If you don't think a gaggle (ok, we admit we don't know what the word for a group of owls is) of owls can make for a great themed online slots games, you'd most certainly be wrong, and What a Hoot is the proof of that. This 3-line, 5-reel video slot from Microgaming has just 9 paylines (with 35 possible winning combinations), but offers plenty of fun, with a top prize of 5,000 coins. The flash version of the game is available to be played through mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones.

What a Hoot has an absolutely charming presentation, probably one of Microgaming's more bemusing titles graphically. The symbols are made up of a series of brightly colored and well designed owls. One's reading a book, another's having a drink, one is blowing on a party favor, and yet another is eating. In addition to the owls there are some colorful fruits and nuts, and the scatter and wild symbols are appropriately named scatter and wild, making them easy to remember, while still having nice designs that fit in with the other symbols. Unfortunately the sound isn't up to the standards of the graphics, particularly as it contains a fast-looping children's laugh track over the otherwise appropriate enough beat. The laugh track quickly becomes grating and distracting, and will likely force most people to turn the music off rather quickly.

Speaking of the scatter and wild symbols, they are the ones you'll most want to be on the lookout for. The wild is your ticket to winning combinations, being able to substitute for any other symbol as required to create the best possible winning payline. Wild symbols only appear on reels 2-4 however, so you'll need fortune in reels 1 and 5 if you want to hit it big. The scatter symbols meanwhile pay out in a different fashion, multiplying the bet amount when any 3, 4, or 5 of them appear on a payline, with 5 scatters multiplying the bet amount by 50X (the maximum bet being 90 coins).

What a Hoot is unique in that it has no bonus mode to speak of. While some players may find the lack of such a high-value mode boring, what it means is that your probability of landing winning combinations is much higher than it is on many other slots. This can make for just as much excitement as the occasional win, followed by the thrill of a high payoff bonus mode. There is an autoplay feature included that allows you to set the number of hands to play in your stead.

Final Verdict

What a Hoot offers a very appealing graphical look and a simple, yet fun online slots package with plenty of winning combinations. Just be prepared to turn the music off; it's worse than a gaggle of owls hooting at the night sky.