Always Up! x10000 Slot Overview
Always Up! x10000 is a sequel from BGaming built on a 5x3 grid with 10 paylines. Compared to the original Always Up!, the grid has expanded and the scatter triggers are now tiered, but the core loop remains the same: survive a barren base game long enough to reach the Rocket Race bonus. With a 96.05% RTP, high volatility, and an 11.55% hit frequency, this slot makes no secret about where the money lives.
I see this as a crash-game hybrid wrapped in a traditional Chinese theme. Red and gold everywhere, lanterns, a dragon mascot, fireworks on the reels. Visually polished, sure, but presentation does not pay the bills. For serious players, the only question is whether the bonus structure justifies the grind, and that answer is complicated.
Paytable and Symbol Values
Payouts from standard combinations are actually quite decent here. A blue Chinese letter sits at the bottom at 3x for five-of-a-kind. Three firework variants (green, purple, red) each pay 12x for a full line. High-paying symbols include a lotus flower, a trio of gold coins, a pair of gold ingots, and a bag of gold, ranging from 12x up to 500x for five across.
500x from a single payline on the top symbol is unusually generous for a 10-line slot. Even the second-best symbol hits 200x. Most combinations above the lowest tier return more than your stake, which softens the blow of that brutal 11.55% hit frequency. Still, do not mistake decent paytable values for consistent returns. Dead spins dominate.
Symbol Payouts
| 5 | x500 |
| 5 | x200 |
| 5 | x12 |
| 5 | x12 |
| 5 | x12 |
| 5 | x3 |
Rocket Race Bonus Game
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols (boxes of fireworks) anywhere on the grid triggers the Rocket Race bonus. Five rockets appear at the bottom of the screen and you pick one. All rockets launch simultaneously, each growing a multiplier as they climb. They explode at random points, and your chosen rocket awards whatever multiplier was active when it detonated.
Here is where the tiered structure matters. 3 scatters cap you at 999x. 4 scatters raise the ceiling to 2,997x. Only 5 scatters unlock the full 9,990x potential. I have a problem with this design for serious bankroll play. Landing 3 scatters with a 999x cap means most bonus entries will feel underwhelming relative to the variance you endure to get there. The 5-scatter trigger is where the real ceiling sits, but that outcome will be extremely rare.
No free spins, no progressive mechanics, no re-triggers. You pick a rocket and hope. For a slot branded with "x10000" in its name, the path to that ceiling is extraordinarily narrow. If your rocket crashes early on a 3-scatter entry, the payout can be negligible.
Bonus Buy Options
Volatility, RTP, and Bankroll Requirements
96.05% RTP is on the lower end of acceptable. High volatility combined with 11.55% hit frequency means roughly 9 out of 10 spins produce nothing. With a proper bankroll, you can ride out the dry stretches, but the max bet is capped at 24, which is frustratingly low for anyone wanting to press larger stakes. Bet range runs from 0.10 to 24.
Max win is listed at 10,490x, but reaching it requires the 5-scatter trigger and your rocket surviving to near the top. Realistically, most bonus entries will land via 3 scatters with a 999x ceiling. For this variance level, a ceiling below 1,000x on the most common trigger is too low. Serious players should factor that into expected value calculations before committing any meaningful bankroll here.
