Golden Realms: Slot Overview

Putting aside powerful natural forces we have yet to master, human beings have the capability to drastically shape the world around us. Funny then to think why we don't create a paradise for all. Is it our inbuilt nature that prevents us from doing so? A checklist of ways we'd like things to be would surely include world peace, harmony amongst humanity, and greater global cooperation between peoples to overcome our differences and make everything better, wouldn't we? Or perhaps that's just a fantasy. Ah well, software provider NetEnt has indulged in some fantastical (or is that mythological?) thinking when it came up with Golden Realms, an online slot 'where ancient gods rule the reels and mystical features shape your destiny!' NetEnt's words, obviously.

Golden Realms' actual realm is an inspiring one, looking like a Mt Olympus situation up in the clouds at the roof of the world, where players peer down on Ancient Greek architecture sprinkled about on floating rocks and whatnot. The visuals had a light, mystical quality mirroring what was found in Rome: The Golden Age, an effect reinforced by the diamond-shaped gaming grid. Like the Rome game, the 5-reel matrix is laid out in a 3-4-5-4-3 pattern, though this one has 36 paylines rather than 20. As already noted, Golden Realms presents an inspiring vision, which NetEnt's art team has excelled at painting.

It's hard to think of many gamblers who wouldn't be covered by Golden Realms' 20 c to $/€2,000 per spin stake levels, should they all be available. This is a slot for players into highly volatile math models, though the relatively low accompanying max win figure felt like an odd match. The default RTP is 96.05%, though there are two lower configurations possible, as well.

Golden Realms' low pays are J-A marble backgrounded card ranks, while its high pays are 4 epic picture symbols with Pegasus and Medusa popped in there for good measure. A burning brazier is Golden Realms' wild symbol, which can substitute for any of the regular pays in a winning combination.

Golden Realms: Slot Features

In Golden Realms, be on the lookout for random features such as random wilds, Fire Multipliers, and the Meteor Splash, as well as free spins, which may trigger organically or be bought.

Base Game Features

• Random Wilds - When triggered, players can benefit by having 5 to 9 wild symbols dropping unpredictably on the reels.
• Fire Multiplier - When a hammer lands, it unleashes a blaze that extends a multiplier of up to x5. When this feature activates, a random symbol sends a blast in 1 of 4 directions, increasing multipliers by x1 as it spreads. In this one, 5 to 13 symbols on the reels are assigned a multiplier from x1 to x5. The multiplier grows by x1 as the positions go further from the blast. When the blast ends and all multipliers are in place, wins are calculated by adding multipliers.
• Meteor Splash - For the Meteor Splash, a random symbol on the grid is picked to expand and cover all adjacent symbols, up to 6 of them, plus the symbols adjacent to them, up to 12. Wild symbols do not get covered by burning Meteor Splashes.

Free Spins

Players win 10, 15, or 20 free spins when 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols land, respectively. In free spins, the chances of activating a random feature increase.

Feature Buy

For 100x the bet, players can buy passage to the free spins bonus round.

Golden Realms: Slot Verdict

A bunch of positive parts went into the making of Golden Realms, but it's a slot that holds itself back in some ways, as well. Highlights include the excellent artwork and the clever camera angle on the action, giving players partial to Ancient Greek games something to feast their eyes upon. Other lookers in this sector of the market include slots like Alchemy Gaming's Chronicles of Olympus-related games, Pragmatic Play's Zeus vs Hades - Gods of War, and no doubt players have other favourites they could add to the list.

Having a trio of random features available in both phases, base and bonus, is a plus point, too. It's hard to complain about random wilds when they happen in any game, really, though the other two, the Meteor Splash and Fire Multiplier, are arguably more dramatic. All of them might turn out to be handy for producing a decent result, but Golden Realms isn't a high-paying slot, comparatively speaking. Its 2,241x the bet max win feels at odds with the majestic scenery and collection of entities it delivers, not to mention the high volatility.

For players not fussed about chasing big win numbers, who are happy enough immersing themselves in a handsomely presented Greek God-style slot, then Golden Realms could be a fit. It looks the part and has some interesting features, but the 'low' max win number puts a big enough bullet hole in its foot to make Golden Realms easy to dismiss.