Rat King (Push Gaming) Slot Review

Rat King: Slot Overview 

Released on July 27, 2023, Rat King marks a significant departure from Push Gaming’s traditional portfolio, introducing its first-ever scatter-paying slot. This 6×6 reel game dives into a whimsical, candy-coated world where players battle it out in a defunct sweet factory ruled by a crowned rodent overlord. Unlike traditional payline-based systems, Rat King pays for symbol clusters—much like Sweet Bonanza—but it brings a uniquely Push Gaming twist with added mechanics, nostalgic visual flair, and exciting bonus dynamics. 

Blending retro pixel art aesthetics with modern slot innovation, Rat King aims to satisfy both old-school gamers and players seeking fresh mechanics. It’s a hybrid of style and substance—a medium-volatility slot with a maximum win of 10,000x the bet, a 96.30% base RTP, and gameplay that delivers chaos, charm, and cascades in equal measure.

Design and Graphics 

Visually, Rat King transports players to a late-90s/early-2000s pixel-art universe reminiscent of early arcade or console platformers. Gone are the polished CGI visuals of other modern Push Gaming slots; in their place are vibrant 8-bit candies, chunky fonts, blinking neon signs, and backgrounds filled with conveyor belts and mechanical candy chutes.The sweet factory setting is bathed in violet and neon hues, with mechanical contraptions in the backdrop that appear both whimsical and industrial. Each candy symbol is brightly colored and distinctly shaped—gumdrops, lollipops, and jelly clusters—popping against the darker background. Dud symbols (grey, dull-colored blobs) stand out as unwelcome fillers but are cleverly integrated into the mechanics. 

It’s a bold visual direction that sets Rat King apart, embracing nostalgia while maintaining gameplay clarity. The inclusion of CRT-style scan lines, mechanical flourishes, and quirky animations add further charm, especially for players familiar with retro gaming aesthetics.

Gameplay Mechanics 

Rat King operates on a 6×6 grid and utilizes a scatter-pay system, meaning wins are triggered by landing clusters of seven or more identical symbols anywhere on the reels—not across designated paylines. With each win, the winning symbols are removed from the grid, making room for new symbols to cascade down in a tumbling mechanic. The result is a continuously evolving board state ripe for chain reactions. 

There are two symbol categories: 

Regular symbols: six colorful candies that pay between 0.5x to 2x the bet for 7–8 of a kind, and up to 7.5x to 50x for 20+ matches. 

Dud symbols: greyed-out symbols with no value. When 7 or more identical Dud symbols appear, they are cleared from the grid, allowing space for potentially more lucrative drops. 

The slot also includes a Push Bet feature. Activating this raises the stake by 20%, slightly boosts the RTP from 96.3% to 96.35%, and increases the likelihood of triggering the bonus round. The math model behind Rat King is classified as medium volatility, offering a more balanced gameplay flow suitable for wider audiences than its high-volatility siblings like Razor Returns.

Sound and Music 

The sound design in Rat King is deliberately retro, leaning heavily into synths, chip-tune melodies, and playful beeps that echo classic arcade games. From the moment the reels start spinning, players are greeted with upbeat, almost bouncy tracks that enhance the game’s playful, lighthearted tone. 

When clusters form and cascade, the sound effects are satisfyingly crunchy and zippy, elevating the thrill of combo wins. Bonus rounds trigger intensified audio cues with rhythmic basslines and quirky buzzers, building suspense and excitement. It’s an auditory treat for fans of nostalgic gaming soundtracks and works well in tandem with the pixelated graphics.

Bonus Features 

Collection Boxes & Star SymbolsEach reel has a Collection Box at its base. Star symbols—which come with multipliers ranging from x2 to x500—must fall to the bottom of the reel to be collected. When this happens, their multiplier value is added to a Multiplier Counter, which is then applied to all winnings from the current tumble sequence. 

What makes this feature interesting is that multipliers do not reset during Free Spins unless another one is added. This allows wins to build considerably over time. 

Rat King Symbols & Free Spins 

The titular Rat King symbols also drop into Collection Boxes and are key to unlocking the Free Spins feature. Collecting: 

3 Rat Kings awards 10 Free Spins 

4 Rat Kings awards 15 Free Spins 

5 Rat Kings awards 20 Free Spins 

During Free Spins, the mechanics are similar but with a twist—every time a Rat King lands and is collected, +3 additional Free Spins are awarded. Additionally, the multiplier value from any Star symbols collected during Free Spins is applied to the total win on that specific spin and persists between spins. 

The bonus round offers high replayability thanks to this persistence mechanic and the potential for long, rolling tumbles with increased win potential. 

Bonus Buy 

Players in eligible jurisdictions can skip the grind and access Free Spins directly via three Bonus Buy options:3 Scatters (10 FS) – 100x the bet (RTP 96.58%) 

4 Scatters (15 FS) – 250x the bet (RTP 96.36%) 

5 Scatters (20 FS) – 500x the bet (RTP 96.93%) 

These options allow players to choose their level of risk and entry point into the game’s high-octane bonus round.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Rat King caters to a wide audience with a flexible betting range of €0.10 to €100 per spin. This makes it accessible to casual players while still appealing to high-rollers. The maximum payout caps at 10,000x the base bet, offering significant win potential for those willing to brave the tumbling, scatter-based chaos. 

The default RTP is 96.30%, with alternate configurations of 95.25%, 94.32%, 90.21%, and 88.19% available depending on the market or casino. Players should always check which version they’re playing. The Push Bet nudges the RTP slightly upward and improves bonus odds, though it increases the base stake. 

The math model’s medium volatility ensures a smoother experience than high-volatility slots, providing more frequent, albeit smaller, wins to keep the gameplay engaging over longer sessions.

Conclusion 

Rat King is a refreshingly original release from Push Gaming, marking a notable pivot into the scatter-pays genre while retaining the studio’s trademark innovation and production quality. With its nostalgic pixel-art design, clever symbol clearing mechanics, and engaging bonus features like Collection Boxes and persistent multipliers, it delivers a richly layered gameplay experience. 

The game stands out not only for its aesthetic throwback charm but also for offering a medium-volatility option in a developer catalogue heavily tilted toward high-stakes volatility. It bridges the gap between mass-market appeal and feature-rich depth, making it suitable for both casual and serious slot players. 

While it might not reach the dizzying volatility or max-win heights of Razor Returns, Rat King earns its crown through accessibility, creativity, and pure playability. For players seeking something quirky, colorful, and full of cascading candy chaos, Rat King is a reigning champion in its own right.