Pirots slot review

Pirots slot: a game without paylines

Most slots ask one question on every spin: did matching symbols land on a line, a way or a cluster? Pirots asks a different one: which gems did each bird manage to collect? ELK Studios calls the system CollectR. Each bird has a colour, and it travels across the grid gathering gems that match it. A gem pays its value when its colour matches the bird that collects it, and ELK’s own description is clear that the number of gems collected does not create the win; the colour match does.

The theme is a playful crew of pirate-styled birds, and the presentation is bright and busy. Underneath, it is a grid game with a growing board and a collect-and-unlock loop, closer in spirit to cash collect slots than to a traditional reel slot. If you are used to paylines, reading the help screen before playing makes a big difference.

How CollectR pays: birds, gems and colours

At the start of a spin, gems of several colours fill the 5x5 grid. The birds then move, collecting gems that match their own colour. Each collected gem pays its current value, which depends on its level; upgrades raise that level for the rest of the round. Collected gems also feed the feature meter, so even small collections build towards something.

The key to reading the paytable is that gem values are shown by colour and level. A low-level gem pays very little; the same gem after several upgrades pays considerably more. Our paytable guide explains how to read value tables in general.

How to play Pirots

1. Open the game info and note the RTP, the gem values by colour and level, and the feature list.
2. Set your stake: £5 is the UK maximum at 25 and over, £2 at 18 to 24.
3. Spin. Gems fill the grid and the birds begin collecting gems of their own colour.
4. Watch the feature meter at the side of the grid; each collected gem moves it along.
5. When it fills, three chests open and add feature symbols to the board.
6. Collect three bonus symbols during one round to enter the bonus game.

The feature meter and the three chests

Every gem the birds collect adds to the feature meter. When the meter is full, the game awards three chests containing feature symbols. This is the engine of Pirots: the more a round collects, the more features it unlocks, and those features in turn create more collecting.

ELK lists six types of feature symbol, and each does something different to the board:

• Coin wins pay an instant amount when collected.
• Wilds add flexibility to what the birds can collect; the help screen shows exactly how.
• Grid expander makes the board bigger, up to 8x8.
• Symbol upgrade raises gem levels so later collections pay more.
• Symbol transform changes gems already on the board.
• Bonus symbols count towards the bonus trigger.

Pirots bonus game: what carries over

The bonus triggers when the birds collect three bonus symbols during a single game round. What makes it distinctive is what comes with you: according to ELK, grid size, gem win level and the feature meter all carry over into the bonus. A round that has already expanded the board and upgraded the gems starts the bonus from a much stronger position than one that triggers on a small, low-level grid.

This link between base game and bonus is unusual. In most bonus rounds, the feature starts fresh regardless of how you got there. In Pirots, the build-up is part of the value, which is why two bonus triggers can pay very different amounts. ELK does not use the term free spins on its page, so read the help screen for the exact structure of the round at your casino.

Why the 94% RTP matters

The published RTP of Pirots is 94%. That is around two percentage points below many popular modern slots, and it makes a measurable difference to the average cost of play. Our page on what a good RTP is puts it in context.

Over the same £200 of play, Pirots costs £4 more on average, which is 50% more than the 96% game. In any one session the swings from volatility are much larger than this gap, but it never goes away and it builds with every spin. Choosing Pirots should be about enjoying the mechanic, accepting the higher average cost.

Volatility and budgeting for Pirots

Pirots is rated medium–high volatility. Many spins return small amounts from a handful of collected gems, while the larger results come from rounds that expand the grid, upgrade gems and reach the bonus. A useful planning rule is to choose a stake that gives you a few hundred spins from your budget: £40 at 20p is 200 spins, while £40 at £1 is only 40.

Set a deposit limit with the casino before you start and stop when the budget is used. Our slot session budget guide has step-by-step examples.

Pirots max win: 10,000x

The cap is 10,000x stake: £2,000 at 20p, £10,000 at £1, £20,000 at £2 and £50,000 at the £5 maximum. Reaching it needs a bonus that starts on a large, highly upgraded grid and keeps building. It is a rare outcome built into the 94% average, not a likely result. See what max win means for more.

The UK version of Pirots: no X-iter

ELK’s X-iter lets players outside Great Britain pay to start in one of five game modes, from a 3x-stake option with better bonus odds to a 500x-stake Super Bonus that begins at full grid size with upgraded gems. Feature buys are not offered to players in Great Britain, so none of this applies here. UK players also get no autoplay or turbo, a minimum of 2.5 seconds per spin and stake caps of £5 or £2. Demo play needs age verification. More on these rules is on our UK slot game design rules page.

Pirots vs other grid slots

Reactoonz, Rocket Reels and Gems Bonanza are cluster pays games: wins come from groups of matching symbols. Pirots is the only one where collectors move around the board, and it has the lowest published RTP of the group. Pirots 2 keeps the same RTP and cap on a bigger starting grid.

Pirots pros, cons and who it suits

Pirots suits players who enjoy puzzle-like mechanics and like seeing a round build up. Anyone who mainly cares about RTP will find better value in the 96%-plus games in our high RTP slots list.

Where to play Pirots

Look for Pirots in the search bar of a UKGC-licensed casino and confirm the RTP in the game info. PlayOJO gives new UK customers aged 18+ (excluding Northern Ireland) 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza after a first deposit of at least £10, at 10p each with no wagering, so winnings are paid in cash; terms apply. Our PlayOJO free spins page explains the offer.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.