Pink Elephants: Overview

Sequels are never simple, that much is true. When the original is a success, you already have an eager audience ready to listen. The tricky part is deciding what to do next: do you guide fans into something wildly different that could either blow them away or put them off, or do you stick close to what worked and refresh it with a few adjustments? That safer route can attract criticism too. Maybe we’re making it more complicated than it needs to be.

In any case, Swedish developer Thunderkick has gone with the latter approach, taking its 2017 breakout slot Pink Elephants, updating some of the visuals and refining the math model. The outcome is Pink Elephants 2.

Anyone who played the first game won’t be stunned at first glance, but it’s still a step forward. The 6-reel, 4-row layout has moved away from the dry desert and into a semi-cosmic landscape filled with mountains, stars, and a grassy plain scattered with what look like shattered Stargates. Given the title’s implications, the trippy presentation fits perfectly, which is a strong foundation for a follow-up.

To join the ride, you can choose stakes from 10 p/c up to $/€100 per spin. RTP remains essentially unchanged at 96.13%, though a notable adjustment is that volatility has been reduced a touch. That should translate into steadier play, which pairs nicely with the higher overall potential.

As for the symbols, the lemur family that previously filled the premium slots has been replaced by a goat crew, which Thunderkick calls the blue, green, orange and purple goat. It suits the new mountain backdrop. The legendary pink elephant is still the top payer—six of these eerie characters return 10 times your stake.

The rest of the paytable features 9-A royals, shown on grey slabs of rock. Wins require at least 3 matching symbols from left to right, except for the elephant, which only needs 2. Because symbols can connect on any row, there are 4,096 ways to win. Also included is a pink ‘W’ symbol, acting as the wild and substituting for any other paying symbol. As before, the base game doesn’t offer much beyond spinning and waiting for the bonus to show up and really kick things into gear.

Pink Elephants: Features

The key symbol to watch for is the rare golden peanut scatter, which can appear anywhere on the reels. Landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 of them triggers the Bonus Game and grants 7, 11, 15, or 19 free spins respectively. Just like in the original, the random Mystery Scatter Symbol feature can help. It may activate unexpectedly during the base game, adding 1-5 scatters onto the reels to boost your chances of reaching the Bonus Game.

In free spins, Elephant Orbs can appear and are collected. Each orb contributes to a meter positioned next to the four goat symbols beside the reels. Once a meter is completed, the corresponding goat symbol is upgraded to the next one higher on the paytable. Only after the fourth and final symbol meter is filled do all goats transform into the pink elephant symbol, and that’s when it gets serious. In addition, every time a meter is completed, +1 free spin is added to the Bonus Game. On top of that, the golden peanut scatters stay active during the bonus, and hitting 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of them awards a further 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 extra free spins.

Pink Elephants: Verdict

Pink Elephants 2 feels like taking a familiar car, repainting it, adding another gear, and pushing its top speed a bit higher—maybe with a set of fluffy dice for good measure. It isn’t a dramatic departure from the original, but the tweaks should land well with loyal players. The visuals aren’t radically changed, yet they do feel slightly sharper thanks to the new setting and the fresh cast.

While volatility has been nudged down, the maximum potential has gone up. This pink elephant has clearly been provoked—cartoon-style—with eyes turning red and steam blasting from its ears. The first Pink Elephant slot could deliver wins up to 8,200x, whereas the sequel can reach 10,000 times your stake. Again, it’s not a huge leap, but it’s probably enough to tempt fans of the original to spin it up.

For everyone else, the updates still make for an appealing offer. The flow is as solid as ever: a fairly modest base game that can build into potentially massive moments once the bonus round hits. If the original clicked with you, there’s a strong chance you’ll enjoy this rework too.