Look to the Stars in Cygnus 6 from ELK Studios

We have to give credit to ELK Studios; it’s not easy keeping a series fresh for so long. As such, when Cygnus 6 rolled around, we were naturally curious as to how it would work out. We’re happy to report the team has outdone itself yet again, delivering on a top-tier video slot. The graphics, slightly unorthodox grid, and features come together to create a game you don’t want to miss.

Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it. In this review, we’ll go over every detail of the Cygnus 6 slot to let you decide if it’s worth your time.

Cygnus 6 Visuals

ELK Studios has a talented art team, who were clearly eager to flex their muscles when making this title. The wide shot of an ancient Aztec city is fantastic, allowing us to appreciate the massive temples and the walkways leading between them. The lit braziers in these buildings burn a bright orange, in contrast to the green hues of the surrounding nature. Above the reels, we see the sprawling night sky full of stars, while the first hints of dawn appear on the horizon.

Available symbols include diamonds and gem statues of birds, snakes, and panthers. The letter W is Wild and can substitute for all other paying icons. Other notable bonus symbols in Cygnus 6 include the letter X, a pink gemstone, a constellation, and mystery symbols.

Cygnus 6 Gameplay and Features

This ELK Studios slot is played on a 6×4 playing area, which can expand up to a 6×8 grid. Each additional row also increases the number of ways to win, allowing you to go from 4,096 to 262,144. Forming a win requires three or more matching symbols in adjacent positions, starting with the leftmost reel.

Avalanche

All symbols that were part of a win explode, and existing icons roll down to fill the empty spots. Simultaneously, new symbols will appear from the top, refilling any empty spots and adding a new row of icons. The Avalanche feature continues as long as new winning combinations appear.

Star Constellations

Four stages of star constellations can appear in the Cygnus 6 slot. You start with the simplest configuration, with three stars in relative proximity to each other. Triggering the Starlight or Cygnus Realm features will advance you to the next constellation.

• The first constellation is a butterfly with three stars
• The second constellation is a hummingbird with five stars
• The third constellation is a jaguar with seven stars
• The fourth constellation is a llama with nine stars

After reaching the fourth constellation, any feature trigger will reset you to the first constellation.

Each star in a constellation has three states: inactive, active, and consumed. All stars start in an inactive state and become active if the symbol in front of them was part of a winning combination. These active stars can then be consumed by Starlight or Cygnus Realm features.

Starlight

If two or more stars in the current constellation are in an active state, the Starlight feature activates. It takes all symbols on one or more constellation lines and turns them into the same icon, increasing your odds of landing a win.

Cygnus Realm

Cygnus Realm activates when all constellation stars are activated or consumed. During this feature, only blocker, mystery, and premium mystery symbols can appear. The feature is played on the max-size 6×8 grid.

You start with three drops. During each one, there’s a chance for the blocker symbols to be replaced with mystery or premium mystery icons. Premium mystery symbols reset the number of drops, extending the Cygnus Realm feature.

Once you run out of drops, all mystery and premium mystery icons turn into the same random payout symbol. From there, payouts are awarded.

Bonus Symbols

Several bonus symbols can appear on the reels during regular gameplay: multipliers, max win symbols, and star chargers. Multipliers have to reach the bottom or leftmost column of the playing area before their effect becomes active. They increase the current active multiplier by one and then transform into a Wild. It applies to all wins for the current round.

Max win symbols will immediately award the money required to reach the 50,000x top prize. However, for that to happen, they have to get the leftmost column. When a max win icon reaches the bottom row in columns 2-6, it is removed and drops down one column to the left.

Star Charger symbols activate when they reach the bottom of the grid. It activates up to three stars in a constellation before turning into a Wild.

These bonus symbols temporarily turn into the randomly selected symbol during the Starlight feature. They transform back after the bonus round completes.

Bonus Drops

Bonus drop symbols reaching the leftmost column activate the Bonus Drops feature. This grants seven bonus drops, which carry the active multiplier into the bonus round. If another bonus drop icon reaches the leftmost column during the feature, it grants three additional drops.

The bonus round starts on a 6×4 grid, which increases by one after every winning bonus drop. This can increase the playing area to 6×8, just like in the base game. The multiplier is persistent between bonus drops.

X-iter

X-iter is ELK Studios’ version of the Bonus Buy feature. Through it, you can give yourself better odds of activating certain features or triggering them in exchange for a fixed sum.

Cygnus 6 RTP and Payouts

The RTP in Cygnus 6 is 94%, which is standard for an ELK Studios slot, but a bit low for our tastes. The game has high volatility and a 50,000x top prize.