Hot Chilli (Pragmatic Play): Overview

If you were to compile a shortlist of the weirdest releases of 2019, Hot Chilli by Pragmatic Play would almost certainly make the cut. Built on a 3 by 3 grid with 9 paylines, it pairs that setup with a peculiar Asian cooking concept. The idea isn’t entirely original though, as the visuals strongly echo Play’n GO’s Sizzling Spins, even if the actual play style does deviate from the usual slot formula.

With medium variance and a straightforward design, the main focus is the wild chilli pepper symbol, which can arrive with multipliers up to 5x. When these stack along a payline, they can join forces for respectable returns. Starting at just 9 cents, Hot Chilli works well for low rollers, while higher-stakes players can push wagers up to 45€ per spin.

Because of its quirky, not-aimed-at-hardcore-gamblers vibe, Hot Chilli won’t be a dish everyone enjoys. Theme preferences aside, it does score points for strong visuals and smooth animation. The ingredients simmering in the lavish golden dragon pot look impressively lifelike, and the chopsticks swooping in to lift out winning combos is a playful touch. On the left side of the screen, the paytable is always visible. There you’ll find 1x, 2x and 3x tofu dice, different tomatoes, rolls of ham, and salmon. Salmon is the best-paying regular symbol, awarding 11,11 times your stake for 3 on a payline.

Hot Chilli (Pragmatic Play): Features

The wild is the key element here, and without it, landing any worthwhile wins is unlikely. Shown as a blazing red chilli, the wild replaces every symbol except the tofu. It can also carry 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x multipliers. As indicated in the paytable, you can’t hit three matching 5x chilli wilds, since the 3x, 4x and 5x wilds only show up on the middle reel.

The biggest prize comes from the 2x-5x-2x wild combination, paying 555.55 times your stake for the line win and up to 888.88 times your stake when paired with other symbols. It’s not the most jaw-dropping ceiling we’ve encountered, but for a 3 reel slot it’s still a reasonable top end.

Hot Chilli (Pragmatic Play): Verdict

The slot’s unusual look is interesting at first glance, but after the initial charm fades, it has trouble keeping players engaged. That’s largely due to the limited feature set, scratch-card-like gameplay, comparatively modest payouts, and the restrictions of the layout. You can find some punch if you’re in the mood, but anyone chasing extravagant features or edge-of-your-seat potential will likely want to steer clear of Hot Chilli. It doesn’t help that the game can chew through your balance quicker than it takes to cook a bowl of instant noodles.

It’s a shame Hot Chilli doesn’t stay appealing over the long run, because it does start off well. Still, once the repetitive rhythm sets in, you may end up asking when Hot Chilli will move on to something more engaging.

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Not spicy enough? In that case, we recommend Pragmatic Play’s Chilli Heat Megaways, which uses Big Time Gaming’s famous Megaways mechanic.