Zombie Carnival (Pragmatic Play) – Review & Demo Play

How to Play Zombie Carnival

I set stakes from £0.20 to £100 a spin via the plus/minus controls. Wins pay left to right on adjacent reels across 4,096 ways on the 6x4 grid. There are no regular wilds in the base game, so I lean on purple mystery boxes to line up extra hits. Autoplay and Quick Spin show up in some regions. A Bonus Buy at 80x the bet exists outside the UK. The info panel shows payouts and rules, so I always skim it before spinning.

Zombie Carnival Symbols & Payouts

I’ve had the best returns from premium characters. The clown sits on top, paying 5x for a six-of-a-kind way win, then come the ringmaster, strongman, and human cannonball. Lows are J–A card emblems with circus props. Wins form with 3+ matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the left. The brain is the scatter on reels 2–5. Purple gift-wrapped boxes are mystery symbols that reveal the same symbol. Wilds only show in free spins, where the bear does the heavy lifting.

Zombie Carnival Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x5
	5	x3
	4	x2
	3	x1
	6	x3
	5	x1.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.6
	6	x2
	5	x1.2
	4	x0.8
	3	x0.5
	6	x1.5
	5	x1
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.4
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	Mystery
	Scatter
	Wild

Zombie Carnival Free Spins and Bonus Features

Mystery symbols in Zombie Carnival are simple but handy. The purple gift box can land in the base game or the bonus, and at the end of a spin all boxes reveal the same random symbol from the paytable. They don’t pick the brain scatter or the bear wild. On a ways engine like this, stacks of matching reveals across reels can tidy up awkward gaps and carry small line-ups into pay territory.

Two or more brain scatters on reels 2–5 trigger six free spins. Those triggering brains morph into sticky roaming wild bears that stay for the whole round. When a new brain lands, the nearest bear shuffles across, eats it, takes its spot, pushes its own multiplier up by +1, and adds +1 free spin. If two or more bears help a win, their multipliers multiply each other. Each bear eats only one brain per spin; spare brains convert into extra wild bears.

I’ve had plenty of bonus entries with just two wild bears at the start, and that can cap ceiling early. Getting three or four brains on the trigger is ideal. Still, single brains drop often enough to grow values and extend the round. The base game can feel light because there’s no wild, but the mystery boxes keep you interested while you wait for that feature. The buy option, where allowed, mirrors the standard RTP and sends you straight to the action.

Zombie Carnival RTP, Maximum Win & Volatility

Zombie Carnival runs on high volatility, rated five out of five, and caps out at 5,000x the stake. The default RTP is 96.5%, but I’ve seen 95.5% and 94.5% versions in the wild. I always check the game info after loading to confirm the number. The bet range is broad, from 20p to £100, so I can tailor stakes to session goals. Multipliers in the bonus can combine, so the ceiling is reachable with the right grid and enough brains.

On balance, I keep stakes modest in the base and ramp up only if the feature feels lively. Bonus Buy costs 80x and doesn’t change the theoretical return where it’s offered, but availability depends on local rules. The game pays left to right on adjacent reels, so frequent small ways hits smooth the ride between features. Hit rate sits on the medium side for a high-variance slot, but bonus frequency feels swingy, so bankroll planning matters.

Zombie Carnival Verdict

Zombie Carnival nails the playful horror fairground vibe. Fireworks, dusk skies, and cartoon carny faces set the tone, while the soundtrack adds a cheeky menace. The base game is a bit sparse due to the lack of wilds, yet 4,096 ways and mystery boxes give enough sparks. The real show is the bonus. Sticky roaming bears, shifting positions, and stacking multipliers can snowball fast when brains keep coming. Multipliers multiplying each other is where the slot finds its big swings.

As a regular spinner, I rate it a pacey six-reeler with clear highs and lows. It’s at its best when you start free spins with three or four brains, or when a two-wild setup climbs early. The 5,000x cap is fair for this model, though not record-breaking. If you like high-volatility games with a cheeky horror twist, Zombie Carnival is worth a proper session, whether you’re tapping a few casual spins or grinding for that bonus.