Pirots

Pirots Slot Review

Slot Provider: ELK Studios

RTP: 94% | Variance: Medium-High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 7.4

Play at Grand Ivy Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Testing Notes | Tips For Players | About The Developer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Pirots

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 25th July 2024

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.

Pirots by ELK Studios is a pirate-themed slot that provides a unique pay mechanic where birds move around a grid collecting up valuable gem and feature symbols. It’s played on expanding reels which start at 5×5 rows and can grow up to 8×8. There’s a pretty generous max win of 10,000x your bet, as well as medium to high volatility. When the Feature Meter fills up you’ll be granted three treasure chests, each holding a new mechanic that can boost your wins including symbol upgrades, extra wilds, instant wins and bombs that clear the grid.

Pirots Game Information

  • Release Date: 07.03.24
  • RTP: 94%
  • Variance: Medium-High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5 To 8
  • Rows: 5 To 8
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: AnimalsPirate
  • Features: Feature MeterFree SpinsInstant PrizesWilds
  • Format: Cluster PaysCollectR
  • Series: Pirots

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Pirots

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

Test spins and results analysis by Mark Wadie.

Results from 300 spins with real money on Pirots at Casumo.

  • Stake Size: £0.1
  • Start balance: £1,026.32
  • End balance: £1,016.10
  • Hit Rate: 21.3% (32 winning spins in 150)
  • Biggest Win: 15x
  • Bonus Round: 0

Pirots doesn’t play like a normal slot and it can be confusing when you first start ‘spinning’. I didn’t warm to it really. Whilst the mechanics are very clever, the features are not intuitive enough to follow in the short time it takes to understand most slots. The best moments come when you get on a run of wins, upgrade some symbols and land a few instant win coins of decent value. There’s a certain amount of entertainment value just watching the little Pirots move around, chatter to each other, drink their rum and celebrate wins, and the win rate of 21.3% isn’t bad, but it’s not one I would come back to in a hurry.

Pirots Expanded Grid
Grid expanded to 7×7

What We Liked

  • Unique CollectR slot format
  • Fun theme and design
  • Chance to expand the grid to 8x8 for better wins
  • Feature meter adds gamification element
  • Nice 10,000x max win

What We Didn't like

  • Low RTP at 94%
  • Hard to follow at first

Pirots Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 8
  • RTP and Variance 5
  • Maximum Win 7
  • Symbols and Paytable 9
  • Features and Gameplay 8

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"ELK smash apart the standard slot format once again but this unusual game is a tough one to follow"

Overall Score: 7.4

Theme & Design

Our Score 8

Pirots takes a tried and tested theme and gives it an avian makeover. The graphics are crisp and clean, just like you’d expect from ELK Studios. The jungle background feels as though you could actually push your way past the monstera leaves and into the ocean beyond. The symbols on the reels are colourful too, with unique parrot/pirate symbols each with its own personality. It’s nice to see the pirate theme given a small makeover.

Pirots by ELK Studios
Pirots – an alternative and quirky take on the Pirate slot

RTP and Variance

Our Score 5

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 a 94% RTP this slot errs on the disappointing side. Sometimes being as much as 2% away from that ideal 96% RTP is forgivable, but usually when there’s an enormous progressive jackpot on offer, which simply isn’t the case here. The medium high volatility will suit plenty of players, but perhaps not those who are more risk averse or on a small budget.

If you’re after a pirate theme with a friendlier volatility then Cursed Seas by Hacksaw Gaming offers a 96.22% RTP and a bigger max win to boot.

Maximum Win

Our Score 7

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

The top payout of 10,000x your bet is pretty good, especially considering the volatility isn’t too high. However, with that RTP we’d be expecting something a little higher for a max win. Dead Man’s Trail provides a slightly spookier pirate theme with a much more appealing 50,000x max win.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 9

Played on a grid of 5 reels and 5 rows, expanding to a maximum of 8 reels and 8 rows, this game does not have paylines. Instead it has a sort of hybrid cluster pays mechanic, that ELK Studios call the CollectR mechanic. On each spin, the bird symbols move around the grid collecting feature symbols and gems in the same colour as them. The symbols must be adjacent in any direction. 

Pirots Paytable
The paytable with 15x for the top paying symbol

In another twist, the values of the symbols change depending on which win level you’re at. There are always four coloured gems as pay symbols. At win level 1, the four gems are worth from 0.05 to 0.25x the bet per gem. At the max win level they are worth 3x to 15x the bet each.

While this format might seem complicated, it’s surprisingly easy to follow after a few spins (or drops as they’re called around here). You’ve got to give ELK Studios some points for originality!

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 8

Thanks to the unusual pay mechanic, the whole of Pirots feels a bit like one big feature, but there’s even more to it! Let’s take a look at how all of the pay mechanics work.

Feature Meter

As we know, the birds move around collecting symbols. For each symbol that’s collected, it fills up the feature meter a little. Once the feature meter is full, three pirate treasure chests are added to the grid. Each of the chests can be opened to reveal a feature, which we’ll explain below.

Feature Symbols

There are six feature symbols in this slot. Here is what they all do:

  • Wild: the wild symbol can substitute for any of the gems at the same win level. 
  • Transform: this symbol transforms the cluster of gems around it to the same colour, increasing your chance of making a win.
  • Upgrade: this symbol upgrades the win level of the gem that corresponds to the bird that collects it. If it is already at max win level then a different gem is upgraded. Multicoloured symbols upgrade all gems by one win level. Upgrades stop once gems reach level 5. 
  • Coins: these pay whatever the prize value is that’s displayed on them, up to 1,000x the bet, like an instant win. 
  • Bombs: once there are no more wins on the grid, the bomb explodes. This removes all symbols nearby, except feature symbols and expands the grid to 8×8. Then, a redrop happens, and any wins are collected. Any birds that are removed, reappear after the redrop/spin.

Free Drops

If you collect three bonus symbols this triggers the bonus round. You begin with 5 free drops/spins. Whatever grid size, symbol collection and gem win level you start with will remain throughout the round. If you collect an additional three bonus symbols during the round then you’re awarded 5 more free drops.

The Final Verdict

Those looking for a traditional slot should probably look elsewhere, but players who enjoy truly unique mechanics couldn’t fail to be excited by Pirots. The clever CollectR pay mechanic is really quite different to any other slots, and though it takes some getting used to, it does seem to make scoring wins easier. Combined with the Feature Meter, you’re almost guaranteed to get to explore some un-traditional gameplay.

The pirate theme is solid, with the same great graphics that you would expect from ELK Studios. The medium-high volatility means that players on a slightly lower bankroll needn’t avoid this slot. However, the RTP is low at just 94%.

Useful Tips When Playing Pirots

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Watch The Meter At The Top 

Each time a Pirot collects a feature symbol the meter fills. When completely full it will trigger a feature like a symbol upgrade or bomb.

2. Look For Bonus Anchor Symbols

You need THREE of these to land during any ‘spin’ to trigger the free drops round with 5 free drops.

 

3. Play In Demo Mode First

Try playing for free to get a feel for the game first before you spend any real money. It takes a few ‘spins’ to get used to the game format.

4. Play At Our Recommended Slot Sites

We have chosen the sites on this page because they all scored high in our reviews and they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. That makes them fair and safe places to play slots.

Who Made Pirots?

  • Name: ELK Studios
  • Established: 2013
  • UK License: 40844
  • Total Games: 60 +
  • Known For: Amazing artwork, wide choice of themes and styles
  • Popular Slots: Avalon Gold, Dropz, Nitropolis, Wild Toro
Find More ELK Studios slots

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Max Win: 3,000x

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Max Win: 104,400x

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Red Tiger

Pirates Plenty Megaways™

Variance: High | RTP: 96%

Max Win: 10,489x

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Relax Gaming

Dead Man’s Trail

Variance: High | RTP: 96.29%

Max Win: 50,000x

Our Score 9.0

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