Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2: Slot Overview

In late 2020, Stakelogic joined forces with Hurricane Games to head into a sugar-splashed world with Candyways Bonanza Megaways. Alongside the candy overload, the original ran on a compact three-reel Megaways layout, leaning on hefty multipliers to make up for the absence of any cascade mechanic. In this follow-up, play moves to a more standard Megaways grid, cascades are now part of the action, and anyone who loved the first game’s multiplier punch will be pleased to hear they haven’t been dropped.

Visually, not much has shifted: it’s still a snow-cone-and-soft-serve, candy-floss-style scene. Anyone who’s played a few sweet-themed slots will recognise the look, as it’s become almost a requirement for the genre. The soundtrack follows suit too, with a gentle home-keyboard-style tune bouncing along harmlessly in the background.

The big difference sits at the centre of this candyland: the reels. Here you get 6 main reels showing between 2-7 symbols each, plus a 4-position bonus reel above them. Because the reel heights change every spin, the game can deliver up to 117,649 ways to win. Also new is the cascade feature—winning symbols disappear and make room for new ones, something the first game didn’t include. Another change is the reduced RTP of 95.81%, while volatility is high. Betting is handled in two parts: the base stake runs from 20 p/c to $/€20 per spin, and there’s an optional Super Stake that doubles the stake when switched on. Activating it increases the number of scatter symbols on the reels, effectively doubling the odds of landing free spins.

The paytable sticks to an all-candy theme, although the symbols have a slightly plastic finish rather than looking truly tasty. There are ten in total and they’re quite alike, which can make it tricky to quickly separate low from high pays. Generally, watch for the red, dark blue, and yellow candies, which pay 2x to 12x the bet for six of a kind. The rest return 0.6x to 1.5x the bet for six of a kind. A wild symbol can appear on any reel, but it only comes into play when the mystery feature activates. Wilds substitute for any paying symbol.

Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2: Slot Features

Landing free spins is the main objective in Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2, either by hitting the required scatters or by purchasing the feature. Free spins are also where multiplier symbols come into the mix, while mystery symbols can appear at any time on the top reel. Mystery symbols reveal a random pay symbol, and then that selected symbol—plus every matching symbol beneath it on the main reel—turns wild.

Free Spins

The scatter symbol is a sweet-coated chocolate item. When a cascade sequence finishes and 4 or more scatters remain on screen, free spins are awarded. This time around, players can choose the free spin bonus round they prefer from three different options:

• Super Free Spins – 15 free spins where multipliers have values of x2-x30.
• Mega Free Spins – 10 free spins where multipliers have values of x2-x50.
• Insane Free Spins – 8 free spins where multipliers have values of x2-x100.

While the bonus is running, multiplier symbols may land with the values listed above. Once the cascades stop, every multiplier on the screen is summed together and applied to that free spin’s win. Note that these symbols are not in any way wild. Finally, if 4 or more scatters appear again, the original number of free spins is awarded once more.

Gamble Feature

Stakelogic’s familiar gamble feature is included in Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2 as well. After a win, players can choose to risk their payout: guess the colour of a face-down card correctly to double it, or select the right suit to quadruple it. Get the guess wrong, though, and the entire win is lost.

Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2: Slot Verdict

Like discovering a hidden stash of sweets, diving back into Candyways Bonanza Megaways was too tempting to ignore, and the team has returned for a second helping. The decision was likely driven by how well the original was received. As sequels often do, Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2 scales things up: the reel set-up is bigger, cascades are now included, the bonus round adds a free-spins selection, and the overall potential is improved. In plenty of ways it still carries the charm of part one (with clear nods to Sweet Bonanza), while letting players enjoy it on a classic Megaways framework.

When the game starts running hot, Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2 is every bit as entertaining as before—arguably more so thanks to cascades. They add extra life to the base game and feel even better when a chain of them lands during free spins before the multipliers have even had their say. As for maximum returns, doubling the reel count hasn’t exactly doubled the ceiling, but Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2’s 30,000x the bet is still a far cry from biting into an earwax-flavoured Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.

One of the original Candyways Bonanza Megaways highlights was how it squeezed the Megaways experience into 3 reels instead of the usual 6, giving it a distinctive edge. Because of that, it’s fair to question whether moving back to a familiar Megaways format in the sequel will win over more players or disappoint some existing fans. Still, the higher win potential and the pick-your-bonus free spins options do a lot to smooth over any drawbacks, leaving Candyways Bonanza Megaways 2 feeling just as rewarding—if not even more so—than the first game.