More Pixie-Themed Slots
About the Pixies of the Forest Slot Machine
| Genre | Video Slot |
|---|---|
| Developer | IGT |
| RTP | 94.72% |
| Volatility | Low |
| Min/Max Bet | 0.33$ / $165 |
| Max Win | 2,000x |
| Reels | 5 |
| Paylines | 99 |
Pixies of the Forest is IGT’s best-known slot in the whimsical-woodland slot category, and in our opinion, it’s one of the more distinctive slots from the early tumbling-reel era. Its oddball 99-payline structure alone makes it stand out from nearly every other 5-reel game on the floor. We also think the magical woodland art has held up better than most fantasy slots from the era. Likely also a big part of why the game still has a sizeable audience these days.
IGT released Pixies of the Forest as an online adaptation of the earlier land-based Secrets of the Forest slot machine (originally developed by High 5 Games). It made its way to Vegas casino floors around 2009, playable on IGT’s classic AVP cabinet. In January 2012, the game got its online transformation.
You can play the free Pixies of the Forest demo online at CoolOldGames.com. There’s no download or account needed to get started, so you can get a feel for the tumbling mechanic before committing any real money.
Advantages of Playing Pixies of the Forest for Free at Cool Old Games
Pixies of the Forest looks like a standard 5-reel fantasy slot at first glance, but it isn’t. The 99 fixed paylines plus tumbling reels change how you read the screen, and we feel that most players need a few spins to see why a near-miss on what looks like a winning line didn’t actually pay out.
Free play at Cool Old Games is the cheapest way to learn the game’s quirks. We always recommend starting with a demo because:
- The 99-line math isn’t intuitive: Free play is where you can figure out which clusters of symbols actually pay versus which just look like they should.
- The Free Spins round can swing wide: Triggering one costs you real spins, and seeing the variance play out on demo credits is worth doing before staking real money.
- The pre-bonus pick minigame is easy to miss: It determines your spin count and sometimes a multiplier, and watching it land a few times in demo gives you a much better feel for the upside.
At CoolOldGames.com, the demo runs instantly in your browser on any device, with no signup or email required. Pixies is truly one of the more valuable free-play sessions you can run. Almost all of the game’s variance lives inside the Free Spins round, and experiencing that on play money is a lot easier on your mood than on your bankroll.
How the Game Works
Pixies of the Forest uses a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 99 fixed paylines, which is a notably unusual number. Most 5-reel slots run 20, 25, 30, or go the “all-ways-pays” route with 243 or 1,024 ways. Tumbling reels is the mechanic that gives the game its pace. But we’ll come back to that later.
Bets start at $0.33 per spin (enough to cover all 99 lines at a minimum coin value), and max bet varies significantly by casino. We’ve seen ceilings ranging from a few hundred dollars into the low thousands.
Our tip for first-time players: start with the minimum bet and run at least 50 spins before making any changes. Pixies of the Forest has an unusual rhythm. You’ll see more base-game action than in most 5-reel slots thanks to tumbles, and you need a bit of time to calibrate what a “normal” session looks like before scaling up.
Symbols & Payouts
All the symbols are related to forest fantasy, featuring different pixies, leafy vines, and glowing magical accents. You’ll find a blend of classic card icons (K, Q, A) with fairy characters.
| Symbol | 5 of a Kind | 4 of a Kind | 3 of a Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo | 2,000x | 400x | 20x |
| Purple-haired Pixie | 1,000x | 200x | 15x |
| Brunette Pixie | 400x | 50x | 10x |
| Blonde Pixie | 150x | 30x | 5x |
| A | 40x | 10x | 3x |
| K | 30x | 10x | 2x |
| Q | 25x | 5x | 1x |
We’ve found the logo is actually rare, with most long sessions ending without ever seeing a five-of-a-kind logo line. The pixie characters (especially the Blonde) show up far more often, and the mid-tier hits are what actually bring the balance to this game.
Wild Symbol
Appears on reels 2, 3, and 4 only in the base game. It substitutes for everything except the Bonus symbol, but does not give any payouts on its own.
Bonus Symbol
Appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. Three on an active payline trigger the Free Spins round (more details about that below).
Bonus & Special Features
Tumbling Reels
Every winning combination triggers tumbling reels, a feature pioneered by the Da Vinci Diamonds slot. The symbols that made the win disappear, new ones fall in, and the process repeats until no more wins form. It isn’t really a “feature” in the modern bonus-buy sense, because it’s built into every spin.
We do feel it’s what makes this slot replayable after the theme novelty wears off. A single spin can occasionally chain three or four cascades for an outsized base-game payout. We’ve had a handful of five-tumble runs over the years, and those are partly the moments that define this game’s magic.
Free Spins (Bonus Pick)
Three Bonus symbols landing on an active payline across reels 2, 3, and 4 trigger the Free Spins round. Before the spins start, a short pick minigame lets you click three red symbols saying “Choose” to reveal your spin count (anywhere from 5 to 11 spins).
During free spins, the Pixie wild expands from its base-game reels (2 through 4) to reels 1 through 4, which materially improves the chance of long tumble chains.
From what we’ve played, a typical bonus returns modestly above the trigger stake, with the outlier sessions being rarer than the marketing for the game would suggest.
RTP and How We Experienced the Volatility
Pixies of the Forest has an RTP of 94.90%, which is below the modern online slot average of about 96%. If the 94.90% RTP puts you off, know that IGT also released Pixies of the Forest II (playable here) with a 96.57% RTP.
Volatility feels fairly low, with most of the game’s variance sitting inside the Free Spins round rather than the base game. In practice, we’ve noticed a lot of small tumble wins in the base game, though individually, none of them hit heavily.
During our sessions, the interesting moments almost always came from extended cascades rather than single-spin wins. It’s simply the game’s signature.
We recommend budgeting by session length rather than by win target. The low volatility means your bankroll tends to last, but Pixies rewards patience over chasing. Setting out to “hit the bonus and leave” usually leads to overplaying because triggered bonuses don’t always pay what you’d hope.
How to Play Pixies of the Forest Slots Online
Step 1: Select Free Play on CoolOldGames.com
Launch Pixies of the Forest in your browser at the top of this page, with no download or signup required. The demo runs full screen on desktop and scales cleanly to your mobile device. The 200 credit balance resets each time you press the “Restart Game” button, so you can take as many runs as you need.
Step 2: Set Your Bet
All 99 paylines are fixed, so your only real choice is coin value. The default minimum total bet ($0.33) is a low-friction place to start. You’ll see the tumbling rhythm and get comfortable with the pace without burning through your demo balance too fast.
In our experience, the game’s logic doesn’t become obvious until about spin 30 or 40. Scaling up before that usually means scaling up before you really understand what you’re watching.
Step 3: Get Familiar with the Tumbling Reels
Any winning combination triggers cascades. Watch how often three or four consecutive tumbles chain together, since the game’s real payout potential lives in extended cascades rather than single hits.
The Pixie wild substituting during a cascade often keeps the chain going. We’ve noticed most of our better base-game wins have come from a wild extending a tumble rather than from a single big line hit.
Step 4: Chase the Free Spins Bonus
Three Bonus symbols on an active payline across reels 2, 3, and 4 triggers Free Spins. During free spins, the wild expands to reel 1, which noticeably boosts how often tumble chains extend. It’s where the biggest single-spin payouts happen, and it’s also where the variance is highest.
Note that a triggered bonus doesn’t guarantee a big win, but when it lands well, it can carry an entire session. Take your time to chase it during free play!
Step 5: Play for Real Money at an Online Casino
When you’re ready to play Pixies of the Forest slots for real money, sign up at an online casino that has IGT games. Be aware that not every (US) operator features these games.
If the exact Pixies title isn’t available, similarly styled fantasy slots from Nucleus Gaming, Betsoft, and Pragmatic Play can fill that niche. Many of them have newer features and higher RTPs, and a few might even compete with the original, in our opinion.
Below are some of our favorites:
Another tip is to search for “Pixie”, “Fantasy”, or “Fairies” in the slots lobby of your preferred online casino.
Important: 21+ age restriction in most US states. Confirm legality in your jurisdiction. Play responsibly by setting a budget before you start, and stopping when you’ve hit your limit. Help: 1-800-GAMBLER.
Cool Old Games’ Opinion
Pixies of the Forest is one of those slots where the mechanics genuinely carry the experience. The tumbling reels are the reason to play it, and on a good session, three and four-cascade chains hit often enough to make base-game play properly entertaining.
Coming back to what we already mentioned in the intro; the art has aged better than most fantasy slots from 2012. The woodland palette, the Pixie character designs, and the soft soundtrack all still hold up. However, the Pixies’ giggling can become a bit distracting after a while. Overall, it just feels nice to play, even compared to modern slots with better graphics.
When the Free Spins round hits well, the wild-assisted cascades on four reels have delivered us some of the most satisfying payouts we’ve got get from a low-volatility 5-reel slot of this vintage.
For a bit more firepower, we do prefer Pixies of the Forest II as a natural next step. With 96.57% RTP, added wild multipliers, and a jackpot system, it just has a bit more to look forward to. But the original still earns its place as a really well-made, calmly-paced classic that’s worth at least a demo session.
Who We Recommend the Free Pixies of the Forest Slot to
The free Pixies of the Forest slot demo is for anyone who wants to test the tumbling reels mechanic in combination with an unusual 99-payline structure without spending real money. Players who don’t want to download anything and play instantly in their browser on any device will feel right at home.
Players who will like this game:
- Fans of fantasy and woodland themes
- Players who enjoy cascading/tumbling reels and chain-win mechanics
- Medium-length sessions with a shot at an outlier-free spins bonus
- Players curious about IGT’s land-based-to-online classics
Players who might want to look somewhere else:
- Players chasing high RTP as 94.90% is below current standards
- High-volatility chasers looking for single massive hits
- Anyone who prefers any-way-pays 243/1,024-ways slots, as the 99-payline math can feel unintuitive
- Bonus-buy fans, since there’s no buy option here
