Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ Slot Review

If you’ve always fancied taking a walk on the wild side, then you’ve come to the right place. Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ is a tropical slot machine that promises the wonders of the rainforest in full technicolour glory. There’s an array of bright and cheerful sights here, so just for a while you can believe you’ve found yourself in a little piece of paradise. That is unless you’re already a rainforest dweller, in which case it will be a bit of a busman’s holiday.

Don’t be surprised if you find the title of this game confusing. Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ doesn’t really give us a clue as to what it’s going to involve, or what we should expect in terms of theme. If anything, it sounds more like a throwback to the childhood nursery rhyme alleging that little girls are made of “sugar and spice and all things nice“. The rhyme was penned way back in history, when gender stereotyping was still endorsed.

An Animal-Themed Slot From Ainsworth

Although sugar and spices do originate from some exotic climates, their connection with the slot title is not so evident. With the introduction of hummin’, though, we do begin to get a clue about the game’s theme. As soon as the hummingbird appears on the reels, we realise how significant a character it is to this online slot.

The free Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ slot is a creation of Ainsworth, the very same company who founded major player Aristocrat way back in the 1950s. Experienced players will not be surprised to discover many similarities between the Ainsworth slots and the Aristocrat ones – although the former boast arguably better visuals. Ainsworth undoubtedly makes well-produced games that may not be as cutting-edge as some other software developers’ offerings, but it does provide solid play with a few interesting and reliably enjoyable features.

Animal-themed slots are enduringly popular. Everyone loves a critter on the screen – whether furry and cute, or excitingly dangerous. Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ features frogs, lizards, toucans and birds of paradise with beautiful plumage. The big cat is the top-paying symbol on the reels, providing up to 1,000 coins a go should you receive a combination of five in a row.

The iconic hummingbird is an ideal choice as the wild symbol. It replaces everything apart from the scatter, but it does not provide any payouts itself. The volcano symbol is the scatter – if you land three, four, or five of these erupting wonders, you’ll get a payout equivalent to 15 or 50 times your total bet. You’ll also trigger the free games feature round, which leads us nicely to the next feature.

A Transformative Flowery Feature

Before the feature’s actual main event gets going, two special reels must spin. Each of these provides a separate and important piece of information, directly affecting the outcome of the next few spins. This first of these reels is responsible for determining how many free spins you’ll receive (either 3, 5, 8 or 10), while the purpose of the second is to reveal how many flower symbols will be in play.

The flower symbol is a significant addition to this round, being a transforming wild with magical powers that will hopefully help you bag loads of cash. With anything from one to four reels potentially filling with flowers during the feature round, you can win some generous payouts by landing a good number of flowers with a high-value symbol – such as the big cat – on the board.

A less positive aspect of this feature to be aware of is that this feature round differs from the base game in terms of symbol value. The big cat will win you significantly fewer coins here; however, the potential cash from the transforming flowers does compensate for this to some degree. Any decrease in value as you progress will leave you disappointed and may feel very much like a backward step.

Slots With Similar Characteristics

Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ is a fairly recent slot, having landed on the market in October 2017. It has a return to player of 94% and a medium-to-low level of volatility. That makes it a good choice for those who have already cut their teeth playing beginner-style slots, and are looking to progress to something that will cash out regularly enough. Plus, it has a feature round to up your chances of winning. The game is a little more risky this time round, though.

If you like the tropical theme, but would prefer to try something from another developer, check out Jungle Madness from Playtech. This has a similar RTP of 93% and a medium level of volatility, as well as a 5-reel layout and a bonus game. For a slot that features substitution symbols, check out the Inspired Gaming Goddess of the Amazon video slot. This has a slightly higher 95% RTP, a medium level of volatility and a lucrative 10,000 maximum coin payout.

Spice Up Your Life

You like to play with the very latest in tech at your online casino and are looking for a remarkably creative and innovative slot. If this is the case, then Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ isn’t the right game for you – even though it’s one of several mobile-optimised slots for multi-device play. It’s also perhaps not one of Ainsworth’s best slots, clearly due to the change in coin value from the base game to the feature round. It’s far better to up the ante than to decrease it, which may result in a potential anticlimax that gives the slot a sense of over-promising and under-offering players.

However, if you’re hitting play with full knowledge of how it all works and of this inconsistency, then you won’t feel let down if you do land that big cat in the feature round. Sugar ‘n’ Spice Hummin’ has a nice feel, giving off a positive, summery vibe. For us, it’s a winner, and we think it will be for you, too.