Pirots entrusts an entire ship to four parrots who have decided to do without their captain. Released on 7 March 2023 by ELK Studios, this first instalment introduces the CollectR mechanic: the birds move across the grid to collect gems of their matching colour and trigger the feature symbols they can reach.

The game begins on a 5×5 grid that can expand up to 8×8. The game features an RTP of 94%, a volatility of 7/10, bets from £0.20 to £100 or the equivalent depending on the currency, and a cap of 10,000× the bet. Its pace depends above all on the position of the four birds and the paths that open up after each drop.

CollectR makes each win depend on the movement of the birds

CollectR™ relies neither on fixed paylines nor on classic clusters. Each Pirot is associated with a colour and collects the corresponding gems placed directly next to it, horizontally or vertically. Accessible coins and Wilds are also collected. A gem pays according to its level, then all collected symbols disappear to let new elements drop down.

Gems start at level 1 and can progress up to level 5. Each collected symbol feeds a common meter. When it is full, three gems turn into feature symbols after the current movements end. Several rewards can accumulate in a single round, making tracking the meter just as important as the immediate value of a gem.

Six families of feature symbols modify the grid

The six features are Wild, Transform, Upgrade, Coin, Bomb and Bonus. Wild replaces a gem at the payout level of its colour. Transform recolours a group close to the collecting bird or places several features there. Upgrade improves the gems of the relevant colour by one to three levels; its multicolour version progresses all four families at the same time. Coin directly awards its value multiplied by the active bet.

The bomb waits until the end of the collection process, clears an area around itself and triggers a new drop. It can also expand the grid up to the maximum format of 8×8. If no path remains open, two neighbouring birds can swap places and create a new collection. Pirots thus builds its best sequences in stages: movement, feature, repositioning and redrop respond to one another instead of forming a simple, isolated win.

The Bonus retains the progress achieved in the round

Three Bonus symbols collected during a single round award five Free Drops. The feature starts on the grid size already reached and retains the level of the gems as well as the progress of the meter. This persistence gives more value to an entry obtained after several expansions or upgrades. Three new Bonus symbols collected during the feature award additional Free Drops.

The Super Bonus applies these rules to the maximum grid. All upgrades progress the four gem colours, rather than just one. The grid therefore starts in a much more developed state, with more potential neighbours around the birds. However, the result remains determined by the collections actually accessible and by the features that drop during the five Free Drops.

X-iter offers five starting points from 3x to 500x

Bonus Hunt costs 3× the bet and quadruples the probability of triggering the Bonus on a drop. Feature Bonanza, at 10×, guarantees that the meter is filled and a feature reward is awarded. Maximum Grid Size, at 25×, launches a drop directly on the 8×8 grid. These three options modify the starting point without guaranteeing entry into Free Drops.

Bonus access at 100× opens the standard feature, while the Super Bonus at 500× launches it on the maximum grid with multicolour upgrades. The RTP remains fixed at 94% across all five modes. Their interest therefore lies in the type of situation sought, not in an increase in the theoretical return. Their availability may vary depending on the operator and local regulations.

Which player profile is Pirots for?

Pirots suits players who like to understand visually why a sequence is continuing. The colour immediately links each bird to its gems, while the meter, levels and grid expansion make progress easy to follow. However, the game requires a short adaptation time to distinguish what pays out right away from what prepares the next drop.

The volatility of 7/10 places the game in a medium to high bracket. Quiet periods can be followed by longer sequences when the birds remain well positioned, but a large grid or a nearly full meter does not promise the next result. A stable bet and a pre-decided session length allow you to enjoy the tactical aspect without chasing an incomplete setup indefinitely.

Verdict: a readable and already very complete first instalment

The strength of Pirots comes from the coherence between its features. An upgrade increases the future value of the gems, Transform opens a path, the bomb clears space and swapping two birds can extend the round. Each effect takes place within the same spatial logic. This unity prevents the numerous symbols from feeling like a list of unrelated bonuses.

A comparison with Pirots 2 shows how far the series has come. The second instalment starts on a 6×6 grid, adds more feature families and pushes the expansion up to 8×8. The original remains more direct: six features, gems limited to level 5 and a very clear relationship between the position of each bird and the next collection.

Comparing it to the wider slots catalogue allows us to place this formula among reel, cluster or ways-to-win games. Pirots stands out clearly from them: its payout depends on orthogonal collection, four moving positions and progress that can survive during Free Drops.

Ultimately, Pirots lays a solid foundation for the entire series. The grid expands without making CollectR unreadable, the Bonus rewards upgrades already achieved, and X-iter offers several clearly defined shortcuts. With an RTP of 94%, a volatility of 7/10 and a potential of 10,000×, the game maintains a solid profile while keeping a simple core rule: each bird hunts its own colour.