Split Happens

What is the worst thing that can happen to you during a game of bowling? A split, of course, with the pins on both extremes. Thunderkick thinks this is just about right, because in Split Happens, it results in a lot of Wilds.

But right away you can tell that this is a slot machine you want to avoid. After all, it has an RTP of 94.16% with a game that is highly volatile. Still, you may want to learn more about it. You can read how Split Happens came out of the test in this slot machine review.

How to Play Split Happens

In Split Happens, you are presented with a standard playing field with 5 reels and 3 rows. The middle reel has a wooden finish, just like the bowling alley. As a bet, you choose from $0.10 to $100 making all types of players welcome. There are only 10 paylines in the playing area. These run not only from left to right, but also in reverse, just like in Starburst. You win when at least three of the same symbols appear consecutively on one of these paylines, with the first symbol on the outside.

Unlike a real game of bowling, in Split Happens you hope the bowling ball goes straight down the middle and makes the pins go both ways.

They can be card symbols from 10 to A that earn you up to 0.70 per payline. The typical bowling refreshments, beer and tacos are the first premium symbol. This is followed by a busty pro bowler. Respectively, they pay out 5 and 7.50 times your bet.

Bonus features of Split Happens

So far you don’t know how to achieve a split in Split Happens. This is because it has to do with the bonus features Thunderkick incorporated into the slot machine. We explain it to you here.

Wild Symbol

Cones, of course, cannot be missing in a slot about bowling. You will find them on reels 2, 3 and 4. They therefore serve as a very important symbol, the Wild. This means that they replace every symbol except the Scatter. This makes you more likely to win if you see them in your slot. But if you get a stack of three Wilds, they turn into one big cone that covers the whole playfield. This is no ordinary joker, but a Walking Stacked Wild. It triggers Respins until it falls out of the field. If he is on reels 2 or 4, he walks 1 step closer and closer to the precipice.
What you want to see, however, is a Wild on the middle reel. Then a split happens, after which you have a Stacked Wild cone on both sides.

Split Happens compared to 3 different slots from Thunderkick

Bonus Game

The Scatter of Split Happens is a red flaming bowling ball. You need three of these if you want to trigger the bonus game. Below your play area you have a little meter that keeps track of the number of balls, because during the Respins you keep on saving.
The bonus round can turn out to be very lucrative. You get 5 Free Spins that restart every time you can grab a Walking Stacked Wild. In addition, you’ll see an incremental Multiplier next to the play area. For every Respin, it goes up 1. The multiplier applies to every combination you make with a Stacked Wild.

Bonus Boost and Feature Buy

To hopefully get to the bonus game faster, use the two Bonus Boost options. You pay 1.40 times your bet to get double the chance and 2.50 times the bet for the fivefold. Or you buy the bonus game for 100 times your stake.

What do we think of the Split Happens slot machine?

Split Happens is a fairly simple game. You have a classic video slot playfield with only 10 paylines. The fact that there are only 8 different paying symbols and they pay out along both sides ensures that you should still win something regularly. Add to that the Stacked Wilds and it is strange that the slot is labeled as highly volatile. Also, a maximum payout of 3,000 times the bet does not fit well with that. The graphics are only moderate with the blurred background. They do use music that fits the theme. But the low RTP of 94.16% ensures that it is not a slot machine to be played.