The Chilli Heat Megaways slot machine is the second and most popular game in the Mexican fiesta-themed trilogy created by Pragmatic Play. Released in 2021, it has maintained a high RTP of 96.5% from the first game, but with double the payout potential of up to 5000x the stake.
For the sequel, the provider modified the original by incorporating the renowned mechanics of Big Time Gaming. Thanks to this, the number of ways to win increased to 200,704 in Chilli Heat Megaways. The game features six reels with a variable number of rows, from 2 to 8, and high volatility. Reels 2 through 5 have an additional horizontal payline that spins independently.
In addition to traditional respins with series-specific money symbols, the game features an expanded set of modifiers: multipliers, collector symbols, and reel unlocks. After each win, the Tumble feature triggers cascades of symbols.
Theme and gameplay
At first glance, the Chilli Heat Megaways game doesn’t differ much from the original. It still features the same Mexican theme with a strong national atmosphere. Behind the reels, you’ll find a cobblestone street, colorful houses, chili peppers hanging from the rooftops, and potted cacti. But in this second version, the graphics are more detailed, and the number of symbols in the reels changes with each spin.
Everything is decorated in bright colors in a cartoon style. In the background, carnival music played by a mariachi band can be heard. The interface is typical of Pragmatic Play and includes features such as adjusting the spin speed, increasing and decreasing the bet, and the automatic mode settings menu.
Symbols and prices
In the Chilli Heat Megaways slot machine paytable, we see that the low-paying symbols are the classic playing cards from 9 to Ace. For the maximum winning combination with these symbols, you will receive between 0.6x and 1.5x your stake.
The high-value symbols are linked to Mexican culture: tequila, chili sauce, a chihuahua, and a musician playing the vihuela. The latter is the most valuable and pays out 10 times the stake for a combination of 6 of its consecutive symbols.
The Chilli Heat Megaways logo, set against a flame background, acts as the Wild symbol and substitutes for all standard symbols. Additionally, a money bag symbol is present in the game. It triggers respins and offers multipliers ranging from x1 to x250.
The minimum bet is $0.20, while the maximum bet is $125 when using the Ante Bet option, which increases the cost of the spin by 25%. Without this option, the maximum bet is $100.
Features and bonuses
With the modified mechanics, the Chilli Heat Megaways game offers several bonus features:
- Tumble Feature. When 3 to 6 identical symbols appear on adjacent reels, you win a corresponding amount, and those symbols disappear. New symbols fall from the top, which can lead to a new combination. The cycle continues as long as there are wins.
- Wild. Substitutes for all other symbols, except the Money symbol, to help complete a winning combination when a symbol is missing or to improve an existing combination. It only appears on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
- Money Symbol. The money bags display fixed multipliers ranging from x1 to x250, but they can only be collected in the bonus game. To do so, you must land at least 6 of these symbols in the base game, which will trigger a series of respins.
- Respin Feature. Once activated, only money symbols and empty spaces remain on the screen. You start with 3 respins, with reels 1 and 6 initially locked. If new money symbols appear, they are locked and the respin counter resets.
- Top Row. As long as the respins continue, special symbols with different effects will be generated on the horizontal reel above the main grid. These symbols can unlock reels 1 and 6, add extra rows, accumulate values displayed on the grid, or multiply them by x2, x3, x5, or x10.
- Ante Bet. Use this option if you agree to increase your bet by 25% to double your chances of triggering the respins feature. Symbols pay out as usual.
- Buy Feature. At any time in basic mode, you can purchase the bonus game by paying 100 times your current stake.
RTP and VolatilityThe RTP of the Chilli Heat Megaways slot machine is 96.5%, the same as in the previous version of the game. This percentage remains unchanged even if you activate the Ante Bet option. Therefore, despite a higher bet, your chances of winning remain the same. Given the high volatility, it’s best to play this slot with a sufficiently large bankroll to achieve substantial, but infrequent, wins.
Conclusion
Our team is convinced that the Chilli Heat Megaways slot machine is a true success as a sequel to the original, where the basic gameplay, thanks to the Tumble mechanic, has become even more engaging. However, its main winning potential lies in the respins feature. This allows for multipliers of up to x250 and advantageous modifiers. The option to purchase the bonus or activate the Ante Bet will appeal to those who prefer a more strategic approach.