ALL ABOUT RIDDLE REELS: A CASE OF RICHES SLOT
Summer 2020 appears to be all about super-sleuth slots. First NetEnt brought us their seedy LA game, Cash Noire, and now Play n Go are on a trip down the ages to bring the stories of Sherlock Holmes, ace English detective from the Arthur Conan Doyle stories, back to life. Riddle Reels may look like a straight forward game with its 3×3 reel set and 9 fixed paylines, but it has some clever gameplay lurking beneath the surface that slots fans of all persuasions will enjoy – the free spins round requires players to unlock clues that can get you onto a Mega Spin board, and the chance to move towards a top payout of 5,000x. It’s fun stuff and delivered with typically high production from one of Sweden’s top game providers. Let’s find out more.
GAME SET-UP, SYMBOLS AND GRAPHICS
Loading up the game, you’ll be taken back to the age of Sherlock Holmes – the late 1800s and a London of swirling mists and dark alleyways. The 3×3 reel set has 9 active paylines in play at all times, with payouts from left to right. The low value symbols are represented by weapons used in some dastardly murder – a noose, a dagger, a pistol and a hammer. The higher value symbols are suspects in the crime including a man in green and a woman in purple. The top value here is 12x for 3 on a payline.
Look out as well for the Wilds, represented by Holmes and Watson, who come with multipliers of 2x and 3x and can combine to create a total of 27x (3x3x3) if three wilds appear on one line with maximum multipliers. There are also scatters which are needed to unlock the bonus features explained below.
A CASE OF RICHES SLOT RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
A Case of Riches will potentially appeal to a broad range of slots fans as unlike other Play n Go releases this summer it is not cranked up to maximum variance. Instead the range is around medium, and that coupled with a reasonable RTP of 96.22%, makes it a good play for both casual slots players and those whose enjoy more high-risk fare. The top payout is 5,000x which is also something decent to aim for, though remember that achieving a jackpot like that is extremely rare. A Case of Riches is playable from 10p per spin.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
The basic gameplay in this 3×3 slot is augmented by some interesting features that work as follows:
Re-Spins and Mystery Feature
Landing two scatters on separate reels on one spin will trigger re-spins. Here, the two reels with the scatter lock and the third spins. The objective is to land a third scatter and set up the free spins round. If a third does not appear, then the Mystery Feature is triggered instead. Here, the scatters in view are removed to reveal alternative symbols from the paytable and potentially a win.
Free Spins And Mega SpinsÂ
To set up the free spins round you’ll need to land three or more scatters in one spin, or via the Re-Spin feature. Next, you’ll need to work your way around a game board with 14 spaces, each revealing a clue. You’ll roll a dice four times to move around the board, revealing between 1 and 3 free spins combined with clues as follows each time:
-  Weapons – all weapon symbols convert to the same weapon for your free spins.
- Suspect– all suspect symbols convert to the same suspect for your free spins.
- A Guaranteed Wild Reel – for your free spins.
- Nothing – nada, unfortunately!
When the free spins are in progress a Clue Point Meter is charged with each winning spin. Fully charge the meter and you’ll land a Mega Spin – a free spin where one reel is fully wild and the other two are all the same suspect or all the same weapon symbols.
OUR VERDICT
Wow! Fascinating stuff, eh?! A Case of Riches starts out as a simple slot with just the 3×3 and 9 fixed paylines, but things sure get more complicated in the bonus round. You might actually have to be a detective on the level of Sherlock to figure that one out. But it’s actually a really interesting game mechanic with some tidy potential built in. The Wild Reels in particular give you the chance to score some big wins, so that’s what you’ll be looking out for. And with a medium variance the pace of the game is good as well – fairly regular wins coming your way in the base game too. Good luck, and gamble responsibly.
