Cowabunga Dream Drop Slot Review
Surf’s up with today’s Cowabunga Dream Drop slot review. The Cowabunga Dream Drop slot machine from Relax Gaming will have you catching waves and hopefully winning prizes. This extremely volatile jackpot slot machine has a 6,000 x wager maximum win and an RTP of 93.99%. As the slot is part of the Dream Drop jackpot network you might surf your way to significantly larger prizes that can reach into the millions in value. Other features used in Cowabunga Dream Drop include synced and expanding reels, reel nudges, and free spins. So, is Cowabunga Dream Drop totally bodacious, or nothing but a wipeout? Keep on reading our comprehensive review to learn more.
Cowabunga Dream
Cowabunga Dream Drop RTP and Wagering
Relax Gaming's Cowabunga Dream Drop is a five-reel, three-to-seven-row video slot machine with 243–3087 ways to win. To create a winning combination, line up three or more matching symbols on neighbouring reels, starting with the leftmost reel with payouts limited to the highest win per line.
A Minimum bet of 20p and a Maximum bet of £100 per spin is the betting range available to players. To change your total wager, just use the + and – buttons on either side of the bet value beneath the reels, just as on all other Relax Gaming slots.
Cowabunga Dream Drop includes spin modifiers like turbo spins and auto spins, but these can only be utilised by players outside of the UK.
There are two variants of this game, which translates to two RTPs based on whether the Dream Drop Jackpot is present or not. The version with the Dream Drop Jackpot which is the game our review concerns, has an RTP of 93.99%, which is below average, with 12% going towards the progressive jackpot. Relax Gaming rates Cowabunga Dream Drops' volatility as 4 out of 5 which places it in the high range.
You can win up to 6,000 times your initial stake within the Cowabunga Dream Drops game itself (this would be the highest payout for the non-progressive version too). Since there is no cap on the amount of free spins you can receive, the Free Spins feature is the place where you will most likely achieve higher payout values.
However, the 6,000x top prize is not the only prize on offer here, as the game is part of the Dream Drop progressive jackpot network, meaning that players could randomly win jackpot prizes that can extend into the millions.
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Cowabunga Dream Drop Symbols and Audio & Video Design
Surf culture rose to popularity during the 1960s, with young people drawn to the laid-back lifestyle and outdoor living associated with the scene. Natural these surfers started to create their own slang terms with the joyful term 'Cowabunga' becoming the most well-known thanks to the likes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The Cowabunga Dream Drop slot is a celebration of surfer culture in every respect, and it seems to be set in the surfing mecca of Hawaii with the reels themselves settled within a huge cresting wave. The graphics are bright and engaging but also simple, which makes it more accessible to mobile gamers with smaller screens. The soundtrack is laidback and does not feel intrusive when playing only ramping up when players enter the free spins bonus round, where the setting of the reels also turns from day to night.
Fish of various colours make up the lower-paying symbols on the reels. The surfers who use various coloured boards are paid more. With a payout of 1, 1.5, or 2 times the wager for 3, 4, or 5 in combination, the orange surfer is the most valuable base game symbol. The life buoy, the game's wild symbol, can replace all other symbols except Bonus symbols. Also, if five of them land in a row, they will pay double the wager. A shark serves as the Bonus Scatter, and the full table for the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot is as follows:
Blue and Green Fish
Both will pay between 0.05x and 0.15x your total stake amount
Orange and Red Fish
Both will pay between 0.10x and 0.20x your total stake amount
Blue Surfer
Pays between 0.20x and 0.60x your total stake amount
Green Surfer
Pays between 0.40x and 0.80x your total stake amount
Purple Surfer
Pays between 0.50x and 1x your total stake amount
Wild Symbol
Looks like a life ring with a yellow ‘W’. This symbol pays out 2x for 5 on a payline and can substitute for all non-special symbols to form a winning combination.
Bonus Symbol
Looks like a shark with the word ‘bonus’ written below. 2 landed on the reels in any position will award the player with 5 free spins.
Cowabunga Dream Drop Mobile Features
Cowabunga Dream Drop is entirely mobile-optimised, just like all other Relax slots. It can be played on a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device—including an iOS or Android smartphone thanks to HTML5 technology. The game can be played on mobile devices in portrait mode, which means the reels remain clear even when fully expanded.
Cowabunga Dream Drop Bonus Features
The Cowabunga Dream Drop slot is not quite as laid back as the surfer lifestyle it is inspired by as there is a generous selection of five bonus features to enjoy, these are explored in more detail below:
Sync & Expand
Reels 2-3, 3-4, or 2, 3, and 4 may sync on any random spin, displaying the same High-paying or Low-paying symbols in the same sequence. Reels 2, 3, and 4 will extend to hold 4, 5, 6, or 7 symbols in height when the sync happens, for a total of 3,087 ways and expanded payout potential.
Nudge
The old-school ‘nudge’ feature seen in classic fruit machines makes a return in Cowabunga Dream Drop. The reels will occasionally pause during gaming and nudge downward to enhance a winning combination on the reels.
Free Spins
In the base game, the Free Spins feature is triggered by just two scatters appearing on the reels in any position, instead of the typical requirement of 3. Players will gain 5 free spins with reels 2, 3, and 4 always synced, and the reel set fixed in its fully expanded 7-row configuration. During free spins landing a single Scatter symbol on reel 5 will result in an additional free spin, and there is no limit to the number of additional free spins players can accrue.
Dream Drop Progressive Jackpot System
A jackpot spin may occur at any time, randomly, following the conclusion of the ordinary spin. During the jackpot spin, if at least one Dream Drop symbol lands, you will activate the Dream Drop Bonus feature.
Any Dream Drop symbols already accrued will carry over to the Dream Drop jackpot bonus. To claim one of the 5 progressive prizes, icons need to cover designated numbers of reels on a 5×5 grid to land a corresponding progressive jackpot prize. As the Dream Drop system covers numerous European countries, the prize value is typically displayed in Euros (€).
- 1 reel is required for the Rapid Jackpot, the value of which starts at €1 (approximate average win €7)
- 2 reels are required for the Midi Jackpot the value of which starts at €5 (approximate average win €50_
- 3 reels are required for the Maxi Jackpot the value of which starts at €100 (approximate average win €1,000)
- 4 reels are required for the Major Jackpot the value of which ranges between €25,000 and €50,000 (approximate average win €43,200 - 49,963)
- 5 reels are required for the Mega Jackpot the value of which ranges between €500,000 and €3,000,000 (approximate average win €2,562,000 - 3,000,000)
Of course, a progressive jackpot system takes a toll on the projected RTP of a slot, which is why the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot is 93.99%. The Rapid Jackpot requires a contribution of, 0.0001%-6.85%, with the Midi Jackpot requiring 0.1%-3.5%, the Maxi requiring 0.1%-7.9%, the Major requiring 1.0%, and the Mega requiring 3.0% respectively.
One thing that is pretty unique about the Dream Drop system, is that once triggered, the player is guaranteed to claim one of the jackpots, which is why the Rapid and Mini jackpot offer prizes typically under €100.
Bonus Buy (Non-UK and Non-Dream Drop)
Worth mentioning as it is a clear way to distinguish between the standard and Dream Drop Variants, Non-UK players of the standard version of the game can make use of a bonus buy feature which grants instant access to the free spins bonus round for a cost of 60x your total wager value.
Cowabunga Dream Drop Jackpot
As mentioned, Cowabunga Dream Drop is part of Relax Gaming’s progressive Dream Drop jackpot platform. Across all games on the platform over 4.5M players have won the Rapid Jackpot, over 548k have won the Mini Jackpot, over 28k players have won the Maxi Jackpot, and over 200 winners have walked away with the Major Jackpot.
There have been 14 lucky winners of the Mega Jackpot, with the latest winner walking away with €2,777,929 from playing the Pine of Plinko Dream Drop game in March 2024. As of writing, no one has won the Mega Jackpot from playing Cowabunga Dream Drop, but with the prize pot being claimed, on average, every 4-6 weeks, 2024 could see Cowabunga Dream Drops' first Mega Jackpot winner.
Cowabunga Dream Drop Final Thoughts
Typically, whenever I see a slot with an RTP below 95% I am ready to start typing out my frustrations in my final thoughts, however, with Cowabunga Dream Drop there is a bit more to consider outside of the seemingly dismal 93.99% RTP percentage.
Presentation-wise, the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot looks great and is perfect for the approaching summer season. The colours are bright but not gaudy, and the reels have been kept simple and borderless, only framed by a cresting wave which not only adds a modern feel but also makes the reels easy to see when playing on mobile devices even when fully expanded. The symbols are also easily distinguishable. Any slot that puts in a little extra effort to make the low-paying symbols thematic instead of throwing in playing card icons always receives an additional tick from me.
The symbol payouts for this slot are not the best, and they feel on par with a Megaways game, but without the characteristic cascading reels which make up for the shortfall with numerous potential wins per spin. There are the synced and nudge features on offer here though, which do account for the low symbol values somewhat; so long as they can be triggered frequently.
The top payout of 6,000x for the base game is generous. With the reels constantly synced and expanded during free spins, not to mention that only 2 scatters are required to trigger it, it seems like players might walk away with some exciting payouts from the feature; especially considering just one scatter will increase the free spins tally by 1.
Now, on to the aforementioned elephant in the room; the 93.99% RTP rate. The high volatility rating does not help to mitigate the sting of this percentage, and while I know that jackpot slots typically have lower RTP percentages 93.99% is certainly on the more end. What does take the proverbial sting from the tail, however, is the fact that non-progressive slot fans can enjoy the Cowabunga slot without the Dream Drop feature, where a much more on-par RTP of 96.01% is included plus a bonus buy for eligible regions. For players of the Dream Drop version, a positive to consider is that once you trigger the bonus, you will walk away with one of the prize pots, even if this might be as low as just €7; it will still add some excitement to your gameplay.
Overall, the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot is a well-designed game that jackpot slot fans will enjoy, plus the non-jackpot version is accessible to those who do not. For this reason, I have given the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot a decent 7.5/10.
Rating: 7.5
If you like Cowabunga Dream Drop, then check out these other Animal Theme slot games
Cowabunga Dream Drop FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about the Cowabunga Dream Drop slot.
