Extra Chilli Megaways app guide

Extra Chilli Megaways app: the short version

Big Time Gaming, the Sydney studio that created the Megaways mechanic and is now owned by Evolution, released Extra Chilli in 2018 as a follow-up to Bonanza. It isn’t sold as an app. UK casinos take it on under licence and add it to their own iPhone and Android apps, so you play it with your casino balance after searching for it in the lobby. Some apps list it simply as Extra Chilli; it’s the same game.

The theme is a Mexican chilli market, but the mechanics are what people come for: a Megaways reel set that changes shape every spin, cascading wins, and a bonus where you can gamble your free spins for more. More of the studio’s catalogue is on our Big Time Gaming mobile slots page.

Reading a Megaways screen on your phone

Each of the six reels shows between two and seven symbols on every spin. A horizontal reel adds an extra symbol to the four middle reels. Multiply the symbol counts on each reel together and you get the number of ways for that spin, displayed on screen, up to 117,649 when every reel shows seven.

On a phone in portrait, a reel showing seven symbols means small icons, and the horizontal reel adds another strip to follow. The chillies and other high-value symbols are bold enough to spot, but the low-value card symbols can blur together on smaller handsets. Landscape gives the reels more width; portrait gives them more height. On most modern phones, portrait works well because the reel set is tall rather than wide. Tablets show the game comfortably either way.

How to start playing Extra Chilli Megaways

1. Open your casino app, sign in and search for “Extra Chilli”. Choose the original rather than spin-offs such as Epic Spins if several appear.
2. Wait for it to load completely, then open the rules from the menu and note the RTP.
3. Pick a stake using the bet button. All ways are always active, so the figure shown is your total cost per spin.
4. Tap spin. Each spin lasts at least 2.5 seconds, with no autoplay in Great Britain.
5. After a win, watch the cascade: winning symbols vanish and new ones fall in, sometimes creating another win.
6. When three scatters land, you’ll see the free spins award and the option to gamble.

Our how to play slots on your phone guide covers bet panels, game history and other controls common to most casino apps.

Cascades in the base game

Big Time Gaming calls them reactions; other studios say cascades or tumbles. After every win, the winning symbols are removed and the gaps are filled from above, and from the side on the horizontal reel. If the new symbols form another win, the process repeats, all within the same paid spin. In the base game there’s no multiplier on these cascades, so each one pays at face value.

Extra Chilli free spins and the spins gamble

Landing three scatter symbols (spelling H-O-T) in one paid spin awards 8 free spins, and each extra scatter adds 4. Before the round begins, you can take the spins as shown or gamble them for a higher number, up to a maximum of 24. Big Time Gaming states that the first gamble is a 50/50 chance and later gambles are 60/40 in the player’s favour, with your spins locked in at the penultimate step. Lose a gamble and you get no free spins from that trigger.

On a phone, the gamble appears as a choice between collecting and gambling. Take a moment before tapping: a lost gamble means the trigger pays nothing. Gambling doesn’t change the game’s long-run RTP in your favour; it simply trades a smaller round you’ve already won for a chance at a larger one.

The unlimited multiplier

During free spins, a win multiplier starts at 1x and increases by one with every cascade win. It doesn’t reset between spins during the round, which is why it’s described as unlimited. A round where the multiplier climbs early has many more spins to benefit from it, which is where Extra Chilli’s largest results come from.

Extra Chilli Megaways RTP and volatility

The widely published RTP is 96.19%, and Big Time Gaming’s own page gives a range of 96.15% to 96.41%. Higher figures quoted elsewhere relate to feature-drop versions that aren’t offered in Great Britain. Volatility is high: many spins return little or nothing, and most of the return is concentrated in the bonus.

The maximum win varies by version, so we don’t quote a single figure. In practice, a high-volatility slot can use up a session budget without reaching the bonus at all. Losses are likely over time whichever version you play.

UK rules for Extra Chilli Megaways on mobile

• Maximum stake of £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over, and £2 for players aged 18 to 24.
• No feature drop or bonus buy: scatters in paid spins are the only way into free spins.
• Spins take 2.5 seconds or more, and autoplay, turbo and slam-stop are all switched off.
• Your balance and session result stay visible while you play.
• Practice versions unlock only once your age is verified.

These rules explain why the UK version looks different from versions shown in videos made for other countries. Read more on our UK stake limits on mobile slots page.

Extra Chilli Megaways vs other Big Time Gaming slots

Bonanza Megaways is the original that Extra Chilli builds on. White Rabbit Megaways adds expanding reels in its bonus, and Danger High Voltage uses a fixed grid instead of Megaways. See our Megaways slots apps page for more.

Pros and cons of Extra Chilli Megaways on a phone

Where to play Extra Chilli Megaways on mobile

Search for Extra Chilli in your chosen app before depositing, as libraries vary. Partner offers below are for new players aged 18+ and terms apply: Coral gives 100 spins and Ladbrokes up to 500 spins, both at 10p on selected games after £10 staked on slots, and 10bet matches 100% up to £25 with 10x wagering on slots within 3 days. Our Megaways free spins apps page explains how spin offers interact with Megaways games.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.