Def Leppard Hysteria

Def Leppard Hysteria Slot Review

NOTE: Screenshots on this page were taken whilst we played this game for real money at Casumo Casino

Game Scorecard

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Overall Score

8.2

Simple gameplay and a more balanced maths model than many Play n Go slots are offset by an epic hard rock soundtrack. Thrills all the way!

Game Information

  • Name: Def Leppard Hysteria
  • Game Suppplier: Play n Go
  • Release Date: March 2022
  • Theme: Music
  • RTP: 96.27%, 94.27%, 91.27%, 87.28%, 84.28%
  • Variance: Medium
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 7
  • Paylines: Cluster Pays
  • Features: Wilds, Multiplier Wilds, Cascading Wins, Free Spins, Symbol Meters

About Def Leppard Hysteria

Play n Go are rolling out another in their rock n roll series, this time licensing the name of 80s long-haired rockers, Def Leppard and their 1987 best-selling album, Hysteria to create one of their classic Cluster Pays slots. The game features hits from the album playing in the background and, just as Big Time Gaming weave the names of songs into their features, so too have Play n Go here – so you get Pour Some Sugar on Me Free Spins and a Sugar Me Sweet bonus.

The backdrop to the grid is an epic stage setting that will be familiar to anyone who has seen this band live – they love their wide-angled stage sets, huge speaker stacks, blistering light shows and dry ice. For whatever reason, band members Joe Elliot and pals do not appear anywhere in the game, which is a little disappointing, but the tunes and light show still create a great atmosphere.

This slot arrives at UK slot sites on 31st March 2022.

What We Liked

  • Super-cool stage set backdrop
  • Epic soundtrack from top 80s album
  • Multiplier Wilds up to 7x
  • Symbol meters and extra wilds
  • Medium variance has broad appeal

What We Didn't like

  • Less features than many grid slots
  • No sign of the band members!

About The Developer

  • Name: Play n Go
  • Established: 1997
  • UK License: Remote 021725-R-304911-020
  • Total Games: 200 +
  • Known For: Grid slots, high variance slots, huge range of themes, styles and maths models
  • Popular Slots: Book of Dead, Reactoonz 1 and 2, Troll Hunters 2, Rise of Olympus

RTP and Variance 8/10

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

With Def Leppard Hysteria Play n Go have toned-down the variance to make this a more playable slot for those who don’t enjoy the high-risk mayhem. The medium volatility (6/10 on Play n Go’s scale) is accompanied by a 96.27% RTP and a top payout potential of 10,000x. The odds or hitting this are sky high though – a 1 billion to 1 chance in fact.

Paytable 8/10

The grid here is 5 reels across by 7 rows deep and the mix of symbols takes in low value playing card suits in green, blue, red and purple, and various rock-n-roll touring iconography for the premiums, including a tour bus, leopard face, distorted horror-show face, and a band member’s pitbull dog!

To win you’ll need at least five of any identical symbols to land in a cluster. Low value symbols can pay as high as 40x for a cluster of 15 or more, whilst premiums max out at 1,000x for 15 or more in a cluster.

Wilds are an important element of the gameplay and can sub in for ANY other symbol to help form a winning cluster. They also come with multipliers in the free spins round as we will see in a moment. They are represented by a big letter W.

Gameplay & Features 8/10

Def Leppard Hysteria is a classic Play n Go cluster pays game. The features will be familiar to anyone who has enjoyed slots like the Reactoonz series. How to score those big wins? Look out for the following triggers:

  • This is a Cascading Wins game – after every win, symbols in a cluster are removed from the grid to be replaced with new ones that might create more clusters. Repeat until no more wins appear!
  • With a dash of good will, even non-winning drops might be rewarded because with the Break It Up feature, when no cluster form, between 3 and 6 wilds are added at random to the grid. It’s generous but doesn’t happen ALL the time.
  • If you like the meters in the ‘toonz series then you’ll enjoy the Fire Me Up feature – here one symbol is picked on every spin and wins that include that symbol occur, the meter to the side of the grid is filled. Now … when this happens FOUR times, the meter is full and 3 to 6 wilds are added to the grid.

That’s the base game action. But what about the bonus round? Here’s how that works:

  • In a BTG style, the round is named after a song by Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me Free Spins.
  • Clusters that cover letters on the grid activate those letters. Your aim is to activate everything to spell the word S-U-G-A-R for FIVE free spins.
  • The meter is active again, but this time you get Multiplier Wilds AND … these Multiplier Wilds drop down a row on the grid with each cascade, taking out the spaces beneath them. And with each drop, the multiplier increases by 1x, up to 7x maximum.
  • And the good will continues here, because when one of your free spins turns up no payouts then between 6 and 9 symbols are picked at random to transform into the symbol in the meter.

Our Verdict 8.2/10

Def Leppard Hysteria is a fun and exciting grid slot that appeals on a number of levels. First up, it doesn’t insist on a super-high-risk maths model, so it’s a chance for those with a more casual approach to slots to have a go. It also strips back the features somewhat – there is none of the complexity of a game like Reactoonz – which makes it easier to understand.

It’s really just about filling the meter and adding wilds or multiplier wilds that can turn up the dial on your wins, and if you get really lucky you’ll get a 7x multiplier in the bonus round.

Of course, if you are into this sort of game we can also recommend Kiss Reels of Rock by the same studio.