Savanna Stampede Slot: Review

First launched in January 2018 by Australian studio Reel Time Gaming, Savanna Stampede is a fairly straightforward slot with a retro arcade vibe that’s oddly reminiscent of Novomatic titles. Back in 2017, Blueprint Gaming (owned by Gauselmann) issued a press release announcing it would broaden its portfolio by adding a collection of games from its sister company Merkur Gaming. Consequently, all Reel Time Gaming licensed titles previously released by Merkur are now also being rolled out via the Blueprint platform.

So, grab your binoculars and steady your aim as you head onto the savanna in pursuit of hefty payouts in this 5-reel, 10-payline slot from Blueprint Gaming. It keeps things simple both in looks and in gameplay, featuring just one mechanic where stacked symbols can deliver wins of up to 500 times your stake per spin. It’s available across all devices, including mobiles and tablets, with stakes ranging from 10 cents up to 250€ per spin.

Savanna Stampede won’t win any awards for visuals, but it does what it needs to. Set against a sunset savanna background that feels like patterned wallpaper, the reels include the standard royal card symbols alongside a lineup of wild animals. From lowest to highest value you’ll find meerkats, flamingos, zebras, warthogs and buffalos. Buffalos are the best-paying regular symbol, awarding 50 times your stake for 5 across a full payline. The lion acts as the wild, replacing every symbol except the scatter. It also pays the most overall, returning 100 times your stake for 5 of a kind. Unlike the premium animals, though, it doesn’t show up stacked on the reels.

Savanna Stampede Slot: Features

The sole highlight feature in Savanna Stampede is Free Spins. You can win 12, 15 or 20 free spins by landing 3, 4 or 5 scatter symbols respectively. During the bonus, all animal symbols are able to appear super stacked on the reels. On each spin, the Animal Stampede feature can activate—the reels start shaking aggressively and a man with an African accent announces which super stacked animal has been selected for that spin (and yes, you may wonder if he says “hot dog” when the warthog shows up).

And that’s essentially it. The biggest single-spin payout comes from landing a full screen of buffalos, worth 500 times your stake. The game’s max win is 10,000x, but to reach it you’d need 20 free spins made up entirely of buffalos. Don’t hold your breath.

Savanna Stampede Slot: Final Verdict

Savanna Stampede is a no-frills slot that’s likely to suit a smaller crowd—mainly players who enjoy Novos and similar old-school games. As is common with this type of slot, the base game can feel punishing because much of the RTP is concentrated in the free spins round. Put simply: if you don’t trigger the bonus, you may well leave empty-handed.

It’s also worth noting the bonus can be a bit deceptive, since the stacked symbols make it seem like you should be hitting huge combinations every time Animal Stampede triggers. In practice, that’s not what we found. Across 40+ bonuses, we didn’t hit a full screen of any symbol even once.

At its strongest, Savanna Stampede can deliver a nostalgic vibe and some exciting stretches when the momentum is on your side, but if you’re craving that retro arcade-slot feel, Fortunes of Ra by Blueprint is a stronger pick in our view.