Octo Attack — winning positions become targets for Tenta-Grab

Octo Attack by Hacksaw Gaming combines cascading wins with temporary Ink Stains. Wilds substitute for paytable symbols and can carry adding values from 1× to 10×.

Ink Stains

After a win is calculated, its symbols disappear and replacements drop in. Each winning position receives an Ink Stain. In the base game those marks reset between spins, and they disappear after Tenta-Grab uses them.

Eye of Otto and Tenta-Grab

An Eye of Otto landing while Ink Stains exist activates Tenta-Grab. It randomly grabs one symbol, then changes every stained position and the Eye itself into that symbol. The possible target can be low, high, FS, Wild or Wild Multiplier. When a Wild type is grabbed, some replacements may become Wild Multipliers.

Eighth Arm Is the Charm

At least three normal FS scatters trigger the bonus. The number of triggering scatters equals the initial number of Free Spins. Ink Stains persist between spins until Tenta-Grab consumes them. Every three additional normal FS scatters landing together award one extra spin.

Evidence limits

The public source describes the mechanics but does not expose readable RTP, stake limits, complete paytable or New Zealand casino availability.

Cascade positions create the stain map

After a win is calculated, its participating symbols disappear and replacements drop into the empty cells. Every winning position receives an Ink Stain. Record the grid before removal, the evaluated winning coordinates and the stained map after settlement.

The stain belongs to the position, not to the symbol type that occupied it. A replacement falling into the same cell inherits a marked position but does not become the original winning symbol.

When another cascade wins, add its winning coordinates to the map. Keep generation numbers so the complete map can be reconstructed before Tenta-Grab.

Base-game reset boundary

In the base game, Ink Stains reset between paid spins. They can survive across cascades within one spin, but the next paid round begins with a clear map unless the live rules show a bonus state.

Record the terminal cascade and confirm the map clears before the next stake is deducted. Do not carry a near-complete pattern into an unrelated spin.

Tenta-Grab also consumes the stains it uses. Save the map immediately before activation and the cleared state afterwards.

Eye of Otto activation

An Eye of Otto activates Tenta-Grab only when Ink Stains exist. Save the Eye coordinate and stain count on the stopped grid. An Eye without a stain map does not satisfy the published condition.

The Eye itself joins the transformation. Mark it separately from the pre-existing stained cells so the final number of replacements can be checked.

If several Eyes appear, use the deployed event order; the accessible overview does not provide a general simultaneous-resolution rule.

Random symbol grab

Tenta-Grab chooses one symbol and replaces every stained position plus the Eye with that identity. Record the grabbed type before the transformation and compare the complete target mask with the final grid.

Possible grabs include low symbols, high symbols, FS, Wild and Wild Multiplier. The feature does not select every existing copy of that type elsewhere; it rewrites the stained coordinates and Eye.

The random choice is not controlled by timing, stake or screen interaction.

Wild and Wild Multiplier outcomes

Wilds substitute for paytable symbols under the live rules and can carry adding values from 1× to 10×. When Tenta-Grab selects a Wild type, some replacements may become Wild Multipliers.

Record each replacement’s final identity and value. Do not assign 1×–10× to every transformed Wild; ordinary Wild and Wild Multiplier are distinct outcomes.

When several adding Wild values participate in one win, follow the deployed paytable’s addition and application order. The public page supplies the value range but not a complete settlement table.

FS symbol grab

FS is among the possible Tenta-Grab targets. Record how many target cells become FS and how the live game evaluates them. Do not assume that every transformed FS position automatically triggers or extends a bonus without the scatter rule.

Keep the original Eye cell in the count. A screenshot taken after conversion should be matched to the pre-event mask to prove the source of the FS symbols.

Any cash or duration effect comes from the active help, not from the symbol name alone.

Worked base sequence

Suppose the first cascade stains three positions and a second cascade adds two new cells. An Eye then lands while the five-cell map exists. Tenta-Grab selects a high symbol and changes the five stains plus Eye coordinate into that symbol.

The audit contains six target cells, the chosen identity, final board and settlement. After use, the stain map clears. The example supplies no invented award or probability.

If the next paid spin begins, it receives a fresh map even if the prior transformation looked close to another win.

Entering Eighth Arm Is the Charm

At least three normal FS scatters trigger the bonus. The number of trigger scatters equals the initial number of Free Spins. Save every scatter coordinate and the resulting counter.

A three-scatter trigger therefore starts three spins under the published rule; a larger trigger starts the corresponding count. Do not replace this rule with a generic ten-spin assumption.

Record the exact title, version and counter before the first feature spin.

Persistent bonus stains

During the bonus, Ink Stains persist between Free Spins until Tenta-Grab consumes them. Open a cumulative position map and copy it from one primary spin to the next.

Add new cascade-winning positions by generation. When an Eye activates the feature, save the full map, transform it and reset the consumed set.

This persistence is the key difference from the base game. Clear the bonus map when the feature ends.

Bonus extensions

Every three additional normal FS scatters landing together award one extra spin. Record scatter count and counter before and after settlement.

The wording is group-based. Use the live display when six or more scatters appear rather than inventing how multiple groups are counted.

Keep extension events separate from an FS-symbol Tenta-Grab unless the live history explicitly connects them.

Bonus ledger

For each primary Free Spin, store counter before spin, starting stain map, every cascade generation, Eye event, grabbed symbol, map after consumption, counter change and credited amount.

Nested cascades remain part of one primary spin. Do not decrement the Free Spins counter for each refill.

At bonus end, sum all spin settlements and reconcile them with the feature total and account history.

Worked persistent-map example

Free Spin one creates two stains and ends without an Eye. Free Spin two begins with those cells, adds three more through cascades and then lands an Eye. Tenta-Grab acts on all five stored positions plus the Eye.

The event consumes the five-stain map. A later Free Spin starts from a clear stain state unless the transformation itself creates new cascade wins that the live rules mark again.

This example demonstrates persistence without assigning undisclosed values.

Paytable and settlement requirements

Obtain grid dimensions, evaluation method, symbol values, Wild substitution, adding-multiplier operation and FS rules from the deployed help. These fields are required to settle the transformed board.

For every cascade, list base awards before removal. For Tenta-Grab, evaluate the final replacement grid and identify participating Wild values.

Reconcile the completed round with server history. Animation alone is not settlement evidence.

RTP, stakes and maximum exposure

The official page does not expose readable RTP, stake range, default denomination, volatility or maximum exposure. Collect them from the exact deployed game with operator, currency, version and date.

If multiple RTP settings exist, report only the tested one. Do not combine numerical fields from different deployments.

The 1×–10× Wild range and stain count cannot be used to calculate theoretical return.

New Zealand availability

The global provider page does not prove real-money access in New Zealand. Verify operator country terms, registration eligibility, authenticated catalogue and successful launch.

NZD support, payments, verification and withdrawals are operator facts. Source them separately and date the check.

A demo or portfolio entry is insufficient. Do not advise bypassing location controls.

Mobile and accessibility checks

On mobile, the complete grid, stained positions, Eye, cascade state, grabbed symbol and Free Spins counter must remain visible. Test portrait and landscape modes.

Stains need patterns or labels beyond colour. Reduced-motion mode should preserve the selection mask and final transformation. Keyboard focus must reach help, paytable and history.

After interruption, compare mode, stain generations, counter, balance and round identifier with server history.

Support-ready evidence

For a missing stain, provide the winning grid and affected coordinate. For Tenta-Grab, provide the complete pre-map, Eye position, selected symbol, target mask and final board.

For the bonus, add trigger-scatter count, initial spins, persistent-map history and extension events. Include title, version, operator, timestamp, stake, currency and round identifier.

Never share passwords, one-time codes, private keys or seed phrases. Ask authenticated support to inspect server events.

Session controls

A growing persistent map can feel like stored future value. It exists only inside the active bonus and does not make an Eye or favourable grab due.

Set stake, spending and time limits before play. Do not increase stakes to chase a full stained grid or Wild transformation.

Mechanical knowledge improves verification, not prediction. Use responsible-play controls and stop at the chosen boundary.

Publication checklist

• Stain every coordinate used by a calculated cascade win.
• Keep stains positional rather than symbol-based.
• Reset base stains between paid spins.
• Require an Eye while stains exist for Tenta-Grab.
• Transform every stain and the Eye into one grabbed symbol.
• Record ordinary Wild and Wild Multiplier replacements separately.
• Start the bonus with spins equal to trigger scatters.
• Preserve bonus stains until Tenta-Grab consumes them.
• Record each three-scatter extension from the live counter.
• Verify RTP, stakes and New Zealand access from live evidence.

Editorial assessment

Octo Attack is best understood as a map-management game. Cascades write positional stains, the Eye reads that map and Tenta-Grab rewrites only the stored cells plus its own position. The bonus changes the map’s reset boundary.

A rigorous review preserves each generation and leaves RTP, stakes, maximum exposure and local availability unclaimed until the deployed game supplies primary evidence.

Overlapping stain generations

A later cascade can win through a position that is already stained. Keep the original stain ID and add the later event as another use of the same coordinate rather than inventing a second physical mark. The cumulative map contains unique cells, while the history can contain several winning generations.

This distinction matters when counting Tenta-Grab targets. The feature transforms each stained coordinate once, regardless of how many earlier wins passed through it. The Eye remains an additional target.

If the interface intensifies the visual stain after repeated use, document that presentation separately unless the live help assigns a different mechanical value.

Sequential Eyes and new maps

After one Eye consumes the current stain map, any later cascade can create a new map within the same spin or bonus state if the deployed rules permit. Start a new map generation rather than restoring the consumed positions automatically.

For sequential Tenta-Grabs, preserve the board after the first transformation as the pre-state for later cascades. A symbol created by the first grab can participate in a new win, but that does not retroactively alter the earlier target mask.

This event chain is another reason a single final screenshot is insufficient.

Distinguishing selected type from target positions

The grabbed symbol identity and the target mask answer different questions. The type can be a low, high, FS, Wild or Wild Multiplier; the mask always comes from stored stains plus the Eye. Do not expand the mask to every existing copy of the selected type.

Conversely, do not limit transformation to positions that previously contained the selected symbol. The whole purpose of the feature is to rewrite stained cells regardless of their current identities.

Publish both fields in any worked round: “selected symbol” and “positions transformed.” This wording prevents a common but material misreading of the mechanic.

Version comparison protocol

Keep each tested configuration attached to its operator, version, currency and date. Compare stain creation, base reset, Eye activation, possible grab types, bonus entry and extension rules independently. A changed RTP or stake range does not prove that positional persistence changed.

Archive one complete base cascade-to-grab sequence and one bonus sequence in which stains cross a primary-spin boundary. Pair each with the live help screen. These reference rounds reveal whether a later difference is a genuine update or a shortened animation.

If two primary sources conflict, retain both dated states and request clarification. Do not merge a base reset rule with bonus persistence or replace the scatter-equals-spins rule with a generic bonus allocation.

Practical reader decision points

Before play, verify live RTP, complete stake, maximum exposure, country eligibility and responsible-play controls. During a round, the reader needs only four state questions: which cells won, which cells are stained now, whether an Eye landed, and what symbol was grabbed.

During the bonus, add the current Free Spins counter and whether the map has survived from the prior primary spin. These fields allow a complete mechanical review without suggesting a favourable grab is imminent.

After settlement, reconcile the transformed-board award, clear consumed maps and apply the pre-set session boundary. Persistent marks are temporary feature state, not stored cash value.

Round-reconstruction template

Draw the deployed grid and number every cell. Shade generation-one stains, use a different pattern for later new stains and circle overlaps only once in the final map. Mark the Eye with a separate symbol and write the grabbed identity beside the board.

The expected transformation count equals unique stained cells plus the Eye, subject to any live-rule exception. Compare this mask with the settled grid, then apply the paytable to the transformed board. This template exposes missing cells, accidental duplicates and full-board overclaims before monetary reconciliation.

RTP remains outside the reconstruction. It is a long-run configuration value and cannot be inferred from one unusually large or small stain map.

Retain the verification date, game version and operator beside every reconstructed map so later interface changes do not overwrite the evidence supporting the original conclusion.

Frequently asked questions

What creates Ink Stains? Positions used by a calculated cascade win.

What activates Tenta-Grab? An Eye of Otto landing while stains are present.

What can the tentacle grab? Low, high, FS, Wild or Wild Multiplier symbols.

How many Free Spins start the bonus? The same number as the triggering FS scatters.

Do Ink Stains persist in the bonus? Yes, until Tenta-Grab uses them.

Is RTP published in readable form? No.

Is New Zealand availability confirmed? No.

Official source

• Hacksaw Gaming: Octo Attack

Bottom line: save the stained-position map before evaluating which symbol Tenta-Grab copies.

Preserve sources and dates.

How to verify the version you can actually open

A provider page proves that a title exists and describes the supplier's intended rules. It does not prove that a casino accepts players in New Zealand, that the title is enabled for a particular account, or that the highest published RTP is the version in the lobby. Treat availability, operator eligibility and product configuration as three separate checks.

Start with identity, then configuration

Open the game only through the authenticated casino lobby. The information or help panel should identify Hacksaw Gaming, the exact title and the active mathematical return. Compare the reel or grid layout, paylines or cluster rules, named features and symbol behaviour with the official product material. Similar artwork or a matching title is not enough when the help file is missing or inconsistent.

When the supplier publishes several RTP values, report all of them as configurations. Do not assume the highest option is deployed. RTP is a theoretical long-run measure across a very large number of rounds; it is not a refund rate for one player and cannot predict the next result. Volatility is different: it describes how unevenly results are distributed on the provider's scale.

Read stake controls as money, not interface decoration

Provider sheets often quote a reference range in euros. That range does not establish New Zealand-dollar support or the limits in a specific account. Before a paid round, identify the total amount that will leave the balance. If the interface separates denomination, coins and lines, verify the combined total. If Extra Bet is active, calculate its full cost before pressing spin.

Feature-buy prices are multiples of the current bet, not promised returns. A 100x purchase at a $1 stake costs $100; at a $2 stake it costs $200. Availability can vary by market and some mathematical configurations may not support the control. If the live help does not explain the price, delivered feature and active RTP, leave the option unused.

Keep simulation figures in their proper scope

A game sheet may publish a maximum result observed in a large simulation. That is not automatically the contractual maximum payout and never describes a likely session. Preserve the provider's wording, sample size and configuration. Check the live rules for a binding cap and the operator terms for any separate payout limit. Do not turn an extreme result into a promotional headline.

Audit a disputed round

If an animation freezes or a connection drops, do not repeat the wager immediately. Reopen the game through the authenticated lobby and inspect round history. Record the time, total stake, balance movement and round identifier. The result can be settled by the gaming system even when the device never displays the final animation. Send evidence through verified operator support; never disclose a password, recovery phrase or one-time code.

Read the paytable as a calculation document

The paytable should explain what creates a win, which symbols substitute, where special symbols can land and how multiple awards combine. For line games, confirm direction and active paylines. For cluster games, confirm adjacency, minimum group size and the order of collection. For respins, identify what remains locked, what resets the counter and what ends the feature. A graphic effect can illustrate those rules but cannot replace them.

Separate addition from multiplication. Several prize values may be added before a multiplier applies, while reel-specific multipliers can sometimes multiply together only when each reel participates in the same win. Reconstruct one low-stake result from game history. If the arithmetic cannot be matched to the help file, stop and ask the operator rather than guessing.

Do not confuse hit frequency with a profitable round

Provider sheets can publish hit frequency or category probabilities. A hit simply means a round returned a qualifying amount; it can be smaller than the stake. “Big”, “Mega” or “Epic” thresholds are provider reporting categories, not promises. They are useful for comparing mathematical versions only when definitions and samples are the same.

Random outcomes do not become due after a long gap. A feature that appeared repeatedly in a demo or marketing clip has no obligation to repeat in a funded session. Previous rounds do not create a debt from the next random result.

Confirm market and device behaviour independently

A title can exist in the supplier catalogue while an operator disables it for a territory, currency, device or bonus. Language localisation is not evidence of legal availability. Confirm the operator's identity, accepted countries and current lobby separately from the provider review.

On mobile, verify that balance, total bet, feature state and help remain visible without overlap. On desktop, check that browser zoom does not hide a purchase control or change the apparent denomination. Mathematical configuration should not change merely because the screen changes; if the help shows another RTP, treat it as a different deployment and record it.

Keep a compact evidence record

For any fact used in a review, save the title, provider, official URL, document date when available, access date and exact territorial scope. For a live session, add the operator domain, Game ID, RTP, currency and a non-sensitive screenshot of the help panel. This makes later corrections possible when a supplier updates a sheet or an operator changes configuration.

Missing information should remain missing. Do not estimate an RTP from results, convert a euro reference range into an operator's NZD limit, or treat another casino's configuration as evidence. A transparent “not confirmed” is more useful than a precise-looking number without the correct source.

Use limits that survive the feature design

Collection meters, expanding grids, sticky symbols and near misses can make a session feel unfinished. Unless the rules explicitly preserve progress, the visible state has no value after the round or feature ends. Set a money limit and time limit before launch, count feature buys immediately, and stop at the limit even when a meter appears close to an upgrade.

No random game is an income plan. Do not borrow, use essential funds or raise the stake to recover a loss. If play stops feeling recreational, use timeout, deposit-limit or self-exclusion tools and consult the site's responsible gambling guide.