Running Sushi

Running Sushi Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96% | Variance: Medium | Maximum Win: 3,000x

Our Score: 7.2

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 Running Sushi

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 1st August 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.

Running Sushi by Pragmatic Play invites you into a traditional sushi restaurant adorned with lanterns. With medium variance and a varying RTP, you’re in with a chance of winning a top prize of 3,000x your stake. Pragmatic Play have chosen to keep the mechanics simple, opting to include a free spins round that promises bumper rewards through its Take All symbols. For just a £0.20 stake you can get started with this sushi-themed slot.

Running Sushi Game Information

  • Release Date: 08.08.24
  • RTP: 96% | 95% | 94%
  • Variance: Medium
  • Maximum Win: 3,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 1,024
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Food
  • Features: Cash CollectsFree SpinsWilds
  • Format: 5-ReelWin Ways

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Running Sushi

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 100 spins for free on Running Sushi on Pragmatic Play’s test servers.

  • Stake Size: 1
  • Start balance: 100,000
  • End balance: 1,00,212.25
  • Hit Rate: 13% (13 winning spins in 100)
  • Biggest Win: 189.95x
  • Bonus Round: 2

This is billed as a medium variance slot but I would be cautious because for me it was a little more volatile than that. The win rate was exceptionally low with just 13 winning spins in 100, including a run of more than 20 consecutive non-winning spins as the start! Once it got going though, Running Sushi started kicking out some really good prizes. The free spins round triggered twice to produce wins of 37.75x and then 189.95x. The gameplay is really simple in both base game and free spins round but it’s fun because the money values from the sushi conveyor belt are very good so you’re always on the look out for a payout from there. AND, in the bonus feature you have the cumulative value of the money symbols in the ‘All The Sushi’ meter to play for too. That got as high as 248x at one point though I didn’t land the 3 collect symbols needed to activate it

189.95x win in Running Sushi
A 189.95x win from the free spins round

Take aways? A bit or a dark horse this one. A simple game about sushi it may be, but it offers some big money symbols in the cash collect feature and showed a choppier pay distribution than expected.

What We Liked

  • Big value sushi money symbols on the conveyor belt
  • Chance for big wins via 'All The Sushi' meter in free spins
  • Simple gameplay is easy to follow
  • Fun theme and original style

What We Didn't like

  • Watch for low RTPs at some slot sites
  • Very low win rate in testing at just 13%

Running Sushi Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 7
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 6
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Simple gameplay but powerful cash collect opportunities in both base game and free spins"

Overall Score: 7.2

Theme & Design

Our Score 7

There are a whole host of Japanese slots out there, but not too many that focus exclusively on sushi. This slot is set inside a traditional sushi restaurant with paper panelled windows and Japanese lanterns to either side of the grid. Things change up a bit for the free spins round where night falls and you get to enjoy the Tokyo skyline. Overall, it’s a unique take on the Japanese theme and the sushi looks good enough to eat, though we can’t help but wonder if avocado is truly traditional.

Running Sushi by Pragmatic Play
Running Sushi – tasty bites from Pragmatic Play

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

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.

Running Sushi is available with three different RTP rates 96%, 95% or 94%. It’s really key to check that the site you’re playing on is offering the 96% RTP as the others are a little on the low side, and don’t offer any additional benefits. This slot has medium volatility, meaning you’ll see balanced gameplay with bigger and smaller wins, with shorter dry spells.

Maximum Win

Our Score 6

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.  

Running Sushi has a max win of 3,000x your bet which isn’t that exciting, but is pretty good value considering the RTP and medium variance. If you’re after a bigger top payout then Sakura Masks takes the Japanese theme in a different direction, but offers a max win of 15,138x your stake.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

Running Sushi is played on 5 reels and 4 rows, with 1,024 ways to win. To secure a win, you need at least 3 matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel. 

Running Sushi Paytable
They paytable with 7.5x for 5 top paying premiums

The game has 10 pay symbols, plus a wild and a scatter. The low value symbols are diamonds, clubs, hearts, and spades, offering payouts between 0.75x and 1.5x the stake for five of a kind. Premium symbols are: avocado, rice, meat, shrimp, soy sauce, and hot sauce, paying between 1.75x and 7.5x the bet for five symbols..

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

Running Sushi keeps the mechanics fairly simple, but introduces some powerful features in the free spins round. Let’s take a look at how it all works.

Wilds

The wild is a coin symbol that only appears in the free spins round on reels 2, 3, and 4. It can substitute for any normal pay symbol to help to complete wins. 

Ante Bet

If you pay an additional 25% of your stake each spin then you can activate the ante bet. This increases your chance of entering the free spins round by 100%. 

Take Sushi Feature

Beneath the reels on a kind of sushi conveyor belt, after every spin, between 1 and 10 money symbols – represented by different bits of sushi – will appear. Each of these symbols displays a value between 1x and 1000x the bet (except during the free spins round when they reach 2,500x). If you also land three ‘Take Sushi’ symbols then you can scoop up the values of all of the money symbols for that spin. 

Running Sushi Free Spins Round
The free spins round with a 248x All The Sushi prize up for grabs

Free Spins

Scatter symbols – the sushi chef – can land on reels 2, 3, and 4. If you land three of them then the free spins round begins with 10 free spins. During this round all of the money symbols that appear are added to a meter to the left of the reels. The Take Sushi symbols are also swapped for Take All symbols. And if three of these Take All symbols land on a spin then you win the value currently displayed in the meter. After this, the meter resets to zero. 

NOTE: During testing we saw the Take All meter rise as high as 248x so there are some big potential prizes to be won there.

The Final Verdict

There are some people that like slots with all of the bells and whistles, and others who like to keep things simple. If you fall into the latter camp (and have a penchant for all things sushi) then you’ll love this new release from Pragmatic Play. The core gameplay is super simple, not even featuring wild symbols until the free spins round. This is where it all kicks off, with the Take All feature netting some big wins and the wild symbol coming into its own. 

The RTP rate at the default 96% is perfectly acceptable and the medium volatility keeps things interesting without any wild swings. Overall, Running Sushi has an interesting take on a well used theme that we think players on most budgets will enjoy.

Useful Tips When Playing Running Sushi

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. Look For Take Sushi Symbols

You need THREE of these to pick up the value of the cash in the sushi conveyor belt!

2. Land Sushi Chef Scatters

You need THREE to go into the free spins round. This is the chance to land big money from the All The Sushi meter feature.

3. Choose Your Stake Carefully

This game has been advertised as medium variance but it had a volatile edge in testing. So choose a low stake to avoid burning out too quickly.

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 Running Sushi?

  • Name: Pragmatic Play
  • Established: 2015
  • UK License: Remote 046683-R-325951-014
  • Total Games: 500 +
  • Known For: Wide range of themes and styles, live casino including gameshow formats, and bingo
  • Popular Slots: Fruit Party, Dog House Megaways, Big Bass Bonanza, Release the Kraken
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