Upgradium Slot

Upgradium Slot

When it comes to online slot machines featuring abstract themes and symbols, they have the potential to be quite successful. A prime example of this is Starburst by NetEnt, which showcases colorful crystals as symbols. Playtech has put their own spin on this concept with Upgradium: a 5-reel, 25-line game where peculiar shapes and magical minerals dominate the reels. So, why the name Upgradium? The explanation lies in how symbols in winning combinations can be enhanced by a special wild symbol, resulting in higher payouts than usual. Additionally, a reels respin feature upgrades all wins to the next level.

While the design may seem unusual, as seen in Starburst, these types of slot machines can greatly appeal to players. Like all Playtech games, Upgradium boasts impressive visuals with sharp graphics and vibrant colors. The changing background image, shifting from a frozen cave to a fiery underworld during respins, adds to the visual appeal. Accompanied by a delightful soundtrack, the game creates a pleasant gaming experience. Before wagering real money, players can try out Upgradium in free video slots mode.

Games developer Playtech is a prominent name in the online and mobile casino industry, with a wide range of popular games. Upgradium, like all Playtech offerings, provides fair gameplay, thanks to Random Number Generator software ensuring a high return-to-player percentage. To determine if Upgradium is the right choice, take a closer look at the dazzling crystals and mechanics of the game.

Victory with Upgradium

In Upgradium, a color scheme of dark blues and purples sets the tone, making the higher-paying symbols in greens, reds, oranges, and yellows stand out. To secure a win, players must land 3 matching symbols across any of the 25 paylines from the left side.

For instance, a purple pyramid rewards 5x, 10x, or 25x the line stake when it appears on 3, 4, or 5 reels, respectively. Diamonds and blue shapes round out the lower end of the pay table, leading up to a circular shape offering 25x, 50x, or 100x line stake.

The next tier features three intricately designed green crystals, with a spiky yellow object paying 60x, 120x, or 400x the line bet. An even spikier orange crystal follows, providing prizes of 75x, 150x, and 500x across a line. However, the largest wins come from the red wild symbol. Landing the wild on the first 3 reels yields 100x, while 4 wilds across the line reward 200x, and a staggering 1,000x the line stake for a full line of wilds.

Enhanced Wins with Wilds

The wild symbol in Upgradium is unique in a couple of ways. Firstly, it can substitute for other symbols to complete winning combinations by filling in gaps. Secondly, it triggers the upgrade bonus feature whenever it helps create a win.

Here’s how it operates: if the wild is part of a winning combo, the prize value is upgraded to match the next symbol on the pay table. For instance, if the wild joins with a spiky yellow crystal on reels 1 and 3 across a payline, it upgrades the payout from the standard 120x to 150x the line bet, equivalent to what the orange crystal would pay.

A similar scenario with the orange crystal would result in the wild’s highest potential payouts. This unique feature enhances the appeal of the Upgradium slot game, complemented by the availability of free reel respins.

Crystallization respins activate when the orange crystal lands on the Hot Spot in the center of the middle reel, highlighted with a purple square. Initially granting a single free respin, the feature upgrades all symbols (excluding the wild) to the next value tier. Extra Hot Spots are added to the middle reels, triggering additional respins if the orange crystal lands in any. With the wild symbol’s upgrade effects in play, significant boosts to winning spins can occur.

Diverse Betting Range

All 25 lines are active by default, allowing players to adjust coin values based on their bankroll. Ranging from a low of 0.25 per spin to a maximum of 250.00, there’s a betting level to suit every player.

Convenient control options include a Turbo mode for faster gameplay. Additionally, Upgradium features an Autoplay function that automates spins for 10 to 99 rounds. The Autoplay settings can be configured to stop when the reels respins feature begins.

Other Intriguing Concepts

Notable similarities exist between Upgradium and Starburst. For those unfamiliar with the highly successful NetEnt game, it’s worth exploring. Starburst is a 5-reel slot with 10 paylines paying in both directions, leading to frequent wins when crystals appear in various colors. The multicolored star serves as the wild symbol, expanding across reels 2, 3, or 4 to trigger respins, potentially offering up to 5 respins if it continues to appear.

Another classic to consider is the Bejeweled 2 video slot by Blueprint Gaming, featuring colorful gems and playing card symbols. The special multiplier wild doubles wins it assists in completing, while the Bejeweled Bonus round resembles the classic mobile game, rewarding matches of 3 or more jewels across an 8×8 grid. Winning symbols vanish, allowing new ones to fill the spaces, potentially creating continuous wins.

Additionally, the game offers a free spins mode with win multipliers, along with the chance to win big through the Wheel of Riches, offering prizes of up to 500x the total bet.

Upgrade to Excitement

If the style and unique theme of Upgradium appeal to you, the gameplay is sure to impress. Consistent wins from landing 3 or more matching symbols, especially when the wild symbol intervenes, add to the excitement. Moreover, the wild can extend winning combinations further, leading to higher payouts. With unlimited respins triggered by Hot Spots, the mobile-friendly game offers substantial winning opportunities from a reputable developer in the industry.

Jesse Miller iGaming Writer

Last Updated: December 9, 2024