Cricket Star is a Microgaming video slot with a cricket theme.

While not as popular of a sport as football or basketball, it is widely watched in many areas of the world, mostly ones that were once part of the British Empire. If you think you have what it takes to make it to the big leagues, grab your bat and get ready.

Along the way, you will encounter rolling reels, multipliers, free spins, stacked Wilds, and the Wild Wickets bonus feature.

Introduction, including RTP and variance

The game is played on a 5×3 playing field with 243 ways to win, forgoing traditional paylines. Pays are granted when players collect three or more identical symbols in adjacent positions, from left to right. Rolling Reels means that symbols in winning combinations disappear, and new ones fall from on top, allowing gamblers to chain several wins together. The gameplay is identical to Football Star.

The theoretical payout (RTP) for this title is 96.42%, which is above the average. Cricket Star has a medium variance and balances smaller, more frequent wins with rare but lucrative jackpot scores.

Gameplay and Pay Table

There are no different tiers of symbols. Icons include a group of hugging fans, a coach, celebrating team members, two men in green swapping positions, a man trying to catch the ball, the batter, the catcher, the pitcher and another hitter who just knocked the ball away.

The slot’s logo is used for the Wild symbol. It appears stacked on the third, fourth and fifth reel. Wilds can replace any icon except for Scatters. The cricket ball is the Scatter and is used to activate the free spins.

Bonus Features

The game offers its players rolling reels. When a winning combination occurs, all the symbols that were part of it are removed, leaving blank spaces behind. Existing symbols fall from the top, filling in the empty spaces, while brand new icons appear to take the place of the previous symbols that fell into place.

It is possible to get several consecutive wins with enough luck using this system. You can get a multiplier to increase up to 10x during free spins.

Three, four or five Scatters will trigger the free spins special feature, rewarding fifteen, twenty or twenty-five extra turns. The bonus cannot be retriggered, and the cash prize from the Scatter is added on top of all the wins you get during free spins.

Wild Wickets triggers entirely at random. It turns the second, third or fourth reel entirely Wild, and brings with it a guaranteed win! Rolling Reels are disabled after Wild Wickets is played.

CasinoWizard’s verdict: 3 out of 5 stars

We like the variety of special features offered in this Microgaming release. Stacked Wilds and Rolling Reels are not key elements on their own but combined, are a lot of exciting fun. The ability to chain several wins together and then watching one combination get formed, only to blow up and make room for another, is honestly mesmerising.

The Free spins bonus enhances it further, not only by removing the cost factor, but also allowing a climbing multiplier which makes rolling reels even more valuable. Wild Wickets feels like the odd man out, as it is the only bonus that does not fit into the combo of the previous three. Still, getting a guaranteed win from time to time is not a bad deal, no matter how you look at it.

Cricket Star’s RTP is above the average compared to other titles by the same developer. While we liked the gameplay a lot, we cannot say the same for the visuals. It came out in 2015, maybe earlier, and it shows. Everything looks clean and functional but cannot compete with new slots.

The medium volatility makes this a game that is very easy to pick up and play. The maximum win is quite good, too, potentially climbing up to 2,100 x the stake under the right circumstances. We recommend trying it out if you do not mind slightly dated graphics.

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