Treasure Heroes (Rabcat): Overview

The previous Rabcat slot to come our way was North Storm, an attractive slot with an etheric quality to it. The gameplay might have been so-so, but it was a looker all the same. Producing slots exclusively for Microgaming, Treasure Heroes is another fantastic looking game. It not only has appealing visuals, but it also possesses some innovative features and gameplay. In Treasure Heroes, players enter a fantasy world where the goal is breaking into a treasure room and scooping up as much loot as possible.

Back before a time when first person perspectives dominated video games, the bird's eye view was common. That’s what we get with Treasure Heroes staring down into a neatly laid out dungeon. Visually, it undoubtedly dips its toes into video game territory. In the middle of the room is a 5x5 game zone full of bright, personable symbols. Hit play and the reels spin in an unusual way – they're all synchronised. They don't have the same symbols, but they spin in time. That might seem weird, but it ties in with the Moving Walls mechanic as we will see. Before hitting spin, bet levels need to be set and stakes start at 20 p/c and go up to $/€40 each.

Wins come from clusters rather than lines in this dungeon. You need at least 6 matching symbols touching horizontally or vertically to make a winning cluster combination. There are only six pay symbols in the game, but they are all intricately drawn and unique to Treasure Heroes. In ascending order there is a blue gem, a dragon charm, a gold lantern and a Warrior. There are two premium symbols which are a Magician and a Treasure Chest which payout 1,000 times the stake for a full grid of 25 of a kind. Helping cobble winners together is a purple witchy-ish symbol that is wild and can substitute for any of the 6 pay symbols.

Powering the game is a math model that might feel a little underpowered for harder edge players. RTP is solid on 96.12% and combines with a lower hit rate of 17.03% along with a medium volatility. The figures feed a math model that produces a fairly steady amount of wins, albeit with some downtime, and features that triggered quite frequently during testing.

Treasure Heroes (Rabcat): Features

Treasure Heroes has two additional features which are both quite unique. The most common is the Moving Reels mechanic. This is triggered after every winning cluster is formed and is why the reels synchronise. First, the winning amount is paid out. After that, reels 1, 3, and 5 move vertically, in random directions with new symbols filling in any gaps. At the same time, rows 1, 3, and 5 move horizontally. Any new wins cause the feature to repeat until no new clusters are formed. If you like, picture the shifting reels and rows like a moving Rubik's cube. Twisting the columns and rows can put matching symbols together as well as pull them away. Fantastic when chains of wins occur, annoying when you see your winning symbols get torn apart.

The last symbol is the scatter in the form of a Key. When two Keys are in view they trigger 10 Treasure Chamber Free Spins. The keys merge to unlock the door on the right, and the game moves into the Treasure Chamber. Every time a Free Spin ends a skeleton above the reels pulls a lever to spin any Magician or Warrior symbols in view. This may or may not turn them into sticky wilds which are held in place for the duration of the feature. Build up a collection of sticky wilds and the results can be quite rewarding. What's not so great is that Moving Walls are not active during free spins. Nor can free spins be retriggered.

Treasure Heroes (Rabcat): Verdict

Treasure Heroes is one of those games where you have absolutely no clue what's going on at first and thus may seem a bit over complicated at first. It doesn't take too long, however, until things start to make sense. Moverover, it has a number of elements that make it a likeable game - graphics are great, gameplay is unusual, and the features work well together. For the wider gambling community it could be cult favourite, but a few aspects hold it back from dazzling more dedicated gamblers. When it comes to potential, full grids of symbols return 1,000 times the stake on a single spin which isn't a bad prospect, yet the key sticking point is that the maximum win is 1,925 times the stake at max bet.

Its relatively low hit rate might frustrate some, but it ensures that when things do happen they are more exciting than they could've been. What this means is that clusters snowball thanks to the Moving Walls features. Bear in mind that this can lead to as many non-wins as wins since the game moves symbols apart as often as it pulls them together. Also, it doesn't produce as long as the chains of wins which are possible with Megaways for instance. Moving Walls are quite unique in the way they move though so good on Rabcat for experimenting with a new feature although at times we couldn't help but feel that the animations could have been sped up a bit.

Treasure Heroes is not a high volatility slot that will knock socks off and payout big when it's on. But it is entertaining all the same. Its singularly nature makes it worth investigating, at least in demo mode to get a feel for it. Whether players move past that stage to feeding in coins is an interesting question. Plenty are sure to. Its medium volatility and quirky dynamics, not to mention great graphics, make it an attractive option for casual gamblers. The features drop often enough to keep the pace up and the game ticking over. Its low overall potential and gentler volatility may prove a sticking point with the more dedicated players though. Overall, it'll never be slot of the year, but its charm and unique spinning action might just win you over regardless.