ZapLab: Slot Overview
If you haven’t checked out the game docs yet, you might not know about the infamous Dr. Mayhem—a 20th-century scientist notorious for his controversial experiments involving electricity and the souls of the departed. One of his unexpected creations was Zappy, an electric entity born from those very experiments. Zappy isn’t just a byproduct—he’s got a bone to pick with Dr. Mayhem. Their dramatic face-off takes place in ZapLab, a cluster pays online slot developed by ELK Studios under the Light & Wonder banner.
Despite Dr. Mayhem’s bizarre ambitions, his lab appears surprisingly… ordinary. Sure, there’s a brain bubbling in a vat by the window and an eerie green glow seeping from the floor—but otherwise, it feels like your typical mad scientist setup. On the game grid, you’ll find a quirky cast of creatures reminiscent of Reactoonz, wide-eyed and weird, scattered across the board. And, true to ELK Studios’ form, the immersive soundtrack adds the perfect atmosphere to this electrifying setting.
ZapLab Slot Mechanics & Features
ZapLab is a cluster pays slot played on a dynamic 7×7 grid. Wins are formed by connecting 5 or more matching symbols horizontally or vertically. When a cluster win occurs, all included symbols are collected and removed from the grid—except for Zappy and special feature symbols, which remain in place. After a win, remaining symbols (excluding Zappy, Dr. Mayhem, and features) fall down, and new symbols cascade from above to fill the gaps. This avalanche mechanic continues until no new winning clusters appear.
Players can stake anywhere from 20 cents to $/€100 per spin, or opt into one of five X-iter feature buy modes. All modes come with a fixed RTP of 94% and a high volatility math model rated 7/10.
Symbol-wise, four quirky, eyeball-filled liquid bottles serve as the lower-paying symbols, while four bug-eyed monsters make up the high-paying ones. Five-of-a-kind wins pay between 0.1x and 0.5x the stake, while clusters of 25 or more symbols can award payouts ranging from 20x up to a massive 1,000x.
Forming a 2×2 square of identical pay or wild symbols triggers the creation of a giant 2×2 symbol. Any gaps beneath these large symbols are automatically filled with matching 1×1 symbols. Wilds substitute for all regular pay symbols, and a cluster made entirely of wilds pays as much as the top-paying monster.
Features & Bonuses in ZapLab
Alongside the avalanche mechanic, ZapLab cranks up the energy with a mix of unique features: Monster modifiers, feature symbols, Shockwaves, Zappy wilds, and X-iter bonus buys.
Monster Meter
The Monster Meter charges up as winning pay symbols are collected. When full, it awards either a random Monster modifier or a feature symbol. Modifiers are held in queue until no more cluster wins occur. Then, one by one, pending modifiers activate, and the game continues until all wins and features are resolved.
Possible Monster Modifiers:
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Monster Reload – Triggers a full redrop. Any Zappy symbols remain on the grid.
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Wild Flip – Converts all instances of a randomly selected symbol into wilds.
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Monster Chunks – Replaces a random set of pay symbols or wilds with 2×2 super symbols.
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Monstrous – Expands a random symbol or wild into a 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5 mega symbol.
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Zapocalypse – Dr. Mayhem symbols drop onto the grid and are zapped by Zappy, increasing his multiplier.
Feature Symbols
Feature symbols can land during any drop or be awarded via the Monster Meter. When they land naturally, they act as wilds until triggered. If awarded from the Monster Meter or included in a winning cluster, they activate after the symbol refill.
Feature Effects:
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Omniblast – Explodes in an X-pattern, transforming affected symbols (excluding wilds, Zappy, and Dr. Mayhem) into a single random symbol. It can also activate other feature symbols it hits.
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Electroshift – Upgrades all instances of a random symbol (including itself) to a higher-paying symbol.
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Twilight Twirl – Selects a payout symbol and converts itself to match, then removes all other regular symbols from the grid.
Shockwaves
Triggering the Monster Meter five times in one round activates Shockwaves, which unleash all five Monster modifiers in this set order:
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Monster Reload
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Wild Flip
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Monster Chunks
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Monstrous
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Zapocalypse
If the Monster Meter fills again during Shockwaves, the cycle restarts.
Zappy – The Wild with a Punch
Zappy is a wild symbol that substitutes for all paying symbols. When he’s part of a win, he jumps to a new random position, leaving a wild behind. If Dr. Mayhem symbols are in view, Zappy zaps them off the grid, boosting his multiplier. Before the final win evaluation, Zappy can grow into a massive 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 version of himself for one last zap. Dr. Mayhem symbols act as blockers but fuel the Monster Meter when zapped.
X-iter Feature Buys
For players who like to cut straight to the action, the X-iter menu offers five bonus buy modes:
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Shockwave Hunt – 3x bet per drop, with 3x the odds of triggering Shockwaves.
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Zappy’s Turf – Guarantees Zappy on every drop for 5x the bet.
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Amplifier – Guarantees a pending Monster feature; the Monster Meter only awards Monster modifiers. Costs 25x the bet.
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Guaranteed Shockwaves – Instantly activates Shockwaves for 100x the bet.
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Maxed Monsters – A premium mode (500x the bet) featuring a guaranteed 5×5 Monstrous symbol. The Monster Meter exclusively grants Monster Chunks and Monstrous features until Shockwaves is triggered.