Finn and the Swirly

Finn and the Swirly Spin is a 5x5 slot by NetEnt. But it doesn't feature reels in the classic sense. Instead, symbols move onto the reels from the bottom left corner and swirl around the grid towards the centre. And that's where the Swirly Spin in the title comes from.

Finn himself is a cheerful leprechaun who stands beside the grid and grants random bonuses in the base game. Payouts are given for any line of three or more matching symbols. These are card suits hearts and spades as the low pays, and a horseshoe, four-leafed clover, acorn and a big red jewel as the premiums. The betting range is from 0.10 to 200.00 per spin. 

The key symbol is the Scatter. It appears on the bottom left of the grid and works its way towards the centre to trigger the Free Spins. 

Four exciting random bonuses can trigger at any time in the base game. These modifiers are the same as those used in the Free Spins rounds, and you can read all about them below. 

The Star is Wild and can help form wins by standing in for other symbols. If it’s involved in a win, it will explode and knock out all symbols next to it to give the player another chance at forming a win. If no Wild is involved in the win, one of the winning symbols will turn Wild for the next cascade. 

And the coin symbol is a Sticky Wild that stays on the reels as the symbols swirl around. 

After each win, the symbols involved will explode off the reels and be replaced by new ones.

The Free Spins are triggered when a key reaches the centre position on the grid. These are also collected in a metre. At first, there is only one Free Spins option available, but as more keys are collected, more different Free Spins rounds are unlocked until, in the end, the player will have a choice of four great bonuses, as follows:

The Star Bar: this is the option that is always open for players. It consists of 7 Free Spins, with one or two Star Wilds added to the reels on each spin, and every spin is guaranteed to land a win.

The Lava Lair unlocks after four keys are collected. During this four spin round, normal wilds will transform into sticky wilds. And the Dragon Destroy feature is always active, destroying symbols after a losing spin to turn it into a winning one. 

The Lucky Mug is available when nine keys have been collected. Pliers get three Free Spins. On losing spins, the Irish Luck feature is guaranteed to trigger, adding a full line of matching symbols to ensure a big win.

The Golden Pot needs 16 keys to unlock it. There are only two Free Spins in this round, but all the low-paying symbols are magically transformed into premiums for some valuable combos.  

Finn and the Swirly Spin remains one of the most popular slots around, and it’s easy to see why with all the great bonus features. But remember, despite his friendly appearance, Finn is still a leprechaun, and these little people don’t part with their treasure willingly so always set a loss limit before playing. Ádh mór!