Cosmic Cat is a fairly popular classic slot with 3 reels and a single pay line which runs on Microgaming’s Quickfire software platform. As its name suggests, it has a lovely theme about outer space and cats, while its graphics are simplistic and in a wonderful retro console game style. It can be played with either 1 or 2 coins and bets are allowed from 0.25 to 10.00 credits.
Developed by Microgaming, one of the biggest names in the industry, Cosmic Cat resembles many of the games in the software provider’s catalogue of classic slots. It is clearly inspired by old video games and its main character is the Cosmic Cat, of course. He looks just like an astronaut with his space suit and helmet with special holes for the cat’s ears. The setting is the outer space and there is even a space mouse that keeps our cat a company. There are no bonus games or extra features in this slot but to make things more interesting, developers from Microgaming have made the cat character a Wild.
There are standard single, double and triple bar symbols that can appear on the reels. However, to be in line with the theme of the slot, they are a bit futuristic and space-like in appearance. Players receive a payout for three bars landing on the middle row of the reels – note that matching icons come with higher payouts, while a combination of different bar icons pays off less. There is just one more basic symbol in the game and this is the mouse, chased by the cat in space.
The cat symbol is the highest paying symbol and along with the payout of 1,000 coins for 3 cats on the payline, this icon also serves as a Wild. This means that the cat can substitute for any other symbol in a winning combination, increasing the chances of getting a hit. Additionally, players win even if single Wild icon lands on the central payline – the winnings here are 2 and 4 coins for betting 1 and 2 coins, respectively. The payout increases to 5 and 10 coins for two cats when betting one and two coins, respectively.
| Symbol | 1 coin wagered | 2 coins wagered |
|---|---|---|
| Any 1 Cat | 2 | 4 |
| Any 2 Cat | 5 | 10 |
| 3x Any Bar | 5 | 10 |
| 3x Bar | 10 | 20 |
| 3x Double Bar | 20 | 40 |
| 3x Triple Bar | 50 | 100 |
| 3x Mouse | 100 | 200 |
| 3x Cat | 500 | 1000 |
Bonus Games and Features
Similarly to many other classic slots by Microgaming, everything in Cosmic Cat is conveniently laid out on the main screen. The reels occupy the top right corner of the screen, while the pay table is in the right one, and below them, you will find the three main buttons of the game – Bet One, Bet Max, and Spin. Hitting Bet One, players can switch between playing with 1 or 2 coins and the Bet Max button directly puts 2 coins in the chosen coin denomination and spins the reels. Three black windows also display your account balance, the current bet, and the amount of the win.
You can also open the help section of Cosmic Cat by simply clicking the Help button. Right next to it, you will see Options. From here, you can change several game settings such as the audio, the graphics, enable the quick spinning of the reels, and more. In addition, you can activate the AutoPlay function and select the bet amount, the number of spins, and even the number of seconds between the spins. This function will considerably speed things up, so adjusting the bet size correctly before enabling the AutoPlay is very important.
Historical edition and payout examples
This guide covers the historical Microgaming edition pictured in LCB’s Cosmic Cat gallery. Its screenshot carries the Microgaming credit; the current LCB catalogue groups it under Games Global. A historical screenshot does not confirm current casino availability.
The table above lists coin awards, not currency amounts or multipliers of the total stake. For example, at a 0.25 coin value, a two-coin spin costs 0.50. Three mice award 200 coins, worth 50.00 in the same currency. The net result after that spin’s stake is 49.50. Three cats at two coins award 1,000 coins: 250.00 at that coin value, not 1,000 currency units.
Cosmic Cat questions
What do the two paytable columns mean?
They correspond to one coin and two coins wagered on the single line. Read the column matching the selected bet.
Is the cat a wild symbol?
Yes. The historical game screen explicitly identifies the cat as wild.
Does one cat pay anything?
The displayed Any 1 Cat row awards 2 coins at one coin wagered and 4 coins at two coins wagered.
Is the top award a progressive jackpot?
The pictured table gives fixed awards of 500 or 1,000 coins for three cats, depending on the number of coins wagered.
Does a 1,000-coin win mean a 1,000-times-stake win?
No. At two coins wagered, 1,000 coins is 500 times that spin’s total stake. Multiply the coin award by the coin value to convert it to currency.
Conclusion
Cosmic Cat is not rich in features, but it is still a very nice option for fans of classic slots. It offers a simple, fun and light-hearted type of gambling entertainment and everyone who is nostalgic about the 1980s should be able to appreciate the futuristic space theme and retro looks. Besides, it is a great game to play if you have a small budget as the minimum bet you can place is 0.25 credits per spin.
Even though Cosmic Cat has quite a small jackpot (only 1,000 coins), the size of the top prize does not establish how frequently the game pays. The theoretical Return to Player is 96.52%, which is a good return rate for this type of games. Of course, this is an average value and players should not expect to win back exactly that percentage every time they play the slot. That figure alone does not establish a ranking against other online or land-based games.
