For all space exploration fans, Playtech has developed a science-fiction slot machine called Alien Hunter. In this game, you play an alien hunter crossing the universe in a spaceship, looking for the most disgusting beasties of the galaxy. Graphically, this slot is not exceptional. The fluorescent green of the reels is not very tasteful and their symbols are not all successes. However, the more games you play, the more attached you get to them. They make you dive into an anachronistic atmosphere, in which the most modern elements contrast with quite kitsch details. For example, the aliens correspond to our zeitgeist, but the hunter, with his green Robin Hood cap takes us back to the origins of SF. The fonts used on symbols are futuristic, but the font used on buttons and during bonus games seems taken from 70s and 80s sci-fi. To put it shortly, these unrelated elements can shock at first, but end up being truly endearing once we get to know the game. As for the soundtrack, it is quite simple. We are presented with a few sound effects, reminiscent of good ole flipper machines. In the end, this one-armed bandit’s atmosphere is quite fun, but it does not announce the gaming treasures of this game.

General Presentation

The Alien Hunter slot machine has 5 reels and 25 payment lines. It also offers a wild and a scatter symbol, free spins to win and no less than two bonus games. It accepts bets from 1 to 4 coins per line, with a value of 0,01 to 1 $/£/€. This video slot also has a Dollar Ball progressive jackpot on which the highest possible gain is 10,000 coins. Winnings are paid out only for the most valuable combination on each activated line.

Wild and Scatter Symbols

The wild symbol is an alien in a cage. It can be substituted for any other symbol, except the scatter and the symbols which launch bonus games (the egg and the hunter’s head). If you obtain 2, 3, 4 or 5 jokers on a single activated payment line, you win respectively10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 coins. The scatter symbol is a spaceship. It does not offer money. However, if it appears at least three times on the screen, on any reel, you get free spins.

Free Spins

If you get 3, 4 or 5 scatters anywhere on the reels, you get, respectively, 5, 10 or 25 free spins. During those free spins, if you obtain 3 spaceship symbols, you win some more free spins. These free spins are therefore re-triggerable, which is not always the case in slot machines.

The Egg Bonus Game

The Alien Hunter video slot allows you to play two bonus games. The first one starts when you get an egg symbol on reels 1 and 5. You then get into a cave which contains 15 eggs. You need to select them one after the other. Most of them contain money, which you win, multiplied by the number of active lines. There is also an egg which contains a x2 bonus and another which contains a baby monster which hatches and jumps on you. When you choose it, the bonus game ends. You then win the money you had discovered before. Fortunately, if the first egg you select is the bad one, you still get a consolation prize.

The Hunt Bonus Game

The second bonus game is very original and great fun to play. This is the best feature about this slot machine. It is launched when you get 3 alien hunter’s head symbols. The goal is to shoot up aliens with your mouse. There are two game modes you can play. In the first one, which is called skill mode, you have 10 secondes to hit 6 aliens at least when they appear on the screen. Your winnings then depend on both the number of aliens hit and how much they are worth. The faster they are, the more money they give you. Once again, you get a consolation prize if you cannot hit a single monster. With this mode, Playtech made the huge effort to include a feature demanding skill in a slot machine, which is a recurring demand from players. The second mode is called luck. In this mode, the aliens move more slowly and there is no time limit. However, your winnings are determined randomly.

Dollar Ball Progressive Jackpot

You can win a progressive jackpot on the Alien Hunter slot machine. However, it is a lottery cut off from the normal game. In order to try and get the jackpot, you have to activate the Dollar Ball function, which is only possible in a paying mode. You then choose 5 numbers between 1 and 49. During each game, for 1 $/£/€ every time, 5 balls are randomly picked. The more correct numbers you have, the more money you get. With 1, 2 or 3 numbers, you get respectively 1, 2 ou 25 $/£/€. If you get 4 of them, you win 1% of the jackpot. With 5 numbers, you win the progressive jackpot. This functionality is great fun. It adds the joy of lottery to the slot-machine fun.

Alien Hunter is an exceptional video slot. Graphically, it is not perfect. The soundtrack too is nothing out of the ordinary. However, with its two very well-executed bonus games, its re-triggerable free spins and its Dollar Ball progressive jackpot, this slot machine should satisfy even the pickiest of gamblers. A great success.