Birds on a Wire

Birds on a Wire slot machine

Birds on a Wire is a slot that is all about exactly what the name suggests: birds sitting on wires. From this simple premise, New Zealand developer Thunderkick has managed to piece together a truly charming slot. Graphics and animations are spot on and get you in a good mood quickly after a tough day. The symbols consist of birds of all colors and shapes, and a cat that has slipped in among them.

Birds on a Wire, on the technical side, is a fairly standard modern video slot. It's not cut any differently from most other video slots you'll encounter, except for the fact that it has a very specific character of its own. That's down to the mechanics of the game: Thunderkick has managed to put its very own stamp on the proceedings. Nonetheless, if the mechanisms were different—if gameplay were more conventional—you might see Birds on a Wire as, frankly, not much to write home about. It has 5 reels, 3 rows, and 17 paylines that you can only win on if the symbols are in a certain order. You can play it for anywhere between €0.10 and €100 a go.

Symbols and functions

Dropping symbols

Symbols that are part of a winning combination vanish and are replaced by new symbols. If you keep winning, this continues, so in theory there can be any number of wins on a single spin. In practice, though, we see no more than 2 2-3 re-spins, which is still awesome.

High Voltage Multipliers

Each time you achieve victory as a result of Dropping Symbols, the multiplier goes up one notch. You can gain a maximum of 5 times your win in normal game rounds, but during free spin mode, it can rocket up to an astounding 20 times your win.

Bonus symbol / freespins

The cat that is concealed within a cardboard box is the secret to the game's Free Spin mode. If you manage to get three cats on the screen at the same time, you will win ten free spins. Each cat beyond that will grant an extra two spins, leading to possibly twenty-four extra spins. This means that if you get the max number of spins, you could reach 34 free rounds. When all free rounds are done and it looks like you didn't score that big hit you wanted, you'll get an Inwinity Spin that will guarantee you some kind of profit.

Wild symbol

Lastly, there exists, of course, a wild symbol that substitutes for other symbols and augments your winnings. The wild symbol is represented by a hefty black bird.

Summary

"Developers Thunderkick have once again turned a boring theme into something splendid by showing both imagination and the ability to create a slot machine that has excellent technical qualities. Birds on a Wire is filled with special features, so it is a safe bet that you won't get tired of it in short order." -- Eric M. R. Migliorisi, 2013.