Hypernova Megaways (ReelPlay): Overview

ReelPlay, previously called Chance Interactive, is an Australian studio from Sydney founded in 2014. So far, the developer hasn’t made a huge splash and its catalogue remains fairly small, though two releases, Buster Hammer and Buster Hammer Carnival, have earned a bit of attention among casino players. In 2018, aggregator Relax Gaming secured a Megaways license, allowing its partner studios to take advantage of the famous engine – with ReelPlay being one of them. As history has shown, the Megaways game engine has generally worked well for studios of all sizes, and each new launch still tends to attract plenty of buzz.

Hypernova Megaways is ReelPlay’s first go at building a Megaways slot. At a quick glance, it might look like another Bonanza copy, and in certain respects it is, but it also includes enough distinctions to give it its own identity. At its core, the layout will feel familiar to anyone who has followed slots over the last couple of years. It runs on 6 reels with up to 117,649 ways to win and uses cascading reels. Inspired by the marvels of space, it can be played on all devices with stakes from 0.40 to €/$60 per spin.

In terms of presentation, Hypernova Megaways launches you into deep space, well beyond Earth’s limits. Backed by a stunning, almost overwhelming soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Hans Zimmer score, the reels sit inside a supernova glowing with neon light. On the reels, you’ll find golden low-value 9, 10, J, Q, K and A royals alongside three gem symbols. The top-paying symbol is the diamond, which returns 10 times your stake for landing six across a full payline.

Hypernova Megaways (ReelPlay): Features

Built on the well-known engine first created by Big Time Gaming, the number of symbols per reel changes from 2 to 7 each spin, meaning the game can reach a maximum of 117,649 ways to win when fully expanded. There’s also an additional horizontal reel positioned above the main set to help form winning combinations – and it’s the only place where wild symbols can appear.

Hypernova Megaways includes a Cascading Reels mechanic – whenever you hit a win, the winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in to replace them. In practice, this gives you the opportunity to score multiple wins from one spin.

When it comes to the headline bonus, ReelPlay has taken a different approach than most Megaways titles by skipping classic free spins and focusing on a jackpot-style feature instead. During the base game, watch for supernova scatter symbols that come with cash values. If 6 or more land on screen, the Jackpot Respin feature triggers and you receive 3 respins. Once the feature begins, all supernova scatter symbols stay locked while the remaining positions continue to spin. Any new scatters that appear also lock in place, and the respin counter resets to 3. The respins end when you either use them all up or when every visible position on the reels is filled with scatter symbols. After the feature finishes, each scatter pays its attached cash value, which can range from 1 to 100x, or it can award one of these jackpots:

• Platinum jackpot awards 2000 times your stake.
• Gold jackpot awards 250 times your stake.
• Silver jackpot awards 50 times your stake.
• Bronze jackpot awards 10 times your stake.

Hypernova Megaways (ReelPlay): Verdict

It’s not the most enjoyable conclusion to reach, but we have to be frank – Hypernova Megaways ranks among the weakest Megaways slots we’ve tried so far. While ReelPlay clearly has promise, especially on the visual side, the core gameplay feels too standard and too close to many other Megaways releases to stay engaging for long. Choosing a respin bonus instead of free spins is a bold attempt to do something different. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really land. In our view, it would have worked better if the respin feature acted as an additional bonus alongside a free spins round, but preferences will vary.

That said, there is a bright spot: the slot does offer solid upside with potential wins of up to 8,640x. The issue is that getting there feels about as thrilling as watching empty space drift by. With so many strong Megaways games already out there, this one falls short. Even so, Hypernova Megaways represents a major step forward for ReelPlay and should help raise the profile of the smaller Australian provider.

Want more Megaways games from the same studio? Check out Atlantis Megaways, a 117,649 ways to win slot with potential payouts of more than 8,000 times the stake.