Candy Glyph – (QUICKSPIN) SLOT REVIEW

Candy Glyph: Slot Overview

In 2019, prior to the global upheaval caused by Covid, lockdowns, and social distancing, Quickspin ventured into the cluster pay genre with the launch of Golden Glyph. This initial foray proved successful, leading to subsequent releases, Golden Glyph 2 and Golden Glyph 3. Evidently seeking a new direction away from the well-trodden paths of Ancient Egypt, Quickspin has now introduced Candy Glyph. This latest game serves as a reimagining of the original Golden Glyph mechanics, replacing the Ancient Egyptian theme with a vibrant world of pinatas and confections.

Gone are the statues, pharaohs, and pyramids that characterized the previous entries. In their stead, Candy Glyph offers a colorful tableau of pinatas, candy, flags on strings, and even a cactus donning a sombrero. Four years on from the original, Candy Glyph presents a cheerful aesthetic, though it may not captivate the audience with the same visual allure as its predecessors. While it doesn’t detract from the viewing experience, Candy Glyph doesn’t quite match the visual impact of the Golden Glyph series.

For those cautious about changes in their gaming experience, “Candy Glyph” offers a familiar comfort by mirroring the statistical setup of its predecessor. This includes a Return to Player (RTP) percentage of 96.19%, although variations with lower RTPs exist, and it operates on a medium volatility math model. Players can wager from 20 cents to $/€100 each round, with each spin scattering 49 symbols across a 7×7 grid, aiming to form winning clusters. To achieve a cluster, at least 5 identical symbols must be connected either horizontally or vertically.

The paytable of “Candy Glyph” is a sweet assortment of 7 regular symbols, including a blue triangle, a green square, a doughnut, a kidney shape, an orange slice, a star, and a pepper-shaped candy. Clusters of 5 matching symbols award winnings ranging from 0.1 to 1 times the stake, while the largest clusters, consisting of 15 or more symbols, can yield rewards from 7.5 to 250 times the wager. Wild symbols play a pivotal role on the grid, capable of substituting for all but Power Wilds or Pinata Glyph Wilds, and are cleared from the grid through tumbles when part of a winning combination. The tumble feature, active during all game phases, eliminates winning clusters to allow new symbols to cascade into the vacated spaces, continuing until no further wins can be formed.

Candy Glyph: Slot Features

“Candy Glyph” mirrors the features found in “Golden Glyph,” albeit with a twist in their presentation. While some feature names have been retained, others have undergone changes to fit the game’s candy-themed aesthetic.

Power Wild Feature: After a winning cluster disappears, a Power Wild fills one of the vacated spots just before new symbols cascade down. These Power Wilds function like typical wilds but have the added effect of activating one of the Power-Ups adjacent to the reels when removed. Should the free spins Power-Up be triggered, any remaining Power Wilds turn into standard wilds, with no further Power Wilds provided for the duration of that spin.

Power-Up Feature: With each spin, five Power-Ups are randomly selected and displayed beside the grid, with the fifth Power-Up invariably being free spins. The initial four Power-Ups, which could be the Bonbon Rocket, Lollipop Rocket, or Bouncy Bean, are activated by the consumption of each Power Wild in a winning combination. Following the conclusion of tumble wins, these Power-Ups execute their functions in the sequence they were activated and are then cleared:

  • Bonbon Bomb: Targets and eliminates all symbols within its row and column, both high and low pay, with each symbol contributing 1/20th of the bet.
  • Lollipop Rocket: Selects and eradicates one type of low-pay symbol across the grid, also awarding 1/20th of the bet for each symbol removed.
  • Bouncy Bean: Generates 4 to 10 wild symbols in random positions on the grid.

Free Spins: Activation of free spins during the base game rewards the player with 9 free spins, with an additional 3 spins added if triggered within the free spins round. The inaugural free spin introduces the Pinata Glyph Wild in a random spot, acting as a substitute for regular pay symbols. This special wild starts with a multiplier of x1, which increases by +1 with each tumble it participates in a winning cluster. Unlike other symbols, the Pinata Glyph Wild neither tumbles nor is removed after use. Instead, its multiplier persists and carries over through subsequent free spins, with the wild moving to a new random position on each spin.

Candy Glyph: Slot Verdict

Golden Glyph marked Quickspin’s foray into the cluster pay grid slot genre, setting a notable precedent with its engaging gameplay. Following the success of the original and its sequels, Golden Glyph 2 and 3, Quickspin ventured in a new direction with Candy Glyph. This transition can be likened more to a soft fork rather than a hard one, given Candy Glyph’s close resemblance to its predecessors, effectively making it a thematic clone. The leap from Ancient Egypt’s mystique to the whimsical world of candy and pinatas might seem disjointed, except for the undeniable appeal of sweet-themed slots in the online gambling arena, making it a strategically safe choice for a reskin.

However, unless one has a particular penchant for pinatas or a sweet tooth, Candy Glyph doesn’t necessarily surpass Golden Glyph in terms of appeal. Despite the saturation of Ancient Egypt themes in slots, the Glyph series managed to stand out with its visually compelling design—something that Candy Glyph, for all its charm, struggles to match, although aesthetics remain a matter of personal taste. Mechanically, Candy Glyph introduces no new elements beyond what was already available in Golden Glyph, offering a familiar blend of tumbling reels, Power Wilds, Power-Up features, and a roaming multiplier wild during free spins—a combination that previously facilitated wins of up to 13,185x the bet. While not exhilarating, Candy Glyph offers a solid gameplay experience, though the inclusion of a bonus buy feature could have added an extra layer of excitement for some players.

In conclusion, Candy Glyph stands on par with its precursor, neither significantly enhancing nor detracting from the formula established by Golden Glyph. The choice between the two boils down to thematic preference: the allure of ancient pyramids or the vibrant festivity of pinatas.