Cubes slot review

What the Cubes slot is

Cubes is an early title from Hacksaw Gaming, the studio that launched in September 2018 and is now best known for Wanted Dead or a Wild. Released in 2020, it drops the usual reels-and-lines setup in favour of a square grid of coloured cubes. Matching groups pay, the grid can grow, and the bonus is tied to spelling out the game's name.

Where a figure is missing above, we leave it out rather than guess. The game's help screen at your casino lists the volatility indicator if one is shown, the paytable and any win cap.

How cluster pays work in Cubes

A cluster pays slot pays for a group of identical symbols clustered together on the grid rather than for symbols lined up along a payline. In Cubes, the symbols are coloured cubes, so a win is a block of same-coloured cubes joined together. The minimum group size that pays varies from game to game, so check the paytable for Cubes rather than assuming a number from another title.

Cluster grids feel different from line slots. There is no left-to-right reading, no fixed lines and no ways counter. What matters is how big the group of matching colours is: larger clusters pay more, as the paytable shows. Our guide to how online slots work compares cluster, line and ways formats side by side.

How the features work in Cubes

A grid that grows from 5x5 to 11x11

Every game starts on a 5x5 grid of 25 positions. The grid can expand up to 11x11, which is 121 positions, nearly five times as many. A larger grid gives more space for matching colours to join up, so bigger clusters become possible. Exactly what makes the grid grow, and how far it extends each time, is explained in the game's rules.

Spelling CUBES for free spins

The free spins are triggered by completing the word CUBES with coloured clusters. Completing the word means filling all five letters, C-U-B-E-S, through coloured clusters, and that is what starts the free spins. Exactly how clusters count towards the letters, and how many spins follow, is set out in the game's rules. Our slot free spins feature page explains how free spins rounds usually work.

We don't quote how often the free spins trigger or how often the grid reaches 11x11. Those figures aren't in our checked data, and third-party estimates are not reliable.

Cubes RTP: what 96.35% costs per spin

An RTP of 96.35% leaves a house edge of 3.65%. Multiply the total you stake by 3.65% for the average cost. The Slotcatalog Cubes listing (opens in a new tab) is one independent description of the game; casinos can run other settings, so the RTP in your casino's game info is the one to trust.

At the UK's fastest legal pace of one spin every 2.5 seconds, 1,000 spins take a little under 42 minutes. At £1 a spin, that is £1,000 staked and about £36.50 lost on average in well under an hour. The cost per hour guide works through the same sum for other games.

Playing Cubes on a £20 budget

Because the volatility rating isn't in our checked data, plan as if results can swing widely. A £20 budget looks like this before any wins return:

• 10p a spin: 200 spins, with about 73p average cost on £20 staked. The most time on the grid for your money.
• 50p a spin: 40 spins, the same 73p average cost on £20, but far fewer chances to complete CUBES.
• £1 a spin: 20 spins. A short session where one grid expansion or one bonus decides the outcome.

Whatever stake you choose, the average cost per pound is the same; only session length and spread change. Read how much to budget for a casino session for a simple way to set a limit before you start.

Hacksaw Gaming, the studio behind Cubes

Hacksaw Gaming launched in September 2018 and is headquartered in Malta. Its parent, Hacksaw AB, has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 25 June 2025. The studio holds a Gambling Commission licence (reference 000-054059) and its catalogue runs to more than 250 games, including slots, scratchcards and instant-win games.

Cubes arrived about two years after the studio launched. Other Hacksaw cluster games on our site include Rocket Reels, Hand of Anubis and Le Bandit. The Gambling.com Cubes page (opens in a new tab) is another independent description of the game.

How to play Cubes online

1. Open Cubes at a UKGC-licensed casino and read the help screen for the RTP, paytable and minimum cluster size.
2. Pick a stake that fits your budget.
3. Spin. Under UK rules each spin takes at least 2.5 seconds and there is no autoplay.
4. Look for groups of matching coloured cubes: those clusters are your wins.
5. Watch the grid expand from 5x5 towards 11x11 as the help screen describes.
6. Complete the word CUBES with coloured clusters to start the free spins, then check your net position when the round ends.

Cubes in the UK: stake limits and design rules

Cubes counts as an online slot, so the UK stake limits apply: £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24, since April and May 2025. The Gambling Commission's online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) defines an online slot as a casino game using a reel format, and sets out how operators apply the limits.

Since 31 October 2021, slots have needed a 2.5-second minimum spin, with no autoplay, turbo or slam-stop, and no celebrating a return no bigger than the stake. Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players. Our game design rules page lists the rest.

Cluster slots like Cubes

All of these use groups rather than lines, but grids, features and volatility differ a lot. The slots hub has every review we publish.

Cubes slot verdict and common myths

Myth: a nearly finished word means the bonus is close. Spins are independent, and partial progress on screen doesn't change the odds of the next spin unless the help screen says progress is saved. Myth: a bigger grid means a higher RTP. The 96.35% figure is the long-run average across all grid sizes. Read about the gambler's fallacy for why near misses mislead.

Where to play Cubes and partner offers

Our checked data doesn't confirm which partner casino carries Cubes, so look in each game lobby. The welcome offers below are slot offers on selected games, not this one. 18+ and terms apply.

• PlayOJO: first deposit of £10 or more for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each. No wagering; winnings paid in cash. New UK customers, not Northern Ireland; designated link only; not combinable with other offers.
• Coral: deposit and bet £10 or more on slots for 100 free spins at 10p on selected games. Accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days; no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.
• Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 or more on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 in total, at 10p on selected games. Claim before 23:59 each day; spins last 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits are excluded.

Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited, so you may only qualify as a new customer at one of them. See do free spins have wagering for how no-wagering spins differ.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.