Initial Impression: A Delightful Visual Theme

Snowborn Games could have made the medieval cat theme a gimmick. Fortunately, the company takes the theme seriously enough to create a fun experience. The background behind the reels depicts a beautiful picture of the Scottish Highlands with rolling hills of green grass, stone castles and mountains. Rather than using humans as the premium symbol options, four different feline clan leaders occupy the premium position on the reels. Each clan has their own character and style. What makes this theme so successful is that the developers do not overdo it. The company takes advantage of the whimsical nature of the game while developing enough atmosphere to make you interested in what is happening with the ongoing clan rivalry. The artwork is nice and clean. The animations flow smoothly. There are even some musical elements to match the theme of battles to fit into the medieval setting.

Understanding Cat Clans Gameplay

Gameplay-wise, Cat Clans follows a fairly traditional 5-reel by 3-row setup with 20 fixed paylines. As such, there are no Cascading Reels, Cluster Pays, or Megaways features built-in. Sometimes simplicity is best; and that is exactly what Cat Clans does. To get paid out from left-to-right (payline wise) you need to match up symbols consecutively on adjacent reels. It is the bonus features that provide most of the bigger payouts. Therefore, understanding how they function is essential to appreciating the entire design of Cat Clans.
Icon Breakdown
Low Paying Icons
The lowest paying symbols in Cat Clans consist of standard cards:
•J
•Q
•K
•A
In addition to cards, there are two other low paying symbols that fit perfectly into the feline theme: fish bones and bottles of milk.
These low paying symbols keep things active throughout your gaming session but probably won’t contribute to your biggest payouts.

Screenshots

High Paying Premium Icon Clans

The premium icons are represented by four feline warriors. Each clan icon is represented by a different colored scheme and pays more than the previous clan icon. The red clan icon represents the highest amount you can earn from a single symbol payout.
Both types of premium icons also serve an important part in the Clan Battle Bonus, discussed later in this review.

Wild Icon

The wild icon appears as a dynamite-shaped bomb icon. Their purpose is clearly defined:
•They replace any of the regular icons in order to complete a winning combination.
•They carry multipliers ranging from x1-x5.
Here is where things get really interesting.
When multiple multiplier wilds appear in a single winning combination, they multiply instead of add to each other. This can greatly enhance a potentially small payout.

Multiplier Wilds Provide Endless Possibility During Regular Spins

While most slots save their largest and/or most creative bonus mechanics for their bonus rounds, Cat Clans brings its strongest mechanic to life directly inside its base game. During regular spins, multipliers can appear on any multiplier wild ranging from x1-x5. Because multipliers apply directly to any winning combinations created during regular spins, each spin carries added anticipation. Even if you’ve played hundreds of hours of slots before, there’s something truly satisfying about seeing multiple multiplier wilds connect in a winning combination.
The potential to earn higher payouts keeps base-game boredom away.

Cat-a-pult Free Spins Feature

To many players, the main event in Cat Clans will be the Cat-a-pult Free Spins feature. The feature triggers when three Scatter Symbols land anywhere on the reels. Upon activation, players receive an initial allocation of free spins. On paper, it seems like a pretty straight-forward concept. But the execution is what sets this apart.

Sticky Wild Feature

During Cat-a-pult Free Spins, any Wild Symbol that lands sticks in place for future spins. Unlike most slots where Wild Symbols disappear after each spin and give room for new ones to land on subsequent spins, they remain stuck to create an escalating build-up effect. Each time a new Sticky Wild Symbol lands, it resets all remaining free spins back down to three. This creates an upward building sense of momentum. A bonus round that seemed like it would be average at first can explode into something much bigger if additional Sticky Wilds continue to land.

Increasing Multiplier

But there is another layer of complexity. One random Sticky Wild receives an increased multiplier with each passing spin. These multipliers can rise as high as x9. As the feature continues to roll along, the number of sticky multiplier wilds filling the reels grows exponentially. This enhances significantly the chance to produce massive combinations. The longer this feature rolls along, the more danger lurks.

Why Cat-a-pult Free Spins Matters

Examining larger-than-average wins from Cat Clans reveals a common pattern among players who have produced significant wins. Most were achieved through successful Cat-a-pult Free Spin sessions. The combination of Sticky Wilds with increasing multipliers and resetting free spin counts produces a bonus feature capable of producing extensive runs of amplified payouts. For players looking for the 20,000x max win potential offered by Cat Clans, they will focus largely on creating big Cat-a-pult sessions.

Clan Battle Bonus

Whereas Cat-a-pult Free Spins provides consistent opportunities for amplifying payouts, Clan Battle Bonus creates uncertainty.
Through a random Golden Paw feature, you can activate this bonus at any time during your session.
Golden Paw serves as a portal to one of the more innovative mechanics present in Cat Clans. Rather than focusing solely on winning combinations generated based off reel positions, players engage in a clan showdown.
The Four Feline Warrior Clans
Inside Clan Battle Bonus you have four competing clans:
• Clan Mac Cattus
• Clan Mac Whiskers
• Clan Mac Feline
• Clan Mac Tabby
At the start of each Clan Battle Bonus feature, each clan is given a prize value. Prize values can range from modest prizes to 10,000x prize values.
The excitement builds almost instantly. Your chance for earning a huge prize value begins with your first spin.

How Clan Battle Works

Players begin receiving an allotment of bonus spins. Throughout those spins, symbols representing each clan score points. Once all spins conclude and all scores are tallied, the clan that appeared most often wins and earns its designated prize value. If two clans tie for either first or second place, additional spins occur until one clear victor emerges. I found myself completely engaged and entertained in this feature due to its interactive nature relative to traditional pick-and-choose type bonus games. You watch each clan anxiously and hope yours emerges victorious.

RTP and Volatility Payout Capability

Depending upon how your casino configures RTP percentages, Cat Clans’ RTP levels can go up to 96%. That puts it squarely into contention with most modern video slots in terms of RTP percentages. However, where RTP levels sit in relation to potential payouts is where Cat Clans differs drastically from most other modern slots.
As mentioned earlier Cat Clans operates at high volatility levels. Expect times where winnings come less often.
That being said – it is normal behavior for high variance slots.Large payouts require patience.
Hit Frequency
Cat Clans possesses an average Hit Frequency of 33.29%. That softens the blow slightly; yet still caters towards those comfortable with extreme variance levels.

Getting close to the 20k Max Win

Cat Clans boasts an incredible max win potential of 20,000x!
Fewer slots have reached this level.

Reaching max-win typically involves:
Multiplied sticky wilds in Cat-a-pult Free Spins,
Accumulation of numerous high-value multipliers on multipliers,
Favorable Clan Battles,
And occasionally favorable luck;

All of which are extremely rare occurrences – but knowing they exist contributes significantly to each individual player’s excitement throughout each gaming session.
Although staking moderately high amounts can lead to substantial returns in theory – many players feel confident that achieving max-win will happen despite wagering moderately low amounts per session.

Bonus Buy Option

For players who prefer accessing bonus rounds directly, Game Global enabled a ‘Buy Bonus Round’ option in Cat Clans when allowed by local laws and regulations.
By spending 50x your current bet; you can purchase entry into Cat-a-pult Free Spins directly.
Bonus Buy Options tend to create division among gamers. Many love skipping wait times for bonus rounds while others prefer relying on natural occurrence of bonuses. Regardless of your preference – having this option allows flexibility for each player’s personal preferences.

Mobile Experience

With mobile gaming becoming increasingly popular among slot enthusiasts – ensuring a quality mobile experience is more crucial today than ever before.
Fortunately; Cat Clans plays smoothly across various smartphone/tablet devices.
The user interface responds well regardless of screen size.
Animations run smoothly; and transitions between screens/feature rounds take place flawlessly.
Irrespective of whether you’re playing using an Android device or iOS device; your mobile experience matches that provided via desktop browser version; although some minor graphic scaling occurs on smaller display sizes – details remain intact.
Recommended Player Base
Based upon above information; Cat Clans appeals most to:
High-Variance Slots Enthusiasts
Fans of Bonus-Round Mechanics
Slot Gamblers Looking for Big Wins
Animal-Themed Slot Gamblers
Gamblers Seeking Something Visually Different
Slots Enthusiasts who prefer frequent wins that are low risk may struggle with the volatility associated with Cat Clans; but for those willing to accept larger risks – they may enjoy its approach toward maximizing large payouts.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The game is based on a unique medieval cat theme.
• Potential for up to 20,000 times your maximum bet.
• Features Cat-a-pult free spins.
• Contains sticky multiplier wild symbols.
• Provides Clan Battle Bonus round.
• Allows you to buy into the bonus round with the Bonus Buy feature.
• Gameplay can be played via mobile.
• Can provide an RTP of up to 96%.

Cons

• The high volatility nature of this slot may not appeal to all slots fans.
• Big wins are likely going to be dependent upon one or both of the two main bonus rounds available.
• Operators may have different RTP values for this same title.
• Some slots enthusiasts will find fewer pay lines than they would like.

Final Verdict.

The success of Cat Clans comes from striking a balance between characterizing the theme while also developing features capable of generating true enjoyment.
While the theme of Warrior Cats clearly sets Cat Clans apart from the hundreds if not thousands of generic slot games fighting for player’s time, the developer has developed this theme into a series of features that will generate significant excitement for those who engage in them.
Cat-a-pult Free Spins provides big win potential due to the nature of these free-spins.
Multipliers, via multiplier wilds, add additional ways for players to enjoy the base game.
Clan Battle Bonus adds a level of uncertainty seldom found in other slot games.
Add a max win of 20,000 times your original bet, an rtp as high as 96% and seamless mobile performance, and you have a slot machine that delivers much more than just a fun theme.
If you are looking for high-volatility slots with interesting and memorable bonus mechanisms and themes, then Cat Clans should be taken seriously.
Do you have a big Clan Battle win or a successful Cat-a-pult Free Spins session? Let us know what happened and see if we can find out what type of luck you had compared to others.

Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Cat Clans

What is the RTP of Cat Clans?

Cat Clans offers an RTP of up to 96%. Although the actual RTP will depend upon the gaming site offering Cat Clans.

Is Cat Clans a High-Volatility Slot Machine?

Yes. Cat Clans is considered to be a high-volatility slot. This means that although there may be fewer wins, the bonuses that occur when they do will be much larger.

What is the Maximum Win Potential in Cat Clans?

The maximum win potential in Cat Clans is 20,000x your original bet, so this is certainly among the highest paying slots offered by Snowborn Games.

How many Reels and Paylines Does Cat Clans Offer?

Cat Clans uses a 5 reel by 3 row matrix that contains twenty (20) fixed paylines.

How Do Multiplier Wilds Work in Cat Clans?

When a wild appears, it will have a multiplier applied to it. It can be either x1, x2, x3, x4 or x5. If multiple multiplier wilds create the same winning combination, their values are combined and multiplied together. They can greatly enhance your winnings.

How Are the Cat-a-Pault Free Spins Triggers?

You will need to get three (3) scatter symbols on the reels in order to activate the Cat-a-Pault Free Spins feature.

What Happens During the Cat-a-Pault Free Spins Feature?

Free Spins will have two things happening:
Sticky Wilds – These wilds remain on the reels until the end of the free spins.
Reset Spins – Each sticky wild will reset your total number of remaining spins back to three (3).
Increase Sticky Wild Value – After every spin, a single sticky wild will gain +1 multiplier. They can reach a max of x9!
The Cat-a-Pault Free Spins feature is one of the best ways to earn huge amounts of cash within Cat Clans.

What Is the Clan Battle Bonus?

The Clan Battle Bonus is activated by getting the Golden Paw Symbol. There are four different cat clans competing against each other in this bonus round. The clan that shows up the most will give you the corresponding award for that clan.

Which Cat Clans Compete Against Each Other in Clan Battle Bonus?

There are four clans competing against each other. They are:
Clan Mac Cattus
Clan Mac Whiskers
Clan Mac Feline
Clan Mac Tabby

What Awards Can Be Won in Clan Battle Bonus?

Awards in Clan Battle can be:
10x
100x
1,000x
10,000x