Piggies and the Wolf
Playtech
From your friendly pet dog to a ferocious wild bear, it seems that everyone loves at least some sort of animal. Cats, kangaroos, spiders, frogs, and even humans: we’re all animals at heart, and there’s something about our fellow creatures that we can’t help but be fascinated by. Many of the most popular viral videos on the planet have features our furry (or scaly) friends, and the blight of endangered species garners as much of an emotional response from people as any human tragedy ever could.
Given that animals are so easily recognized and so beloved, it is easy to understand why so many online slot machines use them as a basis for their games. Whether you’re talking about one specific creature or a whole zoo worth of them, the animal kingdom is well represented in the slots world, with some of the most famous games on the Internet featuring them in prominent roles.
Piggies and the Wolf
Playtech
Legend of the Golden Monkey
Yggdrasil Gaming
Chicken Fox
Lightning Box Games
Wheels Go Round Bull
Aruze Gaming
Wild Coyote
Amigo Gaming
Solar Eclipse: Northern Winds
Playtech
Nitropolis 4
Elk Studios
Stinkin' Rich: Skunks Gone Wild
IGT
Feature Streak Tiger
Aruze Gaming
5 Rabbits Megaways
Pragmatic Play
Night Wolves
Bally Wulff
Respin Rhino
Lightning Box Games
King of Cats
Big Time Gaming
The Legend of Big Foot
Barcrest
Slot Birds 81
Apollo Games
Golden Pig
Octavian Gaming
Time Travel Tigers
Yggdrasil Gaming
Chicken Gems
Light & Wonder
Tiger's Claw
Betsoft
Rabbit's Riches
DragonGaming
Animals are a popular theme for developers because they are so easy to integrate into a wide variety of games. Sure, you can base an entire title around one kind of animal, which allows the game to write itself: just put in a few pictures of different kinds of birds, and you have yourself a bird-themed machine. But you can also go with a variety of creates that each offer different prizes, choose a grouping that belongs to a certain region, habitat or climate and base the game around that area, or even just use the animals as a few of the decorations for a broader theme.
Perhaps the best part of this, from the perspective of a game creator, is that everyone knows what these symbols mean. It is always helpful if the icons being used are as universal as possible: that allows anyone, from anywhere, to play the game and have an idea of what you’re going for. Just about everyone can identify hundreds of different animals by their pictures, making nature-based games some of the easiest to sell to markets throughout the world without any real translation required.
There is about as much diversity in animal-themed slots as there is in nature itself. It’s hard to come up with a definitive list of these games, because so many machines could potentially be classified in the category. If you count every game where an animal shows up at all, you’ll quickly find yourself listing hundreds, or maybe even thousands of slots!
However, there are some titles that are clearly focused on lions, tigers and bears (oh my) more than others. And while most of these games are enjoyable on some level or another, we’ve chosen a few of our favorites to spotlight below.
Mega Moolah (Microgaming): This may not be the most obvious pick based on its name, but Mega Moolah features a full collection of animals from Africa, ranging from monkeys to elephants to lions. Why not mention any of them in the title of the game, then? Because the real focus here is on one of the most impressive progressive jackpots in the industry, as this machine has paid out millions (and even tens of millions) of dollars to some lucky winners!
OMG Kittens (WMS): Is there anything more adorable than a tiny little kitten? These fur balls are bundles of energy and as playful as anything on the planet, which helps explain why cats are the most popular pet in America. This game is crawling with cuteness, but don’t let that distract you: there are also some big prizes that can be won, especially if you can line up the game’s stars: Tiger, Bubbles, and Mr. Whiskers.
Untamed (Microgaming): This series of slots by Microgaming covers some of the world’s most majestic creatures, and while each one shares some similarities, the various titles in this line have been crafted so that each one truly evokes the spirit of the beast it is named after. You can choose to play with a Wolf Pack, the Bengal Tiger, the Giant Panda, or the Crowned Eagle, each of which is presented in a well-crafted and gorgeous setting befitting that creature’s native habitat. And with the 243 Ways play format present in each of these games, you’ll never run out of ways to win.
Wolf Run (IGT): This innovative game from IGT was first seen in live casinos, but is now popular online as well. Using a Native American theme that features plenty of wolves throughout, big wins are possible thanks to the presence of stacked wilds – a feature that, at the time this game was first released, was revolutionary in the gaming world. With a bonus round that makes it even easier to fill the screen up with wild symbols, these are some wolves that you’ll be more than happy to run with anytime they like.