Reel Rush is NetEnt’s 2013 fruit slot with a growing grid: every win brings a re-spin that opens two more positions, and a win on the fifth re-spin unlocks 8 free spins with 3,125 ways.
Reel Rush
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Game Information
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Provider
netent
Type
Slots
Theme
Fruit
Reels
5
Min Bet
0.5
Max Bet
2
Max Win per Spin
2000
Restrictions
GB,NL
Reel Rush Slot Review
Reel Rush is one of NetEnt’s most original games, and it hides that behind a candy-coloured look. The grid starts as an odd diamond of thirteen positions, giving 45 ways to win. Every win triggers a re-spin that opens two more positions, and five wins in a row unlock free spins on the full 5×5 grid with 3,125 ways. It is a simple idea that makes every winning spin feel like the start of something.
Released in 2013, it remains one of the purest examples of a slot built around momentum. There is no meter to track and no symbols to collect. You win, the grid grows, and you hope the next spin wins too.
Reel Rush at a glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | NetEnt |
| Release | 24 July 2013 |
| Layout | 5 reels, grid grows from 13 to 25 positions |
| Ways to win | 45 to 3,125 |
| RTP | 96.96% |
| Hit frequency | 28% |
| Bet range | €0.50 to €100 per spin |
| Max win | 1,000x the bet |
| Features | Re-spins, Wilds on reels 2 to 5, 8 free spins on the full grid |
A sweet, strange world
The setting is a bright cartoon landscape of rolling green hills and oversized mushrooms, with shiny jelly fruit as the symbols: strawberries, pineapples, watermelons, grapes and lemons among them. The look is deliberately odd and cheerful, and the chirpy soundtrack matches it.
The design is not just decoration. The jelly fruit are easy to tell apart even on a small screen, and new positions open with a puff of cloud, so you can always see where the grid has grown.
How the ways work
Reel Rush has no paylines. Matching symbols on three or more adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel, form a win wherever they sit on each reel. The number of winning ways for a symbol is the number of matching symbols on each reel multiplied together.
At the start of every paid spin, the reels are shaped one, three, five, three and one positions tall. Multiply those together and you get 45 ways. That narrow start is the key to the game: with only one position on the first reel, every win has to pass through it, so wins are fairly limited until the grid opens up.
The re-spin ladder
Any win in the main game awards a re-spin, up to a maximum of five in a row. During each re-spin, two new positions open on the reels, and the number of ways climbs:
- Starting grid: 45 ways
- First re-spin: 135 ways
- Second re-spin: 405 ways
- Third re-spin: 675 ways
- Fourth re-spin: 1,125 ways
- Fifth re-spin: 1,875 ways
- Free spins: 3,125 ways
Re-spins are played at the same stake, and their wins are added to the win of the spin that started the sequence. If a re-spin does not win, the sequence ends and the reels return to their starting shape.
The ladder is uneven in an interesting way. The first re-spin triples the ways, and so does the second. Later steps add more ways in absolute terms but smaller percentages. Every step also makes the next win a little more likely, since there are more positions for matching fruit to land in.
Where the new positions open
The ways figures reveal exactly how the grid grows, because each one is the product of the positions on the five reels. The first re-spin turns 45 into 135, which can only mean the first reel grows from one position to three. The second re-spin reaches 405, so the fifth reel also grows to three. At 675, the second reel has filled to five; at 1,125, the fourth reel has done the same. The fifth re-spin, at 1,875, fills the first reel to five, leaving only the last reel short of the full grid that free spins provide.
This order is worth understanding. The very first re-spin widens the bottleneck on reel one, which is where every win must start, so it has a bigger effect on your chances than its modest ways count suggests. The middle steps fill out the reels where Wilds can land. By the fifth re-spin, almost the entire grid is open, and a win there is far more likely than on the starting shape, which makes the final step to free spins less of a long shot than the early ones.
Why free spins stay rare
Even so, reaching free spins needs six winning spins in a row: the paid spin and all five re-spins. NetEnt’s 28% hit frequency is an average across all spins, mostly on the narrow starting grid, so early re-spins are the hardest part. Most sequences stop at the first or second step, and that is completely normal. Treat the free spins as a rare reward, not as the point of each spin.
Free spins on the full grid
If the fifth and final re-spin includes a winning combination, you win 8 free spins. They are played on the full 5×5 grid with all 3,125 ways active, at the same stake as the spin that started the sequence. Extra free spins cannot be won during the round.
Eight spins is not many, but every one of them uses the biggest version of the grid, where a single symbol landing on all five reels can connect in many different ways at once. That is where the game’s best results usually come from. The total for the whole sequence, including the original spin and the re-spins, is shown at the end.
Wilds on reels two to five
The Wild appears on reels two, three, four and five, in both the main game and free spins, and substitutes for all symbols. It never lands on reel one, so it can continue a win but never start one. Its star spins and shines when it helps complete a combination.
On the starting grid, with three positions on reels two and four and five on reel three, a Wild has room to make a real difference. As the grid opens, it has even more places to land and more ways to connect.
How a sequence plays out
Picture a paid spin with a small strawberry win across three reels. The grid opens two positions and you get a re-spin at 135 ways. Another small win, this time with a Wild on reel three, opens two more positions. At 405 ways the third spin wins again. Now the grid is noticeably larger and the next two re-spins feel promising. The fourth wins; the fifth, at 1,875 ways, lands a three-reel pineapple combination, and 8 free spins begin on the full grid.
Much more often, the sequence ends early. A small win opens the grid once, the first re-spin misses, and the reels snap back. That is the rhythm of the game: frequent short sequences, occasional long ones, and rare free spins. Learning to enjoy the short sequences for what they are is the best way to play it, because they make up most of every session.
RTP, volatility and max win
NetEnt lists the RTP at 96.96%, a strong figure, with a hit frequency of 28%. Volatility is generally rated medium. The re-spins give the base game plenty of small events, while the larger payouts come from long sequences and the free spins. The maximum win is 1,000 times the bet.
That ceiling is modest, and it reflects a game designed around frequent excitement rather than huge peaks. Our guide to slot RTP explains how the return figure works over time.
Stakes and tips
The bet range runs from €0.50 to €100 per spin. The minimum is a little higher than some slots, which is worth keeping in mind on a small budget.
- Choose a stake that gives you a decent number of paid spins. Free spins need six winning spins in a row, which is rare.
- Do not raise your stake after a long sequence that ended at the fourth re-spin. Each paid spin starts again at 45 ways.
- The 1,000x ceiling means the game suits steady play better than big-win hunting.
- Try the free demo above to see how quickly the grid grows.
Reel Rush and similar games
Reel Rush’s growing grid idea has echoes in later slots. Yggdrasil’s Valley of the Gods also starts with 45 ways and opens up to 3,125, but it uses blockers that wins destroy. Variable ways are also the heart of Megaways slots, though there the number of symbols changes randomly on every spin rather than growing with wins.
Among NetEnt’s own fruit slots, Fruit Shop takes a classic approach with free spins triggered by fruit wins, while Twin Spin uses linked reels to create bursts of ways. More from the studio is on our NetEnt page.
Reel Rush pros and cons
What works:
- Every win grows the grid and keeps the sequence going
- Free spins on the full 3,125-way grid
- Strong 96.96% RTP
- Bright, original design that is easy to read
What doesn’t:
- Free spins need six winning spins in a row
- Only 8 free spins, with no retrigger
- The 1,000x top prize is modest
- The higher minimum stake of €0.50
Our verdict on Reel Rush
Reel Rush is a reminder that a slot does not need complex features to be gripping. Its growing grid turns every win into a small cliffhanger, and the full-grid free spins are a satisfying reward when you finally reach them. The ceiling is modest and the free spins are hard to unlock, but if you enjoy momentum and steady action, it is one of NetEnt’s most charming classics.
Play only if you are 18+. Keep your play within limits and see our responsible gambling page for support.
Reel Rush questions answered
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