Cygnus is a 2019 ELK Studios slot based on a gravity mechanic and a fantasy swan kingdom. It starts on a 6x4 grid with 4,096 ways, and each avalanche win adds rows until you reach 262,144 ways. A multiplier ladder climbs when scatters touch the bottom of the reels. The top prize is listed at 5,000x your stake. It suits you if you enjoy cascading grids and a bonus that has to roll into place.
How does Cygnus work?
You play on six reels that start with four rows and 4,096 ways. When you win, the winning symbols disappear and the symbols above them roll down where they can, which ELK calls gravity. New wins trigger more avalanches.
Each consecutive avalanche win adds rows to the grid, up to eight rows and 262,144 ways. Multiplier scatters that reach the bottom of the reels move a ladder on the right side through 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x and 64x.
What are the Cygnus bonus features?
Free spins are not triggered by landing scatters in the usual way. A free spins symbol has to roll down and touch the monolith on the left of the reels. When it does, you get 7 free spins with the reels already expanded to eight rows.
In the bonus, the multiplier scatter stays sticky, so the ladder value is kept between spins. The round can be retriggered once for a total of up to 14 spins.
Is Cygnus worth playing? RTP and volatility explained
The listed RTP is 96.1%. ELK Studios publishes more than one RTP setting for its games, so a casino may run a lower version than the standard figure. The game's info screen shows the exact value at your casino.
Sources describe volatility as medium-high to high, with a hit frequency of about one in four spins. Base game avalanches return small wins regularly, while bigger results depend on a high multiplier combined with the eight-row grid in free spins. These figures come from a single independent source, so check the game rules too.
The game spawned several sequels, and Cygnus 2 to Cygnus 5 list lower RTP settings and much higher caps than the original. Check that you are opening the 2019 game if you want the figures shown here, since casino lobbies sometimes list the titles side by side.
Tips before you play Cygnus
- Confirm the RTP and max win in the info screen at your casino.
- Play the demo to understand the gravity trigger for free spins.
- Pick a stake that lets you play a few hundred spins.
- Set a time and loss limit before you start.
- Make sure the lobby tile says Cygnus and not one of the numbered sequels.