particular, can be a heartbreaker, especially when you land three scatters only for the gamble scatter to deliver a blank, leaving you with nothing.

On the flip side, Big Bamboo offers a massive win cap of 50,000x your bet, which is undeniably attractive. The potential is there for huge payouts, and the game’s design is smart, but it doesn’t quite have the same addictive replayability as some of Push Gaming’s other titles like Fire Hopper. The urge to keep spinning just to see what happens next isn’t as strong, and while Big Bamboo is well-crafted with the potential for spectacular wins, it doesn’t feel destined to become one of the studio’s classics.

In summary, Big Bamboo is a game that offers moments of brilliance but can also frustrate, and while it’s definitely worth a spin, it might not have the staying power to keep players coming back for more in the long run.