Finn and the Swirly Spin Slot Machine

Symbols of Ireland, good fortune, leprechauns and rainbows have long been one of the most popular subjects in slot machine universe. The unstoppable development of the gaming market brought endless possibilities and a number of new angles and here we have a new and unexpected one - Finn and the Swirly Spin!

As one of the world's leading slot game producers and suppliers, NetEnt resorted to gamification with one of their latest slot titles called Finn and the Swirly Spin, bringing forth a brand new spin mechanic where symbols follow a spiral pattern rather than roll in the standard fashion. This 5 reel and 5 row video slot is powered by Cluster Pays which adds plenty of excitement as it is. Also, you will have a number of exciting features to benefit from and it's fair to say you will very much enjoy this game.

From a visual point of view, Finn and the Swirly Spin is an impressively designed game. A leprechaun called Finn is welcoming you to the emerald isle – a magical setting with a spiral-formed reel grid standing at the centre of the screen with symbols that ideally represent the Irish theme.

You will be met with a pair of low-paying symbols in form of two classic playing card suits – hearts and spades – whereas the more valuable symbols include a horseshoe, a four-leaf clover, an acorn and a ruby. The Free Spins Key symbol is the Scatter always appearing at the bottom left place of the reels. A pop-eyed shining star is the game's Wild symbol replacing for all others on the reels except from the previously mentioned Scatter. Wilds can also become Sticky so read on to find more about that.

Game Features

Finn and the Swirly Spin is a boundlessly exciting game which works upon NetEnt's universally loved Cluster Pays. Instead of lining up at least three matching symbols inside a payline, this Irish theme will reward you for creating any horizontal or vertical lines of 3 (or more) matching tiles. Symbols that are part of the winning combination will disappear from the reel set, making way for the remaining ones to move forward in a spiral and new ones appearing on the reels. This way, NetEnt made sure the players are given an opportunity to land multiple wins off of a single spin.

Wild Wins – NetEnt has put an extra twist on their Wild wins as well. There are different types of wins in Finn and the Swirly Spin – the ones that include a Wild and those that don't. Each of these will trigger one of two things depending on the type:

• Wild Wins – will explode to destroy all symbols vertically and horizontally adjacent to it.
• Non-Wild Wins – will add new Wild symbols in place of one of the symbols that was part of the winning combo.

Each spin will begin with a Free Spins Key Scatter which moves towards the centre of the reel set with every win you create. It cannot disappear from the reels and will activate the Free Spins feature once it has reached the keyhole position in the centre. This game comes with a Key Collection Meter on the right side of the reels, where the number of keys you collect is counted in order to give you more Free Spins during a single play. There is a full list of different free spins to be unlocked in the following fashion:

• Star Bar Free Spins – unlocked with only 1 Key Scatter. Awards 7 free spins with the Starfall Wilds Random Feature, which places 2 or more Wilds on the reels in random order.
• Lava Lair Free Spins – requires 4 Key Scatters to unlock. Gives 3 free spins with the Dragon Destroy Random Feature, which destroys a random number of symbols to activate an avalanche and another win opportunity.
• Lucky Mug Free Spins – requires 9 Key Scatters to unlock. Activates 4 free spins along with the Irish Luck Random Feature, which adds a horizontal or vertical line of one type of symbol to guarantee a win.
• Golden Pot Free Spins – requires 16 Key Scatters to activate. Rewards 2 free spins and a Magic Transform feature which transforms hearts and spades symbols into other high-value denominations, with 16 possible transformations available.

All sub-features that activate during the free spins subsections – Starfall Wilds, Dragon Destroy, Irish Luck and Magic Transform – can also appear individually during the base game, adding an extra level of excitement to every spin.

Real money play

Finn and the Swirly Spin slot game comes with 10 betting levels with cost per spin starting at $1 and moving upwards to $200. With its wide range of betting possibilities per single spin, NetEnt made sure to create a game that will be a great choice for all types of players.

With its RTP of 96.61% and a medium variance gameplay, players can expect to get frequent wins to keep them occupied and engaged whereas the abundance of different features found inside will make sure that players are given a fair shot at the maximum 50,000 coins.

Verdict

Looking at this Finn and the Swirly Spin review one could come to the conclusion that this NetEnt title is quite complicated. In truth, however, this gamified slot is rather remarkably built and easy to play despite the novelty gameplay that NetEnt have introduced here. Players will find themselves enjoying their time spinning those reels in spiral with plenty of winning possibilities during base game and in special features.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Finn and the Swirly Spin slots?

Finn and the Swirly Spin by NetEnt has an RTP of 96.61%, which is above average for an online video slot. The game is medium variance, combining the spiral Cluster Pays mechanic with four distinct Free Spins modes and four sub-features that can also activate in the base game. The maximum win potential is 50,000 coins.

Can I play Finn and the Swirly Spin for real money slots?

Yes, Finn and the Swirly Spin is available as a real money slots game at online casinos carrying NetEnt software. The betting range of $1 to $200 per spin suits mid-to-high stakes players, though its medium variance and 96.61% RTP make it one of the stronger value real money options in the NetEnt Irish-themed slots catalogue.

How does the spiral spin mechanic work in Finn and the Swirly Spin?

Instead of spinning in vertical columns, symbols in Finn and the Swirly Spin follow a spiral pattern from the outer edges inward toward the centre of the 5x5 grid. Cluster Pays awards wins for 3 or more matching symbols connected horizontally or vertically. When a winning cluster forms, those symbols disappear and all remaining symbols move forward in the spiral, with new symbols appearing at the outer edge to refill the grid.

How does the Free Spins Key mechanic work?

The Free Spins Key Scatter appears at the bottom-left of the grid at the start of every spin. It moves one step toward the central keyhole position with each winning cluster. Once it reaches the centre and unlocks the keyhole, Free Spins are triggered. The Key Collection Meter on the right tracks how many keys have been collected across multiple spins, determining which of the four Free Spins modes is unlocked – from Star Bar (1 key) up to Golden Pot (16 keys).

What are the four Free Spins modes in Finn and the Swirly Spin?

The four Free Spins modes unlock based on keys collected: Star Bar Free Spins (1 key) gives 7 spins with random Starfall Wilds; Lava Lair Free Spins (4 keys) gives 3 spins with the Dragon Destroy symbol-clearing feature; Lucky Mug Free Spins (9 keys) gives 4 spins with the Irish Luck guaranteed-win line; and Golden Pot Free Spins (16 keys) gives 2 spins with Magic Transform that converts low-value symbols into high-value ones across 16 possible transformations.

How do Wild wins differ from non-Wild wins in Finn and the Swirly Spin?

Wild wins and non-Wild wins trigger different outcomes in Finn and the Swirly Spin. When a Wild symbol is part of a winning cluster, it explodes and destroys all symbols directly adjacent to it vertically and horizontally, clearing space for new symbols and potential chain wins. When a non-Wild cluster win lands, a new Wild symbol is added to the grid in place of one of the symbols that formed the winning combination, building Wild coverage for subsequent spirals.