Big Bamboo

Into the magical bamboo forest

Picture yourself stepping into a bamboo thicket at sunrise—mist swirling around clusters of panda, peacock, monkey, and boar. The air’s full of chimes, occasional distant birdcalls, and a gentle, zen-like glow settles on everything. Big Bamboo takes this dreamy, East Asian animal world and runs with it, throwing you into a forest alive with color and little hints of fantasy magic. For a second, you might expect a peaceful spinning session. And honestly, that’s how it starts—calm music, soothing visuals, a gentle pace—but don’t get fooled.

Once you get spinning, Big Bamboo flips the script. Push Gaming, known for cramming their slots full of features and serious win potential, has gone all out here. This isn’t just a tranquil walk in the woods. With volatility that’ll keep you on your toes and features erupting left and right, Big Bamboo is anything but just a chill nature slot. Released in 2022, it’s fast become a favorite for anyone craving risk and reward with a side of pandas.

How it actually plays

Big Bamboo gives you a familiar slot setup but with a few more rows than usual: that’s five reels and six rows, with a fixed 50 paylines. You can’t adjust the number—it’s always the full 50. Bets start as low as €0.10 per spin, which is great if you’re just poking around or trying out the Big Bamboo demo for free. Max bet sits at €20 per spin, so it won’t satisfy your pure high-roller, but there’s enough to keep it spicy thanks to the potential for 50,000x wins.

You’ll want to know the numbers: The RTP clocks in at 96.13%, which rides right at the industry average. So, no complaints there. The big story is the volatility. This is a high variance slot—payouts don’t come all day, but when things line up, you’re looking at some serious action. Sometimes you’ll spin and get nothing but teases for what feels like forever. Other times, everything pops off at once. There’s no sugarcoating it: losing streaks can sting, but the top end of the paytable makes it worth the sweat.

If you like to speed things up, Big Bamboo offers an autoplay mode and turbo spins to keep the action moving.

Digging into the bonus features: The real heart of Big Bamboo

This game has plenty packed under the hood, but the Mystery Bamboo and especially the Golden Bamboo feature steal the show. Here’s how those work. Mystery Bamboo symbols land on any reel and, when they do, they unfold to reveal the same matching symbol—think of them as a way to stack your chances for bigger hits. When these reveal Golden Bamboo symbols, things get a lot more interesting.

Landing Golden Bamboo triggers the Golden Bamboo Feature. Now those spots on the reels spin individually to award Instant Prizes, multipliers (sometimes up to 5000x!), Collect symbols, or Scatters. Collect symbols are part of a collection mechanic—basically, they help scoop up prizes lying around during the feature and bring them all together.

Then, there’s the Scatter and Gamble Scatter mechanics. If you land Scatter symbols on reels 2 and 3, with a Gamble Scatter on reel 4, a special mini-game kicks in. The Gamble Scatter spins: sometimes you get nothing, sometimes it dishes out free spins (4–10), and on top-tier results, it’ll even transform some of the low-paying symbols into Mystery Bamboo for the duration of your free spins. There’s a gamble button to try for more spins too, if you’re feeling aggressive.

During the Free Spins feature, collecting Scatters fills up a meter next to the reels. Every time you fill a section of the meter (by collecting 4 scatters for each low-paying symbol), you turn another low-value symbol into Mystery Bamboo for the rest of your free games and might score extra spins or win multipliers. It’s one of those free spins rounds that builds momentum if you get lucky with early Scatter drops.

There are also Conversion and Additional Free Spins symbols that can drop during bonus rounds, adding extra shots (up to four more) and boosting your win multipliers. When the features chain together, that’s where you see the potential for monster wins—and a lot of those wins come from the random-but-juicy Golden Bamboo reveals.

Symbols that matter (and some that don’t)

Big Bamboo’s symbols aren’t just about the animals—they’re mini pieces of art, all bathed in that soft bamboo-green light. At the top of the paytable, you’ve got the panda, which is by far the best payer, followed by the wild boar, blue peacock, and the dozy green monkey. These are the flashy hits on the reels—the ones you’ll want to see lining up during those reveal features.

The lower end of the scale is filled out with card suits—stylish, yes, but they’re just there to fill gaps or get converted to mystery symbols during bonus gameplay. There’s the Wild symbol too, which stands in for everything except Scatters and special reveal symbols. Land wilds in with a bunch of animals, and you might just see the balance spike. Scatters, as covered above, trigger the free spins and the gamble feature. Both Wilds and Scatters get some nice graphical treatment—think glowing, magical shapes that pop compared to the mellow rest of the design.

Symbol animations and little sparkles of magic help bring the world alive, and it does add to the overall experience—these aren’t static, boring icons spinning around.

So, want to try Big Bamboo free play?

If you’re looking to try before you risk any real money, Big Bamboo demo mode is easy to find at most slot sites with Push Gaming titles. Big Bamboo free play gives you the same heart-pounding volatility and bonus features, just minus that real money sting—or thrill, depending how it goes. It’s a perfect way to get a feel for the mega swings that come with this game.

First time spinning? Here's what to expect

Start by choosing your bet—just click the plus and minus icons to set your preferred stake. The spin button is front and center below the reels, and autoplay is easy to set if you want quick rounds. Accessing the paytable’s just a question mark click away. If you’re new, expect a few dry spells, followed by sudden bursts of action—especially if Mystery Bamboo hits start dropping early. Don’t chase every feature straight out the gate; let the game’s swings settle in for a bit.

How does Big Bamboo stack up to other slots?

Fans of volatility-first slots like Razor Shark or Dead or Alive 2 will feel at home here. The mystery and reveal mechanics borrow a little from the wild multiplier features in those games, with a twist that feels unique thanks to the Collection system. If you enjoy a high-risk, high-reward slot, Big Bamboo is right in that sweet spot.

If you’re just here for the theme, you might also get lots out of games like Sakura Fortune or Cloud Quest—they’ve got similar tranquil-meets-chaos vibes, just with less bonus madness.

Should you try Big Bamboo?

Honestly, Big Bamboo keeps the slot experience fresh. Even when it isn’t paying out, there’s enough going on with the reveals, mystery mechanics, bonus chases, and animal animations to avoid boredom. If you’re a bonus hunter or looking for huge win potential (but with the patience for the swings), it’s a top pick. Math-minded players will appreciate the balance of RTP and variance.

Not into risk? Maybe stick to something simpler. But for anyone drawn to chaos, features galore, and those moments of wild hope as the reels slow down—Big Bamboo is well worth a spin. Want more from Push Gaming? Try out Razor Shark, or go in a different direction with Tiki Tumble or Jammin’ Jars for a flavor swap.