MonkeyPop: Slot Overview

The PopWins juggernaut rolls into double figures with MonkeyPop from AvatarUX. Strictly speaking, the mechanic reached that mark earlier if you count the licensed titles made by Stakelogic. Still, looking only at Avatar UX releases, MonkeyPop is the tenth outing for their expanding reels and ways system. In a funny, full-circle moment, they’ve ended up back where they began: much like the first PopWins slot PopRocks, MonkeyPop wears an Asian-inspired theme, though it’s a very different take this time around.

Visually, MonkeyPop stands out. It feels like AvatarUX’s artists leaned hard into a watercolour approach, creating something soft on the eyes and unlike the studio’s usual style. Where PopRocks had an Asian vibe reminiscent of a Big Trouble in Little China scene—like the right feature might summon David Lo Pan for some reel-side magic—this one channels a Great Wave of Kanagawa look with a touch of French influence.

With the artwork admired, it’s time to look at the mechanics. MonkeyPop isn’t the most aggressive, punchy big-win entry in the series. AvatarUX has set volatility to high and built the game with an RTP of 96.33%. The upside is solid, but next to other PopWins titles, MonkeyPop feels more modest. That said, not every slot needs to be a summit attempt, and the game runs smoothly on any device, with stakes ranging from 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin.

As with other PopWins releases, expanding reels and ways-based payouts are central. MonkeyPop delivers both, beginning on a 5-reel, 3-row setup that pays both ways—left to right and right to left. At the lower end of the paytable are the 10-A card ranks in calligraphic style, paying 0.5 to 0.6x the bet for five of a kind. Above them sit the premium symbols, with five monkey icons returning 1-2.5x the bet for a five of a kind. Wilds assist by substituting for any symbol except the bonus.

MonkeyPop: Slot Features

PopWins is the core mechanic and the gateway to most other extras in MonkeyPop. When a winning way hits, the winning symbols are removed from the grid and replaced with two new symbols. This naturally stretches the reels upward and increases ways to win. Reels can grow to seven symbols high, and with every reel at maximum height, the game reaches 33,614 ways to win (factoring in the pay both ways feature). PopWins keeps going until no further win appears, after which the grid drops back to its standard size.

Base Game Unlock

If all reels reach 7 rows high during the base game, a random number of low pay symbols are removed from the reels, and 2 free spins are granted. These free spins begin with a multiplier of x1, x2, or x3, and it rises by +1 or +2 each spin.

Free Spins Bonus Game

The free spins bonus starts when 3 or more bonus symbols are visible at the end of a base game spin. Before the round begins, players see the Reward Reel screen. Here, four rewards are randomly drawn, including:

• Starting free spins – 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
• Starting ways – 486, 2,048, or 6,250.
• Starting multiplier – x1, x2, x3, x4, or x5.
• Multiplier growth – +1, +2, +3, +4, or +5.

During free spins, the multiplier keeps climbing, and the reels do not reset between spins, instead dropping to match the shortest reel’s height. When every reel reaches 7 symbols high, +2 free spins are added, and a random number of low pay symbols are removed for the rest of the feature. MonkeyPop also earns a small “first” for the studio by introducing a scatter collection feature. Bonus symbols that land in free spins are collected, and once 3 have been collected, one high-paying symbol is upgraded into a gilded version that multiplies its value by x5. If that gilded symbol is chosen again, it upgrades further into an x10 version.

Bonus Buy

Landing the bonus naturally averages once every 410 spins, so some players may prefer a faster route. Where available, the feature can be purchased instead. The three choices are Buy Bonus, Buy Bonus Plus, and Buy Bonus Max, priced at 100x, 250x, or 500x the bet, respectively.

MonkeyPop: Slot Verdict

Asian culture often evokes ideas of balance and harmony—yin and yang—and MonkeyPop comes surprisingly close to that kind of equilibrium for an online slot. AvatarUX has clearly taken a fresh direction with the art, and the game’s distinctive presentation is excellent at drawing you in. It’s far more restrained than many “trip to the East” slots, which can drown you in sycees, dragons, and imperial ornamentation until it feels like you’ve wandered into an old opium den. MonkeyPop keeps things calmer, and it benefits from that restraint.

Theme aside, the gameplay doesn’t reinvent the PopWins formula. After ten PopWins-driven titles, the rhythm is familiar. That doesn’t mean MonkeyPop isn’t enjoyable, though. The symbol-popping action is engaging as the reels climb, and reaching 7 cells high across all five reels pays off with a few free spins plus multipliers.

MonkeyPop is the pick if your top priority is chasing the largest possible payouts. Its maximum win of 20,000 times the bet sits among the best in the lineup. On the flip side, it doesn’t include the high-risk pre-feature gamble option that some players like for an extra adrenaline hit. Even with that theoretical top end, MonkeyPop plays as a more laid-back PopWins entry overall, and it can take patience to push through a potentially long stretch of base spins before the bonus arrives.

After the initial glow of the visuals fades a little, don’t expect the mechanics to keep surprising you—this is largely familiar PopWins territory. Still, MonkeyPop was a pleasing slot to put through its paces, and it should make a comfortable starting point for anyone new to AvatarUX.