Scruffy Scallywags

Enter the watery realm of swashbuckling, rum-swilling sea dogs in Habanero Systems’ pirate-themed Scruffy Scallywags slot. Though the crew may seem cartoonish and far too inebriated to be of any use, don’t be fooled: this slot is rich in bonus features. Though the overall RTP is lower than might be hoped (93-95%), bonuses can act in concert to produce some astronomically-proportioned wins.

Theme

A poorly-run pirate ship provides this slot’s theme, and all elements of the game are in keeping with this aesthetic. Betting symbols include a map, a pile of ill-maintained cannonballs, cannon, pistols, knives, treasure chests, a ship, its captain (missing a few body parts), three unreliable-looking members of its crew, and two wilds: the anchor and the octopus. Both can substitute for other symbols to form winning combinations and also trigger features within bonus play. There is also a rum symbol, which acts as scatter, and a compass, which triggers yet another excellent bonus feature. The reels are situated on what appears to be the sail of a ship, with other elements of the the pirate’s life visible in the fore- and background. Merry music plays, recalling a rather dopey sea shanty. The overall visual design is quite sloppy, with text, toggles, controls, and menu icons appearing all over the place… this feels somehow appropriate for a ship filled with drunken pirates, however.

Betting Options and Functions

Life on the high seas is never simple, and neither is the betting structure in Scruffy Scallywags. The bottom line is an overall real-money betting range of 0.30 to 1500.00 times the betting currency per spin – an astonishing span that is sure to attract high rollers. This range is determined by bet value, which can be set from 1-10; and coin value, which can be set from 0.01-5.00 times the betting currency; and coin bet per spin, which can be set from 30-300.

Base play and bonus play alike share a five reel, three line structure. The slot is designed for HTML5, and is compatible across multiple platforms. The overall return to player operates on the somewhat subpar (but still acceptable) range of 93-95%.

Features

This slot is awash in features. Foremost of these – and the only feature available in both base and bonus play – is the Compass feature, which is launched whenever the compass gaming symbol appears on the reels. A spinning wheel appears in front of the reels, which can award payouts of 10 or 20 times the bet size; win multipliers; or a quantity of respins or free spins, depending on the game phase in which Compass is triggered.

Unlike most of modern life, an abundance of rum is certain to improve players’ financial standing in this game: three rum symbols trigger free spins, during which all wins are doubled. 15 spins are awarded, but each additional rum symbol that appears on the reels adds another free spin to this total, and additional free spins can be won in other ways as well (such as the Compass feature). Within bonus play, three octopus symbols trigger the Octopus feature, where a massive cephalopod appears in front of the game screen, distributing his wild symbol across the reels to trigger big wins.

Finally, there are two progressive jackpots available, either of which can be won at random on any spin.

Our Take

Scruffy Scallywags is a big, messy slot, with plenty of obvious flaws and major advantages as well. Habanero Systems has built a game teeming with bonuses and plenty of ways to trigger very big wins – the maximum bet alone is enough to catch players’ attention. On the other hand, this slot does not distinguish itself in terms of overall RTP, smoothness of gameplay, base play, or originality. Pirate-loving players will delight; others will enjoy a brief survey of this game, and be ready to move on to other forms of commerce, maritime or otherwise.