Klowns – (Hacksaw Gaming) New Slot Review

Klowns: Slot Overview

Clowns have long straddled the line between lighthearted entertainment and nightmare fuel. They can be the goofy, laughter-inducing stars of a circus or the sinister figures of your worst nightmares. Perhaps clowns mirror the duality of humanity itself—capable of acts of kindness and altruism, but also of cruelty and chaos. In Hacksaw Gaming’s slot Klowns, the spotlight falls firmly on the darker side of these enigmatic figures, presenting a scatter-paying slot packed with multipliers, Needle Boxes, bonus rounds, and bonus buys.


Meet Lester and Jester

At the heart of Klowns are its two unsettling stars, Lester and Jester, who stand ominously beside the gaming grid. These aren’t the type of clowns you’d invite to a children’s birthday party—they’re more Pennywise than Bozo. With a menacing demeanor reminiscent of characters like Art the Clown, Lester and Jester evoke an eerie, foreboding atmosphere, heightening the sense of danger and intrigue.

While they aren’t quite as bone-chilling as the unsettling dolls and Jack-in-the-Boxes from Print Studios’ Dreadworks, these Klowns exude a sinister vibe that’s hard to ignore. Their presence sets the tone for the gameplay, immersing players in a world that’s more nightmare circus than family-friendly fairground.


Klowns offers a darkly captivating twist on the clown theme, combining unsettling visuals with Hacksaw Gaming’s signature flair for innovative mechanics. For fans of eerie, high-volatility slots, this one promises an unforgettable ride.

Klowns: Gameplay and Mechanics

Klowns is a scatter pays slot played on a 6×5 gaming grid, a layout often used with this pay mechanic. Wins are triggered when 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere on the grid. Once a winning combination is formed, the symbols are removed, allowing new symbols to tumble upward into the empty spaces, potentially creating additional wins. This cascading feature continues until no new winning combinations appear, offering the chance for multiple wins from a single spin.

The game is medium volatility, making it suitable for players seeking a balance of frequent payouts and higher potential rewards. Bets range from 10¢ to $/€100 per spin, with an RTP of 96.26% at its highest, though lower configurations may be available.


Symbols and Payouts

  • Low-Paying Symbols:
    • Balloons shaped like 10 to A card ranks.
  • High-Paying Symbols:
    • Balloons featuring a diamond, star, sad face, happy face, and heart.
  • Payouts:
    • Scatter wins for 8-of-a-kind pay 0.1x to 1x the bet.
    • For 16 or more matching symbols, payouts rise to 10x to 50x the bet.

Notably, Klowns does not include wild symbols, keeping the gameplay focused on its scatter pay and cascading mechanics.


Needle Box Feature Integration

Both the low-paying and high-paying symbols are linked to specific Needle Boxes, adding an extra layer of thematic connection to the gameplay.

With its engaging mechanics, quirky theme, and scatter pays structure, Klowns offers an entertaining experience for players looking for something a little different in their slot adventures.

Klowns: Features and Bonuses

Klowns brings a range of thrilling features, including Needle Boxes, Klown Multipliers, Lester’s Cash Carousel, Jester’s Jackpot, and a variety of bonus buy options, ensuring an engaging and feature-rich experience for players.


Total Win Bar & Klown Multipliers

  • Total Win Bar:
    • All wins are accumulated in the Total Win Bar, displayed near the gaming grid.
    • Activated Klown Multipliers are applied to the Total Win Bar at the end of a spin.
  • Types of Klown Multipliers:
    1. Adding Klown Multipliers:
      • Values range from x2 to x500.
      • Added directly to the Total Win Bar multiplier when activated.
    2. Multiplying Klown Multipliers:
      • Values range from x2 to x20.
      • Multiply the current multiplier in the Total Win Bar when triggered.

Needle Boxes

  • Activated after landing and awarding wins, Needle Boxes clear specific symbols from the grid:
    • Low Symbol Needle Boxes:
      • Remove all low-paying symbols from the grid.
      • Award 0.1x the bet per symbol removed.
    • High Symbol Needle Boxes:
      • Remove all high-paying symbols from the grid.
      • Award 0.5x the bet per symbol removed.

Lester’s Cash Carousel

  • Triggering the Bonus:
    • Land 3 FS scatters to trigger 10 free spins.
  • Bonus Mechanics:
    • Retains the same rules as the base game with an increased chance of high-value multipliers.
    • All activated multipliers are stored in a Bounty Balloon outside the grid.
  • Bounty Balloon:
    • The Balloon grows with each collected multiplier until it is popped by an Epic Needle Box.
    • When popped, the stored multiplier is added to the Total Win Bar, and the Balloon respawns to start collecting again.
  • Epic Needle Boxes:
    • Clear all low and high symbols from the grid.
    • Combine the effects of both Low and High Symbol Needle Boxes while also popping the Bounty Balloon.
  • Retriggering Spins:
    • 2 FS symbols add +2 free spins.
    • 3 FS symbols add +4 free spins.

Jester’s Jackpot

  • Triggering the Bonus:
    • Land 4 FS symbols to unlock 10 free spins.
  • Mechanics:
    • Similar to Lester’s Cash Carousel but with a key difference:
      • When the Bounty Balloon is popped, it respawns with the previous multiplier intact, rather than resetting to zero.
  • Retriggering Spins:
    • Works the same as Lester’s Cash Carousel, with +2 or +4 additional free spins for 2 or 3 FS symbols, respectively.

Bonus Buy Options

Players can skip to the action with four bonus buy choices:

  1. BonusHunt FeatureSpins3x the bet:
    • Increases the chance of triggering free spins by 5x.
  2. Laughing Loot FeatureSpins50x the bet:
    • Guarantees a Klown Multiplier and a Needle Box.
    • Epic Needle Boxes may appear, but FS scatter symbols will not.
  3. Lester’s Cash Carousel70x the bet:
    • Direct access to Lester’s free spins.
  4. Jester’s Jackpot200x the bet:
    • Direct access to Jester’s enhanced free spins.

A Feature-Packed Adventure

With its dynamic mechanics, cascading symbols, and powerful multipliers, Klowns offers an engaging slot experience. The interplay between Needle Boxes, Klown Multipliers, and the innovative Bounty Balloon adds layers of excitement and potential for substantial rewards. Whether through natural play or bonus buys, Klowns promises thrills for players who enjoy feature-rich slots.

Klowns: Slot Verdict

While Klowns takes on a dark and sinister aesthetic, its gameplay adheres closely to the established scatter-paying formula popularized by genre giants like Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus. The core mechanic remains familiar: land 8 or more matching symbols on the grid alongside a multiplier symbol, and watch the payouts roll in. Although multiplier symbols don’t appear in great abundance during the base game, their presence adds an element of unpredictability and excitement. The multipliers themselves can be substantial, with additive values reaching 500x, and the inclusion of multiplicative multipliers adds an extra layer of potential. Together, these mechanics create a solid foundation for Klowns to introduce its unique twists.


Needle Boxes: A New Dimension

One of the standout features in Klowns is its Needle Box symbols, which bring an additional level of strategy and reward. These symbols clear the grid, not only triggering cascades and creating new win opportunities but also awarding cash prizes for each removed symbol. While these payouts may not be massive, they contribute to the overall win potential.

Needle Boxes become even more pivotal in the free spins rounds, where they unlock the Bounty Balloon, adding its collected multiplier value to the Total Win Bar. Hacksaw Gaming’s expertise in integrating multipliers shines here, as these mechanics play a crucial role in chasing the game’s 10,000x max win cap.


Scatter-Pay Evolution

The scatter-pay format continues to dominate the slot landscape, and Klowns builds on this legacy by blending tried-and-true mechanics with its darker, more ominous theme. The result is a game that pays homage to its predecessors while carving out its own identity with features like Needle Boxes and the Bounty Balloon.


Final Thoughts

Klowns effectively combines the best elements of scatter-paying slots with Hacksaw Gaming’s signature flair for innovative mechanics. While it leans heavily on familiar gameplay, its unique features and atmospheric theme make it stand out in the genre. Whether you’re drawn to its eerie vibe or its solid payout potential, Klowns offers a fresh take on a proven formula.