In all the zombie movies and television shows currently popular, the stories focus on the experience of the human characters. What about the zombies? Playson remedies this narrative injustice in Zombirthday, the five-reel slot set at a zombie birthday party. This innovative theme makes for wonderfully putrid visuals… unfortunately, the substance of this game doesn’t quite match its thematic boldness.
Theme
Zombies don’t have the same taste in interior decorating as humans do. As such, the reels are set in what looks to be a horrid, haunted forest, with entrails hanging from trees as party decorations and gravestones littering the ground instead of flowers. Gaming symbols include an endlessly fascinating set of images marrying horror and family-friendly parties. There's a mangy dog wearing a party hat; a bloody brain with candles placed atop, as if it were a birthday cake; a holiday wreath with a severed hand at its center; a shrunken head with an apple in its mouth; and a wrapped gift, dripping blood. The rotting playing card values ace through nine act as lower-value symbols. A merry, green-skinned reveler acts as wild, and a blue skinned glamour girl acts as scatter. Defying expectations, the soundtrack for this title is upbeat, with a kind of old-school R&B feel and crickets chirping in rhythm with the high hat. The overall gaming feel is sharp and sophisticated, playful and silly and the best kind of gross.
Betting Options and Functions
Playson’s design team has devoted much of its considerable abilities to Zombirthday’s one-of-a-kind visual design. Though not exactly inspired, the fine points of gaming make it clear that this gifted team had more than enough left over to keep things running smoothly. There are only ten fixed paylines, each paying from left to right. Per-spin bet is set simply from 0.20–100.00 times the betting currency. Autoplay is available up to 100 turns of the reels, with optional loss and total win limits; quick spins are also available for players who prefer a faster gaming tempo. The theoretical RTP sits at about the industry average at 95.17%.
Features
It’s in the bonus feature that this title disappoints. Free spins can be a lucrative treat thanks to a triple multiplier throughout. Scatter symbols trigger 15 free spins whenever three or more appear; they then remain on the real, so that 15 additional free spins can be added to the total, up to a a maximum of 75. What’s more, a more festive party atmosphere takes over during this feature, with raucous rock music and holiday lights lighting up a mausoleum. Still, free spins don’t do much to break up rhythm in a slot game, no matter how lucrative, and it would have been nice to see more originality shown where bonuses are concerned, especially in a slot where so much visual and thematic originality is on offer.
Our Take
Players have the chance to attend a one in a lifetime (or longer) party in Zombirthday – this title’s unique visual and thematic approach is simply phenomenal. Where gaming substance in concerned, however, Playson has turned in only average work.
