Another addition from Microgaming partner Just For The Win shows that the ‘book of’ genre is still going strong, or at least that there are lots of developers ready to retread the formula. This one, too, does not approach softly, but rather gallops across hills on horseback and gallops through enchanted forests right out of a fairy tale. Action in Book of King Arthur moves from scorching, dusty Ancient Egypt to the cooler, wetter environs of Ye Olde England. Both the concept and the mechanic are somewhat common, but their combination is unusual. There are no significant shocks, as is the case with most properly constructed ‘book of’ slots, but the studio has added a few of extras to spice things up a bit. Fans of Ra should not worry, as the game’s primary mechanics have not changed, making the free spins with growing symbols the major draw.
Set to a rousingly royal music, this slot machine features a barrel-shaped grid of 5 reels and 10 paylines, similar to the studio’s earlier hit Deco Diamonds and subsequent release Deco Diamond Deluxe. We’re in what seems like a hall in Camelot, but it’s just a red carpet and some columns. But it’s light, so it’s not hard to see King Arthur and his knights performing heroic acts or, at the very least, plotting heroic acts while sitting around the round table. Although the visuals in Book of King Arthur aren’t nearly as impressive as those in other Just For The Win games, they are nevertheless bright and in keeping with the game’s retro vibe.
Any gadget that generates statistics suggesting it will appeal to more hardened ‘book of’ gamers should have access to Book of King Arthur. The game has a theoretical RTP value of 96.1% and a highly volatile mathematical model, allowing players to wager anywhere from 20 p/c to £/€100 every spin. Book of King Arthur’s main game progresses very smoothly, but the free spins feature, like with any ‘book’ slots, is where the real excitement lies. The high hit frequency of 30.8% contributes to this; this means that almost one-third of all spins will result in a payment of some kind. High-value symbols are plentiful in the paytable, which is a positive indicator that Just For The Win is a game of this type.
Colorful royals from 10 to Ace fill out the bottom of the table, adding to the realistic slot machine vibe. The next in line is King Arthur, then the Grails, Excalibur, and finally the High Pay Shields. Winnings range from 75% to 500% of the wager when five premium symbols appear on a payline. Two or more high-paying symbols can result in a payment, whereas low-paying ones require three of a kind.
The Slot Features from the Book of King Arthur
The standard betting range is between 20 percent and fifty pounds ($/euro) each spin, while the Boost betting range is between forty percent and one hundred pounds ($/euro) per spin. When the Boost feature is used, the wild expands from a 1×1 tile to a 1×3 wild, covering the entire reel whenever it falls and costing twice as much as the original bet. Every kind of wild card can be used to supplement ordinary wins.
The book with the dragon on it is both a wild and a scatter; seeing three or more of them anywhere in view triggers 10 free games. When 3, 4, or 5 books appear anywhere on the reels, the player receives a payout of 2x, 20x, or 200x the initial wager, respectively. Instead of randomly selecting an expanding symbol from a book’s pages, a table spins, which is a lovely conceptual element. Anything outside the Book icon is acceptable here. If the special symbol can produce a win throughout the round, it will grow to encompass all slots on its reels after the payouts for any ordinary winning combinations have been made. These symbols pay on all lines regardless of where they appear on the reels. If you get three or more book symbols while in the bonus round, you’ll get 10 more free games.
The basic game may be purchased off to speed up the process of getting to the free spins in Book of King Arthur. At 80x the current wager, it guarantees three or more scatter symbols on the following spin. Technically speaking, free spins cannot be purchased while Boost mode is active.
Arthurian Literature’s Slotted Conviction
There’s nothing stopping you from filling the Book of King Arthur into the ‘book of’ section if you want to do something a little unconventional. Just For The Win has made one of the finest games in what feels like a rapidly expanding category. Players receive a great Medieval appearance with an arcade atmosphere all mixed into one, even if the studio didn’t get as much into the concept as they usually do.
Players debating whether or not to activate Boost might benefit from knowing how doing so affects RTP. The maximum prize in Book of King Arthur is 5,000 times the wager, so it’s certainly worth the effort if you can figure out how to get a complete screen of Arthur symbols. Since this is only likely to occur during free spins, it is convenient to be able to activate the feature buy and skip over the tedious beginning of the game.
A few decades ago, a multiple of 5,000 would have established Book of King Arthur as a major contender for the best ‘book’ position in terms of potential. Expanding special symbol slots like Book of Shadows now give far greater rewards than this, continuing the trend of “bigger is better.” Book of King Arthur, on the other hand, is a good, classical interpretation of this genre of game with a few fascinating elements in a fresh context.