| Provider | NetEnt |
|---|---|
| RTP | 97.50% - Compare RTPs |
| Volatility | Low |
| Reels | 5 |
| Paylines | 25 |
Simsalabim Slot Review
Simsalabim is a 5-reel, 3-row video slot from NetEnt, released in December 2011. It runs on 25 fixed paylines with an RTP of 97.5% - one of the highest return rates you will find on any online slot. The theme is a stage magic show, built around magicians, rabbits, top hats, and conjuring tricks. What sets this slot apart from other legacy NetEnt titles is that combination of generous RTP and two distinct bonus systems running alongside each other.
Simsalabim at a Glance
- Developer: NetEnt
- Release date: December 2011
- Reels / Rows: 5 x 3
- Paylines: 25 fixed
- RTP: 97.5%
- Volatility: Low
- Max win: 900x stake
- Bet range: £0.25 - £250 per spin
- Bonus features: Free Spins with 3x multiplier, Rabbit Bonus pick game, Wild substitution
Theme and Symbols
The stage magic theme is carried through consistently from the background setting to every symbol on the reels. Lower-value icons are standard playing card suits, while the premium symbols include a bird in a cage, a magician's top hat, a wand, and a locked suitcase. The Hypnotist acts as the wild and is the highest-paying symbol on the reels, worth 7,500 coins for five on a payline. The Magical Cube is the scatter, the Magic Bunny Rabbit is the bonus trigger, and the Magician's Hat pays 1,000 coins for five.
The visual style is polished for a 2011 release. NetEnt built this on their Flash-era engine but the presentation holds up reasonably well. The magic show aesthetic - complete with stage curtains and theatrical lighting - gives it a distinctive look that sets it apart from the Celtic and Egyptian themes that dominated the market at the time.
Free Spins Feature
The scatter symbol is the Magical Cube. Land 3, 4, or 5 anywhere on the reels and you trigger 10, 20, or 30 free spins respectively. During the entire free spins round, every win is multiplied by 3x. The feature can retrigger - if more scatter symbols land during the free spins, you collect additional spins using the same 3/4/5 scale as the initial trigger.
The 3x multiplier applies to all wins throughout the feature, not just to specific combinations. On a low-volatility slot with 25 paylines, the free spins tend to produce a steady stream of smaller multiplied wins rather than one or two big hits. With 30 free spins triggered from five scatters and the 3x multiplier running throughout, the feature has real potential even without a retrigger.
Rabbit Bonus Game
The Rabbit Bonus is the second bonus system and it works differently from the free spins. To trigger it, you need 3 or more bunny rabbit symbols landing on consecutive reels, reading left to right on active paylines. Once triggered, a pick-em mechanic opens where you guide a disembodied hand to select from a series of top hats. Each hat contains either a rabbit (awarding a cash prize) or nothing (ending the round). You keep picking until you select an empty hat.
The payouts from the Rabbit Bonus scale with your base game wager, so the feature is proportionate regardless of stake level. The mechanic is simple but it adds a participative element that breaks up the spinning. Unlike the free spins, this bonus is not retriggerable - each round ends when you select the empty hat.
Wild Symbol
The Hypnotist wild appears on all five reels and substitutes for all standard symbols except the scatter and bonus rabbit. There is no expansion or multiplier attached to the wild - it functions as a straight substitution. Given the high base RTP of 97.5%, NetEnt kept the wild mechanics simple here rather than layering additional modifiers on top of an already generous return rate.
How to Play
Simsalabim plays on a fixed 25-payline grid. The minimum bet is £0.25 and the maximum is £250 per spin. All paylines are always active - you set your coin size and coins per line, and the two values together determine your total stake. Wins pay from left to right starting from reel 1. Autoplay is available with configurable stop conditions. The game runs in-browser and does not require any download.
RTP, Volatility, and Win Potential
The 97.5% RTP is the headline stat for Simsalabim and it deserves proper context. The industry average for online slots sits around 96%, which puts Simsalabim 1.5 percentage points above the norm. In practical terms that gap compounds over longer sessions - players get more of their money back on average than they would at a typical slot. For a 2011 title, this was an unusually generous figure and it remains above average by today's standards.
Low volatility means hit frequency is high. You will see winning combinations regularly across the 25 paylines, though individual wins are generally modest. The max win sits at 900x stake - not a life-changing figure, but consistent with a low-volatility, high-RTP profile where the model is sustained play rather than a single enormous hit. If you are chasing high-ceiling wins in the thousands of times your stake, this is not that game. If you want a slot that pays back regularly and gives you two bonus systems to land, Simsalabim holds up well.
Players interested in other low volatility slots or looking for other high RTP slots will find this fits both categories. For comparison, Starburst runs at 96.09% RTP with medium-low volatility, while Blood Suckers from the same era holds a 98% RTP - higher than Simsalabim but with fewer bonus features.
NetEnt's Magic-Themed Portfolio
NetEnt built several games around conjuring and illusion themes during the 2010s. Magic Portals is the closest direct comparison - also a magic show theme, also from NetEnt, with sticky wilds as its main feature. Dazzle Me takes the showmanship aesthetic in a different direction with its linked reel mechanic. The Jack and the Beanstalk slot from the same period offers a similarly polished take on fantasy adventure. Simsalabim occupies its own space - the dual bonus system and 97.5% RTP make it distinctive within the NetEnt back catalogue.
Mobile Performance
Simsalabim was built before mobile-first development became standard. On modern smartphones it functions correctly - the grid scales, the touch controls work, and the bonus features trigger normally. That said, the interface was designed for desktop and it shows in the layout on smaller screens. The symbol detail is clear enough on a 5-inch screen, but players who prefer their slot experience native to mobile will notice the design was not built around it.
Is Simsalabim Worth Playing?
For the RTP alone, Simsalabim earns a place on the shortlist of older NetEnt titles worth revisiting. 97.5% is a number that very few slots - old or new - can match. Add two bonus systems (the retriggerable free spins with 3x multiplier and the pick-em Rabbit Bonus), low volatility for regular hit frequency, and a clean magic show theme that has dated better than many of its contemporaries, and you have a slot with genuine sustained appeal.
The 900x max win and low volatility make it unsuitable for players targeting large single-session payouts. For everyone else - particularly players who want a high-return, steady game with a bit of variety in the bonus play - Simsalabim is a solid choice. Find it on any casino site carrying NetEnt's full library.
Where to Play Simsalabim
These online casinos carry NetEnt games including Simsalabim. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.
Simsalabim RTP and Variance
Simsalabim has an RTP of 97.50%, which is well above average. See our highest RTP slots for the best returning games. Low volatility means frequent smaller wins - your balance stays steadier and sessions last longer. See more low volatility slots.
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