3 Lucky Hippos (PearFiction) – Review & Demo Play

Gameplay Basics in 3 Lucky Hippos

3 Lucky Hippos runs on 5 reels with 3 to 6 rows and 243 ways that can rise to 7,776 per spin. Stakes range from €0.20 to €50, which suits testing the waters before stepping up. Wins pay left to right on adjacent reels, and that top horizontal row can add extra rows through Split symbols. I treat this as a Hold and Win-first slot where base game nudges set up the bonuses, so I pace my bankroll and let the modifiers line up.

Mastering the Game Controls in 3 Lucky Hippos

Controls sit neatly around the reels, and I found them clear even on a first session. The main buttons cover Spin, Autoplay with sensible limits, Turbo for quicker rounds, bet selection, and an Info section for the paytable and rules. Holding Spin speeds things up, handy when chasing Coins. I keep sound on because the music cues hint at feature activity, and I jump into the settings menu to tweak stake and autoplay stops to match my plan.

Game Symbols in 3 Lucky Hippos

The paytable leans on card royals and symbols of wealth and gambling. Five-of-a-kind pays are 0.6x for 10, J, Q; 1x for K and A; 2x for dice; 2.4x for casino chips; 3x for the money bag; 4x for gold bars; and 5x for the safe. A golden WILD substitutes for regular pays and helps complete ways. It’s bright, punchy, and fits the fast rhythm, even if the animal theme stays mostly in the background.

I expected a full animal set, but the titular hippos appear above the reels as part of the bonus system. The frog Collect symbol on reel 5 ties into Cash symbols that drop with values listed on them, while Split icons and Lotus sit on the top row. It all comes together cleanly on the paytable, so I always scan that page first to memorise the key numbers and which extras interact with each other during features.

3 Lucky Hippos Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Wild
	5	x5
	4	x3
	3	x1.4
	5	x4
	4	x2.4
	3	x1.2
	5	x3
	4	x2
	3	x1
	5	x2.4
	4	x1.6
	3	x1
	5	x2
	4	x1.4
	3	x1
	5	x1
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.2
	5	x1
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.2
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2

How to Win in 3 Lucky Hippos

This has a Megaways-style mechanic without the brand, as the ways randomise from 243 to 7,776 each spin. Land three or more matching symbols from the leftmost reel on adjacent reels to score a way win. The horizontal reel above can display Split symbols that add up to 3 rows to the reel below, and that enlargement carries into the LockNWin rounds when triggered. I like the flow, as the grid can swell just before a feature hits.

Features in 3 Lucky Hippos

Cash symbols land with random values between 0.2x and 100x. When the frog Collect symbol lands on reel 5, it scoops every Cash value in view. Orange Coins increase a stored multiplier up to 10x, and that multiplier applies to Cash collects or carries into the Multiply LockNWin mode. After a payout, the multiplier resets to 1x and is tracked per bet level. Split symbols on the top row can add up to three rows and carry over into features.

Orange, Yellow, or Pink Coins can trigger LockNWin. You start with three respins, only Cash and special Coins land, and any new symbol that lands resets the respin counter back to three while locking in place. Multiply LockNWin tallies your Cash, then applies the active multiplier at the end. Jackpot LockNWin chases fixed pots, with Micro 10x, Mini 20x, Minor 100x, Major 500x, and Mega 5,000x; these jackpots are not affected by any multiplier.

Supreme LockNWin layers in collector Cash. Orange Cash collects all Green Cash, and Purple Cash collects both Green and Orange when they hit, creating rolling totals. The Lotus symbol on the top row is a neat trigger; collect one above each reel and you activate all three LockNWin modes at once, with any Split growth and the current multiplier carried in. If I’m impatient, the Buy Feature lets me purchase single modes or combinations straight from the menu.

Understanding Payout, Volatility and RTP in 3 Lucky Hippos

The default RTP sits at 96%, with alternate settings at 94.04% and 92.04% depending on locale. Volatility is very high, and the hit frequency is around 27.43%, so the base can feel streaky while features do the heavy lifting. I size my bets with that in mind and use smaller stakes when I’m chasing Lotus progress across reels. Stakes span €0.20 to €50, which gives room to manoeuvre without stepping outside sensible limits on a long session.

The top payout is 5,000x, delivered via the Mega in Jackpot LockNWin. In my sessions I had regular small hits and a couple of quick LockNWin triggers within a minute, which lifted the session total nicely without needing a full grid. Jackpots are fixed values relative to stake, and multipliers do not apply to them. For a stat-heavy game, it plays briskly once Split rows build and Coins start landing in clusters across the centre reels.

Our Findings on 3 Lucky Hippos

3 Lucky Hippos mixes Split symbols, a persistent multiplier, and three LockNWin flavours in a bright package that stays lively. It’s a busy slot, yet the moving parts make sense after a few spins, and I like that Split growth and multipliers carry into features. The chase here is Cash and Jackpots rather than epic way wins, so I settle in and aim for Lotus progress or a two mode trigger to keep the momentum up between bursts.

The ceiling of 5,000x will be fine for most sessions, though pure max-win hunters might want more headroom. I rate the presentation highly, from the jazzy soundtrack to the hippos swelling when they eat Coins. For me, the sweet spot is Multiply plus Supreme running together, as the collector Cash can stack into a tidy total before the multiplier lands on top. If you like Hold and Win variants with a twist, this one is well worth a spin.