Based on the incredible popularity of Crazy Time, Evolution realized that live game shows of this kind will find their way to large audiences. The software developer decided to make a delicious combination of a live game show and a slot machine.
The result is Balloon Race, an extremely popular slot machine with a live bonus round.
Here You Can Play Balloon Race Live
What is Balloon Race Live by Evolution?
Balloon Race is a perfect combination of a live game show and a video slot. So, both live game show enthusiasts and video slot fans will definitely want to try the Evolution product. You will be levitating above the clouds while you spin the reels.
The 2024 release features several interesting extras and an exciting Balloon Race Bonus round. Here, you will enjoy the Qualification Phase with Scatters and Expanding Wilds, the Top-Up phase that allows you to boost multipliers, and the central attraction of the game, the Balloon Race Bonus.
You Start the Game By Hitting the Spin Button
The moment you enter the game, you will start spinning the reels. It is important to mention that the Balloon Race video slot is played just like any other slot machine. Once you trigger the Balloon Race Bonus, you enter the live section where a host will be waiting for you.
So, just like in a regular video slot, set the desired bet and start spinning the reels. It is played on a 5×3 layout with 10 fixed paylines. When you form a winning combo, you land a payout. You will have great help from Expanding Wilds here. Once on the grid, the Wild will expand to cover the entire reel.
- A perfect combination of a live game show and a video slot
- You can boost your bonuses
- Thrilling Balloon Race Bonus
- 3,000x max win
- Expanding Wilds in base game help you land more wins
- Bonus can be difficult to trigger
- Lower multipliers dominate the game
- Total bonus win can be quite modest
Game Interface
You will have the impression that you are walking on clouds while playing Balloon Race Live. The reels are set in the sky and in the background, you will see a vessel carried by balloons, This is where the host is staying, waiting for the live bonus round.
Since in the beginning, you are playing a regular video slot, you will not have a chance to interact with the host, who is there only for the bonus round. Nevertheless, you have the Chat option that allows you to communicate with other players.
Interface explained:
- Spin – You need to click on it to spin the reels.
- Speed – It is used to increase/decrease the speed of the reels.
- Autoplay– Here, you can activate the desired number of automatic spins.
- Activate/Deactivate XXXtreme/Super XXXtreme – When activated, it gives you more chances for triggering the Bonus, but also increases your bet.
- Bet – Here you set the desired bet.
- Qualified – Gives you info on how many players have already qualified for the upcoming Bonus round.
- Chat – Click on it if you want to communicate with other players.
Balloon Race Live is playable across all devices. So, it is entirely up to you whether you want to enjoy the Evolution product from the comfort of your home or on the go. The game fits perfectly on smaller screens.
How to Play Balloon Race Live?
Time needed: 4 minutes
I am positive that you will be flying above clouds with Balloon Race Live once you realize how it is easy to play the game. I will give you all the important information so that you can start playing immediately.
- Visit a live casino that offers Balloon Race Live
Go to your favorite online casino and log in. Go to the live casino section. The game is not available in demo mode and you need to log in if you want to enter the Balloon Race Live studio.
- Place a bet
Before you start spinning the reels, make sure that you set the desired bet. Betting options are given just beneath the Spin button.
- The reels start spinning
When you hit the spin button, the reels start spinning just like in any other standard video slot. Once the reels stop spinning, you can form winning combos. To do that, you need at least 3 matching symbols on an active payline. The slot pays left to right, starting from the far-left reel. Winning combinations are paid immediately in your account.
- Qualification for the bonus game
The goal here is to land a set of any three symbols — either scatter symbols or Expanding Wilds.
Scatter symbols may contain additional multipliers that boost your total winnings. - Qualification for the bonus game with a multiplier
If one or more scatters have a multiplier, and you qualify for the bonus game, the multiplier will be activated in the bonus game.
- Top-up Phase bonus game
During the waiting period before the Balloon Race Bonus round, you can engage in the Top-Up phase by clicking the TOP UP button. This action releases 3–6 balloons, each with a potential Top-Up value, with a maximum of two balloons per color. As the balloons ascend, they may either pop or reach the top, where their Bonus value is added to the total Bonus value of the game. The Top-Up bet amount must be at least equal to the base bet you used to qualify, but increasing the bet amount raises the value of the multipliers. Once the Top-Up time ends, you proceed to the Balloon Race Bonus round.
- Bonus Game
In the Bonus game, a machine randomly draws balls in four colors. Each ball drawn causes the matching color balloon to rise one step. The first balloon to move up five steps wins, and its color determines the payout for all players.
Bonus Games of Balloon Race Live
Balloon Race Live offers several interesting extras. Evolution divided the game into 3 phases and also added 3 spin modes, to make everything a bit more exciting. The Qualification phase is actually the base game where you will be landing Scatters and Expanding Wilds, and can also activate 3 different spin modes.
Spin Modes
The normal spin mode is set by default and is your regular base game bet. Next, there is the XXXtreme mode, which costs 5x the normal bet. This mode guarantees either a Scatter or an Expanding Wild on each spin and increases your chances of getting bigger multipliers.
If you activate the Super XXXtreme mode, you will be guaranteed at least 2 Expanding Wilds or Scatters on each spin, giving you more chances of getting even bigger multipliers.
Qualification Phase
The Qualification phase is where you begin. When you set the bet and decide whether to activate either the XXXtreme or Super XXXtreme mode, you start spinning the reels. You play on a 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines. Your job is to land at least 3 Scatters and/or Expanding Wilds on the reels to qualify for the Bonus.
So, both Expanding Wilds and Scatters can help you trigger the Balloon Race Bonus. Scatters can come with multipliers, up to 30x. When you qualify, the multipliers are carried to the Bonus round and included in the final multiplier.
During the Qualification phase, you will be playing a classic video slot, forming winning combos with regular symbols. The slot pays left to right, beginning from the far-left reel, with 3-of-a-kind as a minimum for landing payouts.
Expanding Wilds will help you form winning combos more easily since they expand to cover the entire reel once on the grid.
Top-Up Phase
When you land 3+ Scatters or a combination of Scatters and Expanding Wilds, you will qualify for the Top-Up phase. You play this phase while you wait for the Balloon Race Bonus to begin. In most cases, the Live Bonus round starts soon, so you need to act quickly. Watch at the timer that displays how many seconds you have to wait.
You will find 4 finish lines on top of the screen – yellow, purple, green, and red. Before the beginning of the Bonus round, you can hit the Top-Up button. Each hit will cost you the same price as the triggering spin. Each hit will release 3-6 balloons that carry multipliers. Out of the released balloons, only 2 can be of the same color.
Note that not all of the released balloons will reach the corresponding finish line and will burst in the process. Before the beginning of the Balloon Race Bonus, each of the finish lines will have a certain number of multipliers from the Top-Up phase.
Balloon Race Bonus
Before the beginning of the Balloon Race Bonus, an airplane will fly beneath the finish lines, adding random multipliers to each of the finish lines. Now, if you trigger the feature with multiplier Scatters, these multipliers will boost the multipliers delivered by the airplane. Finally, these multipliers will be added to the multipliers acquired in the Top-Up phase.
Now, you have done your part and it is time to sit back and relax. The host introduces the drawing machine that consists of 80 balls, 20 balls of each color. As I told you, there are 4 finish lines – yellow, purple, green, and red. Four balloons are placed beneath the finish lines.
When the drawing machine releases a ball of a certain color, the corresponding balloon moves 1 step closer to the finish line. The first balloon that moves 5 steps will win the corresponding multiplier.
Strategy to Play Balloon Race Live
When I first started playing this game, my biggest mistake was that I always went for the Super XXXtreme mode. It brought guaranteed Wilds and Scatters. Note that it costs 50 times the regular spin and will suck your balance dry when you are not paying attention.
In time, I transferred to normal mode and I used the XXXtreme mode from time to time. When I want to boost my chances of triggering the Bonus, I go with a lower bet, so as to keep my balance alive. So, in the Qualification phase, make a mixture of regular spins, XXXtreme spins, and Super XXXtreme spins with somewhat lower bets.
This will both save your balance and trigger features from time to time. Neither the XXXtreme spin nor Super XXXtreme spin will guarantee you the Bonus but will guarantee you more expensive spins.
As for the Top-Up phase, it is a tricky one. Sometimes, you will not have plenty of time to hit the Top Up button, and sometimes you will have more than enough time to do that. In these situations, just make sure that you don’t overdo it. Otherwise, your bet could be more expensive than your total win. If you are like me, you will be moderate.
My Results in Different Playing Sessions
As you may suppose, I have spent most of my time in the Qualification phase. I had my dry spells but I also managed to pocket some decent wins. Expanding Wilds helped me on numerous occasions. Even though I failed to trigger the Bonus, the Expanding Wilds secured me several delicious payouts. My biggest win in the Qualification phase was around 40x the bet.
When it comes to the Top-Up phase, I am usually very cautious because, in the beginning, I used to overdo it with the Top-Up clicks. Now, I may hit it 4-6 times the most, sometimes more when I go with the lower bet. The same thing goes for the XXXtreme/Super XXXtreme mode.
In most cases, none of the modes deliver the Bonus quickly. However, this one time the Super XXXtreme mode took me to the Balloon Race Bonus, which then rewarded me with a 750x total bonus.
I triggered the feature with a 10x multiplier from Scatters and also risked with the Top-Up phase, hitting the button more than I used to. Finally, the balloon with the biggest multiplier crossed the finish line first, which secured me a 750x bonus.
My Personal Opinion About Balloon Race Live
Being a huge fan of live casino games, especially the ones developed by Evolution, I am pleased to say that Balloon Race Live did not disappoint me. It is a perfect combination of a live game show and a video slot. Thanks to the great quality of the game, it runs as smoothly as possible.
It boasts excellent visuals and a fitting soundtrack. I enjoyed every part of the game, even the Top-Up phase, despite the fact that sometimes it lasts too short or too long. My personal favorite is the Balloon Race Live Bonus.
In most cases, you will not get the biggest multiplier. In my case, the lowest multiplier came often. Even so, I love the thrill of watching the 4 balloons race, waiting for the first one to go through the finish line. I recommend the game to every player who loves both video slots and game shows.
FAQ About Balloon Race Live
