Cubes 2

Hacksaw Gaming has released Cubes 2, a sequel to their distinctive grid-based slot that borrows visual and mechanical elements from puzzle games like Rubik's Cube and Tetris. The original Cubes found an audience among players looking for something different from traditional spinning reels, and this follow-up builds on that foundation while amplifying the core experience. Rather than conventional slot machinery, Cubes 2 operates as a spatial puzzle where colored blocks interact on a grid system, creating a gameplay loop that feels removed from standard slot conventions yet remains surprisingly engaging over extended play sessions.

Visual Design and Platform Accessibility

The presentation maintains Hacksaw's established aesthetic of minimalist design coupled with functional clarity. A 5x5 grid of multicolored square blocks anchors the experience, set against a plain background that serves as a canvas rather than distraction. One notable change from the original positions the X symbols at the four corners rather than the center, altering how multiplier opportunities emerge across the grid. The studio's approach to visual restraint means that desktop and mobile screens display nearly identical experiences, with the main concession to larger monitors being a new three-dimensional animation sequence that appears during bonus rounds. This design philosophy prioritizes mobile users, making the interface appropriately scaled for smaller screens without sacrificing functionality or clarity when played on bigger displays.

Betting Structure and Mathematical Configuration

Cubes 2 accommodates wagering between 20 cents and 100 per spin, providing a relatively broad range for different player preferences and bankroll sizes. The most significant change from the original involves volatility, which has been elevated from a medium setting to the maximum tier, rated 5 out of 5. This escalation makes larger swings between winning and losing sequences considerably more pronounced than the first installment. The return to player rate sits at 96.33 percent, a marginal decline from the original's 96.35 percent. An optional feature purchase exists at 96.30 percent, representing the only configuration where the RTP is lowered rather than maintained or improved, which suggests the accelerated volatility may justify different mathematical parameters. The paytable structure employs six colored square tiles with no scatter or wild symbols, keeping the mechanic straightforward. All symbols share identical payout progression, starting at 0.10 times the stake for five matching pieces and scaling up to 40 times the bet for clusters containing 25 or more symbols of the same color. Hit frequency across spins averages 15.68 percent, meaning roughly one in six spins produces a winning outcome.

Core Gameplay and Grid Expansion Mechanics

The fundamental objective involves forming clusters of at least five identically colored symbols positioned anywhere on the playing field. When a cluster registers as a win, the grid automatically expands by one block in all directions, growing from the starting 5x5 size toward a maximum 11x11 configuration. This expansion persists as long as winning clusters continue to form on consecutive spins, returning to the standard size only when a spin generates no winning combination. The multiplier system relies on the X symbols positioned at the four corners. When a winning cluster incorporates one or more X positions, those X symbols transform into the actual count of pieces comprising the winning cluster, and this count becomes the multiplier applied to the win amount. If multiple X symbols participate in a single cluster, their individual multiplier values combine before application. This mechanic means that large clusters forming across corner positions can produce notably amplified payouts compared to clusters that avoid these strategic locations.

Bonus Features and Extended Play Sequences

Free spins activate when a player completes five sequential cluster wins, each using a different color, during standard play. The game initially awards five free spin credits and presents a picking game where players click blocks to reveal additional spins, continuing until their designated color appears. During free spins, all winning combinations of the selected color remain locked in place between subsequent spins, and critically, the grid does not reset to its base 5x5 size, maintaining whatever expansion level was achieved. A Color Blast feature triggers when 50, 70, or 90 blocks of the sticky color accumulate on the grid, delivering instant prizes of 500x, 2,500x, or 7,000x the stake respectively. A second bonus mode, Multi-Color free spins, triggers when all four grid corners display the same color on the initial spin. Players again select blocks to determine free spin quantity and which colors remain sticky during the feature, though Color Blast does not occur during this variant. Feature purchases exist as alternatives to organic triggering, with Multi-Color free spins available for 109 times the bet and standard free spins for 129 times the wager. Without purchasing, bonuses organically appear approximately once per 223 average spins.

Maximum Win Potential and Overall Assessment

The mathematical ceiling has been substantially elevated compared to the first Cubes title, with the free spins mode capable of reaching 11,000 times the stake at maximum win, while Multi-Color free spins tops out at 7,500 times the bet. These ceiling figures represent genuine multiplications of the stake wagered rather than fixed amounts, meaning larger bets correlate with proportionally larger maximum wins. The gameplay progression that stands out during extended sessions involves building a large sticky cluster early in a bonus sequence and then accumulating repeat wins from that accumulated block formation, creating extended winning runs that can prove difficult to disengage from. Testing revealed that Color Blast rewards emerged frequently enough to create memorable bonus sessions without feeling artificially inflated.

Cubes 2 functions as a meaningful iteration over the original rather than a minor reskin. While the visual treatment has not undergone radical transformation, the mechanical improvements across volatility, maximum win potential, and bonus feature depth make this version a stronger proposition for players who appreciated the first game but wanted increased payoff potential and intensity. The similarity in appearance to the original should not be mistaken for stagnation, as the substantive differences in how the game behaves during play sessions represent genuine evolutionary steps. Those seeking the original's more moderate difficulty curve still have reason to revisit the first Cubes, but players desiring a more aggressive mathematical model and higher volatile swings will find Cubes 2 the more suitable choice. The puzzle-like satisfaction of building clusters and watching them cascade across an expanding grid, combined with the prospect of substantial sticky cluster formations during bonus play, maintains the distinctive appeal that separated the series from conventional slot designs in the first place. For anyone interested in Hacksaw Gaming's particular design philosophy and who tolerated or enjoyed the original's structure, Cubes 2 represents a compelling upgrade worth exploring.

Not sure what a figure means? The glossary explains RTP, volatility and max win in plain English.