Hugo Carts

Hugo Carts 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

Game Information

  • Name: Hugo Carts
  • Game Suppplier: Play n Go
  • Release Date: August 2021
  • Theme: Cartoon
  • RTP: 96.23%, 94.24%, 91.24%, 87.19%, 84.18%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 25,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: Yes
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 1,024 +
  • Features: Re-Spins, Multipliers, Mystery Symbols, Free Spins

About Hugo Carts

Hugo Carts is the latest in the series of Hugo-themed slots, following in the footsteps of Hugo, Hugo 2, Hugo Goal and Hugo Adventure. The Hugo world is from a 1990s Danish cartoon about a little troll and his family’s battles against the wicked witch, Scylla. It makes an excellent basis for slot fun as the characters exude the kind of charm and humour that create compelling content for us slots fans. You’ll love the animation and artwork that are getting better with each game in the series.

Gold-mining slots are not a new thing of course with many examples, including the classic Big Time Gaming slot, Bonanza. Hugo Carts doesn’t have quite the same formidable potential and volatility as that BTG game, but it still packs a pretty mean punch and will take you on a roller coaster ride punctuated by lots of re-spins and frenzied modifier action. It all takes place on a 5-reel set-up, each reel with 4 rows of symbols, all related to mining, such as sticks of dynamite and a pickaxe.

Each spin here will give you 1,024 way to win as standard, increasing further when specific symbols land, expanding the number of icons in play.

What We Liked

  • Quirky, cartoon theme
  • 1,024 win ways in base game
  • 10x multipliers with the Hugolina icon
  • 25,000x top payout
  • Up to 33 free spins in bonus round

What We Didn't like

  • Slightly childish visuals
  • Intimidating high variance

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.

Onto the important stuff and Play n Go, known for their high variance slots action, have cranked up the volatility in Hugo Carts, so don’t expect an easy time of it. There are plenty of long lean spells to endure before you can hit a short run of bigger wins. The RTP is a pretty average 96.23%, so no complaints there. The upside to all this is that the top payout is a very tasty 25,000x. That kind of win would only really be achievable in the free spins round when certain modifiers go your way, which we will come onto in a minute.

Spins start at 10p per play here, so you can set your stakes low to absorb those frustrating runs if you don’t want to burn through your balance too quickly!

Paytable 8/10

The artwork in Hugo Carts is really nice – clean, slick illustrations for icons against a reel set that sits on a cavernous background. The symbols include the lovable little troll himself, along with his partner Hugolina and nemesis, the witch Scylla.

The bag of gold nuggets is Wild and the other picture symbols are mining related, so you’ll find dynamite, pickaxes, lamps, hard hats and trowels. The picture symbols pay from 1.5 to 3x your bet for 5 of a kind, while the best-paying symbol is the Wild gold nugget, which awards up to 10x your bet. Look out as well for the scatters which are crucial as they will be needed to unlock the free spins round – something of a gateway to higher rewards.

Gameplay & Features 8/10

Hugo Carts has a refreshing mix of features, mixing up modifiers and free spins to good effect. Everything gets a further power-boost in the free spins round which gives you a chance to hit some really big wins.

Modifiers

Each of the character symbols has its own reel where it can land to award a different special feature in the base game and the Free Spins round:

  • Hugolina appears on reel 2 to award Multipliers up to 10x. At the same time, from 2 to 5 symbols multipliers land to increase the available win ways.
  • Hugo appears on reel 3 to launch from 2 to 5 extra nugget Wilds across the reels, increasing the chances of scoring wins as a re-spin plays out.
  • Scylla appears on reel 4 and creates Mystery Symbols, which transform into matching symbols to increase your winning combinations. A re-spin then plays out.

Free Spins

The dynamite is the Scatter symbol and if you land at least 3 of these, you’ll launch the Free Spins round. This round has 7, 9 or 11 Free Spins up for grabs, depending on how many Scatters triggered the round – 3, 4 or 5. Don Croco the evil crocodile can also appear on the reels in the base game at random – he will add more Scatters to help to trigger more Free Spins.

Before the Free Spins round begin, a character is chosen at random and their respective Modifier is activated for the duration of the round. If you hit more Scatters, you can re-trigger the Free Spins round and a second character Modifier is selected, while a third re-trigger will select all 3 Modifiers. If you are landing 5 scatters at the same time you can therefore score up to 33 free spins with ALL modifiers in play.

So you can see how Hugo Carts can deliver some serious action in the free spins round if you can more scatters, increase the win ways and earn more free plays. Expect some really strong big win videos from this game in the future!

Our Verdict 8.2/10

Hugo Carts might look a bit like a kid’s cartoon on first glance, but underneath the cute and charming exterior lies a highly volatile beast. It’s all about the Free Spins round, as this is where the biggest rewards lie if you manage to unlock all 3 Modifiers at the same time. This is the key to hitting the 25,000x stake top payout. However, it’s also possible to enjoy some decent prizes from regular play, it just might take a while to get there due to the high volatility. You might not have seen Hugo outside the slots world, unless you’re into your video games, as he originates on Danish television, but if you like the look of this fun story, you might like to check out the other slots in the series, such as Hugo Adventure and Hugo Goal. We think Hugo Carts packs the biggest punch of all the slots in the series, so check it out if you enjoy cartoon themes with volatile gameplay. Ready to go mining?

Useful Resources

Play n Go Games Site