Animals Themed Slots

Brief History of the Genre

Unlike some themes with a short history, animal themes are among the pioneers in the gambling world. A tremendous range of animal slots existed in the brick-and-mortar casinos down the Las Vegas strip, even before the internet days. The only difference was that all the slots were classic and featured the traditional three reels. This meant that they had limited game mechanics, similarly to the bonus features.

Enter the internet era, and things have changed to the good for ardent slot lovers. Today, barely will you find a developer that has no animal slot to offer. With the increased competition comes the urge to impress better. This has led to an increase in the pool of choices, especially those players with no particular species of animal in mind. Additionally, the gameplay dynamics have gotten better with time, including captivating graphics, storylines, soundtracks (the meows, howls, growls, barks, etc.), and features.

What are Animal Slots?

As stated, the vast animal kingdom is a perfect avenue for the creative gaming industry. This has led developers to base their slots on animals. In a nutshell, animal slots are games themed on animals on the game mechanics. They make up the symbols of the slots. In most cases, slot lovers can guess the main character of the slot from the title. The other aspects, such as bonus features, symbols, sounds, and graphics, correspond to the natural environment the animal lives in. All developers aim to make the player feel part of the habitat and make the experience as authentic and unique as it would be to immerse them into the game completely.

One major highlight about animal slots is that they are easy to understand. Unlike many slots with alternative themes, it is easy to identify hundreds of animals by corresponding pictures. While viewing the paytable to understand the value of each symbol is vital, it is not rocket science on any animal slot. Among the most common animal themes include:

Cats Slots

Cats are among the popular pets around, whether in movies or real life. Therefore, cat lovers would not mind interacting with their fur friends on a slot. On the highlight, the cats on the slots can bring riches with them, should the right combination be hit while spinning the reels. The developers bring different storylines on these slots where in some, they come out as sacred animals, cartoon-like characters, and some exhibit human-like characters. The essence is to make every game unique and entertaining. 

As stated earlier, the software providers ensure the games have corresponding aspects to the animal’s natural environment. Consequently, other animals may appear on cats slots, including dogs, who are cats nemesis. However, keep in mind that the cats will be the main characters, assuming the highest-paying symbols. For example, the wilds and scatters will have cat images. Some of the top-rated cat slots are:

Dogs Slots

Dogs are as popular as cats when it gets to the most popular pets. And this is one aspect the providers have grasped and looked to capitalize on by placing them on the reels. Dog lovers can spin the reels to find the right winning combinations. If one is a fan of a specific breed of dogs, the providers look to cater to them, thanks to the diverse range of dogs available, ranging from the cuddly ones and smallest to the largest and exotic. 

Like the cats, the dog kingdom is expansive, and one is also likely to encounter wolves, bears, foxes, and jackals on the reel symbols. However, in most dog-themed slots, the dogs are the main symbols, assuming the high-paying symbols on the game. Among the top dog slots to play on the gaming sites include:

Software Providers offering Animal Online Games

Most of the software providers have a collection of animal-themed slots. Unlike other themes such as Marvel, solely dedicated to Playtech, one will likely come across many notable developers with animal slots. Below is a list of the popular developers:

• IGT: One of the most popular and experienced developers. The provider boasts a vast selection of animal slots for both land-based and online casinos. Wolf Run, Prowling Panther, and Enchanted Unicorn are some of the slots from the provider.
• Amatic: The provider traces its roots back to the 90s and is another well-known provider for animal-themed slots. Its products boast high-quality graphics and have the latest HTML5 industry technology to facilitate mobile gaming. Top Amatic animal-themed slots include Diamond Cats and Big Panda.
• WMS: Yet another top-leading provider with a collection of popular animal slots. The provider has also had a hand in supplying slots for land-based operators and is yet another experienced provider. In its library, WMS has animal slots such as Buffalo Spirit, King of Africa, OMG kittens, and Gorilla Chief 2.
• Microgaming: It is arguably the most extensive software provider in the gaming industry, thanks to its massive game catalogue with top-notch graphics, gameplay, animations, and sound effects. The provider also creates and supplies animal slots with Mega Moolah, White Buffalo, and Mystic Dreams as the headliners.

Popular Slots with Animals

Besides the household pets, there is a diverse range of animal slots to choose from. The highlight Is that many developers update their library regularly to match up with the competitive industry. However, even with new releases, some animal slots have stood the test of time and are highly regarded to date. They are:

• Mustang Gold: The 5-reel slot boasts 25 paylines and has its coin range between 25p and 125p per spin. The slot lets the players join the ranchers and rustle decent payouts, including four jackpots. Additionally, players can enjoy features like free spins, wild, scatter, and Money Collect.
• Cats: The 5-reel slot boasts 25 paylines and has a coin range of between 0.01 and 20.00. One popular aspect of the slot is that it is playable in both online and land-based casinos. The game has wild cats, including panthers, lions, cheetahs, and leopards within African plains as the symbols. Users can benefit from unique features such as free spins, split symbols, multipliers, and a fixed jackpot (10,000x).
• Foxin’ Twins: The 5-reel slot features 25 paylines and has a coin size between 25p and £250 per spin. Its set up is on a wealthy estate, and its design features cartoon-style graphics. Loads of features and symbols are available, but the unique ones include the Team Pup Game feature, Gone Wild Random feature, A Little Wild Random feature, and SuperBet feature.
• Buffalo Rising All Action Megaways: The 6-reel slot features up to 117,649 paylines and has a coin range of between 10p and £10 per spin, making it one of the highly-rated penny animal slots. It comes with several features, including free spins, cascading reels, mystery symbols, and expanding symbols. Besides that, there are wild and scatter symbols available.
• Wolf Run: The 5-reel slot features 40 paylines and has a coin range of between 1 and 50 per bet line. Spotting a wolf theme, users must face their fears and enter the forest filled with riches. The main objective is to find the wolves to unlock the riches. Wolf Run is a hub of features, including bonus rounds, free spins, and auto-spin.

Features of Animal Slots

The theme is among the widest, and for its diverse aspect, there are many features to expect on animal slots. They range from the standard features on all slots, including the traditional slots, and innovative features on the modern slots with increased reels and paylines. Below is a list of the features to expect on the animal slots:

Return to Player

Return to player (RTP) is the average return a player makes from a slot. For example, a slot with 95% RTP means that the returns from £100 wager will be £95. Worth noting that not every spin returns the said figure since the RTP rate broadly defines the average returns (after several spins). With slots, the higher the RTP, the better the slot in terms of returns since it lowers the house edge. Many slot lovers regard any slot with an RTP of over 95% as a good slot. Below is a list of the high RTP animal slots in gaming sites:

Are Animal Themed Online Slots Available for Mobile Devices?

The current gaming world is proving convenient for all. One does not need to be purely in front of a desktop to play games. Most developers develop their games in HTML5 technology to ensure compatibility with other devices such as mobile phones/tablets/iPads.

The technology allows members to access the games on mobile browsers, and with the games in instant-play mode, there is no need for any additional download. This plays an advantage to the hands of players since accessing the games becomes instant. Additionally, the technology ensures the games do not lose any quality and maintains clarity across the different mobile screens. Generally, the experience is not different from the desktop.

Why are Animal Slot Machines so Popular?

Wonder why animal slots have become popular over time? There are a bunch of reasons for this. We take a look at some of them:

1. Readily available: The animal theme remains one of the most popular themes, with many developers venturing into creating such slots. 
2. Improved quality and design: The increased competition in the gaming industry has led to many developers looking to outshine others through their products, leading to improved quality, design, and graphics on the animal slots.
3. Optimized for mobile: Almost all animal slots are optimized for mobile, and they have attracted higher traffic from the improved convenience.
4. Relatable and engaging: The love of animals is universal, and this remains one of the themes relatable and exciting to all players (old-school, modern, old, and young).
5. Available in land-based casinos: Animal slots are among the oldest slots and have their roots tracing back to traditional casinos. To date, their presence is active on land-based casinos.