ELK Studios is casting off with Fish and Bird, a fresh spin on the ever-popular fishing theme that launches on 21 August 2025. We took an early look here at America Bet and found a smart, feature-rich slot that blends tranquil lakeside vibes with punchy mechanics and serious win potential.
At the heart of Fish and Bird is a distinctive 4×4 grid that pays 256 ways, delivering that “every position matters” feel from the first spin. Symbols can also land oversized, up to an epic 4×4, which creates dramatic, screen-filling moments and helps stitch together multi-way wins. Stakes start at £0.20 and run up to £100 per spin, keeping both casual players and high rollers in the game.
Visually, ELK opts for a moody, dusky palette rather than the usual sun-scorched pier. Cartoon-styled fish glide beneath the surface while birds circle above, ready to boost your haul. It’s clean, characterful and unmistakably ELK: polished animation, crisp UI and mobile-first execution. The audio follows suit with a nautical score that drifts along during base play before kicking up a gear when features land, adding pace without ever feeling intrusive.
How it plays
Wins are created by landing at least three matching symbols across adjacent reels, left to right. The real intrigue, though, comes from a set of interlocking features that keep the tempo high and the outcomes varied. Spreading Wilds can expand either vertically to fill a reel or horizontally to sweep a whole row, often turning near-misses into tidy connections. Prize Fish carry instant cash values, while Birds add a global multiplier that can climb as high as 100x and apply to any wins on that sequence.
Collectors are the headline act. These icons perch above reels to scoop up whatever sits below: prize fish, multipliers and bonus symbols. Land more than one and things escalate quickly. Each prize fish collected adds a Free Spin, extending the sequence and giving that global multiplier room to grow. There’s also a Super Collector variant that doesn’t just clear its own reel — it sweeps the entire grid, a powerful nudge towards those adrenaline-spiking clusters.
When the board is primed with goodies but you’re missing a Collector, the Diver can plunge down a chosen reel to salvage prize fish, birds and bonus symbols. It’s a neat “second chance” that keeps spins alive and bankrolls ticking over.
Bonus game and potential
Trigger the Bonus by landing Bonus symbols; hit the Super Bonus symbol and you enter an enhanced version where every Collector is the Super variant. In either case, a Collector spawns and shifts one position left after each spin. The feature ends when all Collectors drift off the grid, but fresh Collectors can drop in to extend the round. It’s here that Fish and Bird shows its teeth, with layered multipliers, spreading wilds and prize fish combining to push returns towards the game’s 10,000x maximum win.
ELK’s X-iter modes — including Bonus Hunt, guaranteed Spreading Wilds, Big Fish, straight-to-Bonus and straight-to-Super Bonus — are available in some markets for 2.5x to 250x stake. As ever, these bonus buys are not available in the UK, so British players will need to trigger features organically.
RTP, volatility and platform polish
On paper, the 94% RTP sits below today’s market average, and seasoned players will clock that immediately. In practice, Fish and Bird leans medium-to-high on volatility, delivering the expected ebb and flow: quieter stretches punctuated by lively feature sequences that can stack up quickly once multipliers and prize fish start chaining. It’s made for those who enjoy momentum-based gameplay, where a single spin can snowball into something special.
Technical polish is up to ELK’s usual standard. The slot is fully optimised for mobile; controls are responsive, visuals stay razor-sharp on smaller screens, and load times are snappy. Whether you’re spinning on desktop over lunch or sneaking a few mobile spins on the sofa, the experience is consistent.
Early verdict
Fish and Bird doesn’t reinvent the fishing genre so much as refine it. The interplay between Spreading Wilds, Collectors, Birds and the Diver creates a satisfying cadence where almost every spin feels like it has a route to improvement. The darker art direction and buoyant soundtrack give the slot a distinctive identity, while the 4×4 layout with 256 ways to win keeps outcomes readable and exciting.
The caveat is clear: the 94% RTP won’t please everyone. But if you prioritise inventive mechanics, strong presentation and the real possibility of high-end hits — topped by that 10,000x ceiling — ELK’s latest is absolutely worth a cast. We’ll be watching closely as Fish and Bird lands at leading casinos and begins reeling in its audience.
Want the full breakdown of features, paytable insights and our play-test notes? Head to our in-depth coverage and keep an eye on America Bet for further updates as the slot goes live across operators.
