Betsoft: The Hive slot review | RTP: 96.78%

The bees are buzzing and the Queen Bee is waiting in the Hive! The Hive Slot is a bee-themed game where bees with special effects rule the hive and give rewards. It’s a colorful game with a cluster pays system and interesting features. It got spreading Wilds, Free Spins, Multipliers, and more to keep the fun.

This low variance video slot has a 96.78% RTP and a high hit frequency rate. It also has a unique reel configuration compared with the usual slots we review to match its theme. Moreover, it has affordable betting requirements and 30 paylines that pay both ways to keep players entertained.

Where to play The Hive slot

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Slot design

As its name suggests, Betsoft indeed turned this game into a beehive with its reel layout that has a hexagonal grid. The Hive Slot has a cartoon style graphics which is combined with a meadow covered with grass in the background. The trees, flowers, meadow, and honeycomb reels are brightly colored.

The game has a total of 19 symbols in the game area to form clusters of winning combinations. Its symbols include the Lady Bugs, Queen Bees, 4 Royals, Wilds, and 3 Colorful Flowers: Red, White, and Purple. Meanwhile, the honeycomb reels that are packed with these symbols are covered with honey. Just like other slots, its symbols on the reels are divided into low paying and high paying symbols.

Depending on the feature you trigger, there are also other types of bees like the Drone Bees and Worker Bees. Of course, let’s not forget about the tall glass jar beside the reels. Throughout the game, the bees can fill with honey to trigger more.

Slot features

The Hive Slot contains 5 reels and a more unique formation of rows. Instead of sticking with the usual matching number of rows, the game has 3, 4, 5, 4, and 3 rows. This layout is specially designed to match the game’s theme and title which is a beehive. But aside from its unique reels, the slot is also designed with a couple of features that might interest you.

3 Types of Bees

Are you ready to meet the bees of the hive? For each spin, one of the 3 types of bees can spawn at one of the 18 spots on the honeycomb.

• Queen Bee

The Queen Bee summons a swarm of other bees to fly around the Hive. This feature can improve your chance to take home the sweet gold!

• Drone Bee

The job of Drone Bees is to fill the Honey Meter that stands tall on the left side of the honeycomb. Once the Honey Meter is full, it will trigger the Free Spins round. Therefore, the more Drone Bees you can summon, the faster you can fill the meter!

• Worker Bee

The task of Worker Bees is to reward a stacking Multiplier to increase the number of other Worker Bees around the Hive. Its value depends on the number of Worker Bees that are present on the Hive + 1. The Multiplier is applied only to the winning paylines that are aligned with a Worker Bee.

After each consecutive spin, the summoned bees will then move into 1 position clockwise around the hive. Then, the bees will fly away and leave the game area after a random number of spins. If at least a single Worker Bee is aligned with a winning payline, the Worker Bees will also trigger their activity.

Sticky Sweet Free Spins Meter

Once a Drone Bee is summoned, each Drone Bee that currently surrounds the Hive Grid will fill the Honey Meter. The meter will increase by one level until it is full to trigger the bonus round with 5 Free Spins reward.

Honey Burst Spreading Wild

The Hive Slot features a Wild that is represented by a symbol that looks like a jar full of honey. It has a huge “Wild” word written on it so you’ll know in an instant. When combined with matching regular symbols, the Wild symbol can turn into a Honey Burst Spreading Wild.

During the Free Spins round, 1, 2 or 3 Honey Burst Spreading Wilds will land on the Hive’s honeycomb. These Wild symbols will spread to adjacent honeycomb cells after each spin starting from their initial spot on the grid. They will continue to spread and cover other cells until the last Free Spin.

The Hive Betting and prizes

The Hive Slot has a total of 30 paylines. You can bet a minimum of £0.10 and a maximum of £90 per spin which can suit casual and low rollers. The game has an autoplay option where you can set the reels to spin 5x to 100x. To win in this slot, you need to get at least 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols in a payline.

Aside from the rewarding Wild symbol, the Queen Bee is the highest paying symbol on the reels. It can reward you 12x to 60x your stake while the Lady Bug can reward you 9x to 30x your stake. The Red, Purple, and White flowers have the same value which ranges from 1.80x to 4.80x your stake.

When it comes to the Royals, the letters A and K winning combinations reward 0.60x to 3x the stake. Meanwhile, Q and J are the least paying symbols which reward 0.60x to 1.80x the stake. The Hive Slot pays out both ways from the cells that are aligned horizontally and diagonally. All coinciding wins on different paylines are also added to the payout. The highest win on each line pays.

With a hit rate of 48.71% and a solid 96.97% RTP, the game’s payout is definitely above the average rate. But despite its low variance, its maximum exposure can only reward you up to 378x your stake. Compared with other slots, this is quite low. With the highest bet, you can only win up to £3,780 which can be disappointing especially for high rollers.

About BetSoft Gaming

Betsoft Gaming is one of the widely known innovators that are leading in creating a 3D cinematic gaming experience. Founded since 2006, the company has successfully earned a reputation in producing high-quality iGaming products. Betsoft is backed by a solid team of experienced professionals who are committed to excellence.

This helped the company earn multiple awards like the Slot Provider of the Year 2018 and RNG Casino Supplier of the Year 2019 from 5 Star iGaming Media Starlet Awards. Also, its games are accepted and audited by independent certification bodies. Betsoft is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority, Romanian National Gambling Office, and other gaming authorities.

Final words

The Hive is a video slot that is playable in desktop, tablets, and mobile phones. It has nice graphics and background audio that match its theme. This is also a user-friendly game with fun symbols and interesting features to enjoy. However, even the honeybees may not be enough to make most players stick in this game.

The Hive Slot has a high RTP but its maximum winning prize is very low. If you don’t mind low payments, its features might catch your interest and help you relax. But if you are into high variance games with higher payouts, you might want to try other games like Wild Catch.