Epic Gladiators Slots
For years, arcade and mobile app fans have enjoyed games that reward points for lining up matching symbols. And recently, the “cascading” nature of Candy Crush, Bejeweled and their many clones has been replicated by online slots developers too.
Play'n GO's candy-themed slot, Sweet Alchemy, is one of those games that feature a progressive multiplier meter that fills up every time the player hits a win line. Blueprint Gaming has even adapted the popular Bejeweled 2 app into a gambling slot that can be played for real money. Here, while the basic reels look like any regular 3x5 slot, the bonus game awards prizes every time you connect matching icons horizontally or vertically.
Treading a similar path, but discarding the jewel and candy themes, is Evoplay Entertainment. The Ukrainian developer's Epic Gladiators video slot takes the same grid structure and progressive win meter as Bejeweled 2, throwing in some cute cartoon characters for good measure. Let's have a closer look to see if the title is as "epic" as the name suggests.
Match 5 Symbols for Exploding Wins
Evoplay Entertainment is one of Kyiv's big gaming success stories. The team have been producing online casino slots and table games from their Ukraine base for several years. And when it comes to graphics, Evoplay Entertainment is truly pushing the boundaries.
Although not as impressive in terms of 3D graphics as some of its other titles, Epic Gladiators still looks the part. In fact, it resembles a mobile arcade game more than a gaming slot. But that doesn't take anything away from the no-nonsense gameplay.
This online slot is centered on the exploits of a brave gladiator and his crew doing battle with an army of scary undead warriors. The cute heroes leap and slash their way around the reels as you play.
The game area is made up of a 7x7 grid of symbols. When you hit the Spin button, the symbols cascade down the screen and come to a rest. If you link any five matching symbols horizontally or vertically, they will explode. The symbols sitting above will fall into their place and the cascade starts again. The more wins you can string together, the bigger your payouts will be.
Players have the option to pick a range of coins. Bets start from 0.01, but there are ten bet levels to satisfy the high limit gamblers.
Earn up to 8,000 Coins in the Exciting Base Game
The player wins a real cash prize just by lining up matching symbols on the reel grid. There are eight regular symbols to aim for, with the biggest prizes reserved for matching 15 symbols in one block.
The elements pay the lowest cash prizes. The boulder represents the earth element. It awards from two coins for five matching symbols up to 1,000 coins for 15 matching icons. The water drop pays three to 1,200 coins, while the cloud – symbolising air – pays out up to 1,500 coins. The fire symbol dishes out a prize of seven to 2,500 coins.
The gladiator symbols are a little better. Our hero's helmet pays eight to 3,000 coins for five to 15 symbols. The shield (10-5000) and sword (12-7000) offer something a little meatier. Finally, the skeleton shield awards the top payout of 8,000 coins for 15 connected symbols.
The free Epic Gladiators slot machine also features a wild symbol. This is the bomb, and it will substitute for all regular symbols in the game.
Destroy the Skeleton Warriors and Trigger Free Spins
While it's fun to see cute cartoon characters running around above the reels, these also serve a purpose. If you look above the heads of the skeleton warriors, you'll see a row of hearts. As you line up matching symbols, the hearts disappear. If your run of success ends, however, the hearts will be restored.
If you manage to hit three consecutive winners, our brave gladiator Kilevilus will have vanquished the evil spirit. It's possible to wipe out three skeleton baddies if you keep hitting consecutive winning spins.
A free spins slots feature is now triggered, with 10, 15 or 20 free games awarded if you kill one, two or three bad guys respectively. The round starts with one gladiator picked at random, with each of these having his own special skills:
Maximus: This cheeky chap will give you free spins with a 2x multiplier. For every baddie killed, the multiplier is increased by one.
Wild Crixus: The dome-helmeted soldier will replace three symbols at random with wilds following every free spin. For every demonic warrior he kills, another symbol will be replaced.
Spintacus: Finally, this gladiator will swap two random symbols with others to help create winning combos. Again, for every skeleton he defeats in battle, another symbol will swap position.
Indulge Your Candy Crush Urges for Real Cash
Candy Crush and its clones have been available to app players for years. Games in the Candy Crush franchise are hugely popular and have been downloaded billions of times. Luckily, slots makers have cottoned on. There are now several reliable online slots to try for real cash that have a similar block system.
The Fugaso (Future Gaming Solutions) portfolio features a slot called Graffiti: Block Pays. The game is played on a 5x6 grid, with payouts made for landing clusters of nine or more matching symbols.
Block wins can randomly trigger a Clammy Win respin. The matching symbols are held while the remaining symbols respin around them. With this feature it’s possible to fill a set of reels completely with matching icons. And if that’s not enough bonus action for you, the Graffiti: Block Pays slot also features a progressive jackpot at participating casinos.
But don't dismiss Blueprint Gaming's Bejeweled 2 slot. At the max bet you can potentially win up to 250,000 in the bonus game. There are also special gems that appear at random and destroy surrounding symbols to create bigger wins.
Ride the Volatility and Slay the Skeletons
If you love online slots featuring 3D graphics, Evoplay Entertainment should be on your list of firms to try out. Epic Gladiators might not have slick video intros or cutaway sequences, but it makes up for it with no-nonsense gameplay. The simple animation is a delight, especially the bubbles that pop up to display the characters' speech.
While block pay slots have been around a while, none have included an original bonus trigger like Epic Gladiators. Give the game a try at some top online casinos and see for yourself. It's a volatile slot, but if you can ride out the swings before triggering free spins, there are lots of coins to be won.
