Crystal Kingdom Slot Machine

The glimmer of gold calls for many men, but it only feeds the soul for so long. But in this world, crystal is king. It shapes the structures within which men and women live, it proudly adorns their outfits, even used as a conduit for their magical prowess to be channelled through. Indeed, there's no more fitting name than the Crystal Kingdom.

The slot offers gamblers a 5x3 playing field with 40 flexible paylines and several special features to keep you invested in the whole thing.

The familiar grey and purple user interface is present just like in all other High 5 releases, which somehow manages to not horribly clash with the predominantly crystal blue that's found all over this game's visuals. It's a very magical experience, with the only icons that fail to follow the rules being playing card symbols like 10, J, Q, K and A.

Theme associated symbols include a polar bear, a redheaded sorcerer and a regal, blonde sorceress. All of these symbols can also appear as doubles, and many can only appear on specific reels. So the blonde can only appear on the first and fourth reel, the redhead can appear on the second and fifth reel, and the polar bear shares the blonde's slot on the first and fourth reel. You have regular Wilds to help make up for that, as well as two different Scatters.

Winning three Free Games Scatters can reward between six to sixteen extra turns. These Scatters only appear on the first, second and third reel. While it's active, Free Games Scatters become Wilds, which match with all other icons and appear on the first, second and third reel. Winning combinations that include a symbol match must include at least one icon that's not a Wild. The feature ends when all the free spins run out.

On top of this is the tumbling reels feature, which means that after every winning combination is paid out, the winning symbols blow up and new ones fall on top of them to take their place. The specific design doesn't quite work out for the best, unfortunately, but on the rare chance that it does and you succeed in landing several chained wins, it can feel awesome to play.

Crystal Kingdom feels like High 5 tried to make a slot that incorporates a little part of each feature they've included in their previous titles so far. Tumbling Reels, powerful symbols locked to specific reels, free spins with a twist. And yet, playing through it all, at least some of those don't quite fit well with the others outside of special features. The tumbling reels simply do not work with the blonde, redhead and polar bear being locked to specific reels unless you have Wilds to fill in the in between, meaning normal gameplay suffers for the sake of a cool free spins bonus.

Still, we have to give credit where it's due, at least this title isn't a complete clone like some of the other ones were. It offers a familiar 94.9% RTP and a 5,000x jackpot for a ten-of-a-kind win on the blonde sorceress. Not the best thing High 5 has produced, but it's certainly ambitious enough to impress us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Crystal Kingdom slots?

Crystal Kingdom by High 5 has an RTP of 94.9%, which is slightly below average for the online slots market. The game is high volatility, with a maximum jackpot of 5,000x the bet achieved by landing a ten-of-a-kind win on the blonde sorceress symbol. The combination of tumbling reels, reel-locked symbols, and free spins means the larger wins are concentrated into specific feature combinations.

Can I play Crystal Kingdom for real money slots?

Yes, Crystal Kingdom is available as a real money slots game at online casinos carrying High 5 Games titles. The 40 flexible paylines and wide betting range give players flexibility over their stake. As a high-volatility game with a 94.9% RTP, real money players should be prepared for the game's variable base game performance and focus on the Free Spins feature where the reel-locked symbols become Wilds.

How do the reel-locked symbols work in Crystal Kingdom?

Three of Crystal Kingdom's premium symbols are restricted to specific reels: the blonde sorceress appears only on reels 1 and 4, the redheaded sorcerer only on reels 2 and 5, and the polar bear only on reels 1 and 4. This means they cannot land on consecutive reels without Wild assistance in the base game, which limits their win contribution outside of the Free Spins feature where Scatters convert to Wilds to bridge the gaps.

How does the Crystal Kingdom Free Spins feature work?

Free Spins are triggered by landing 3 Free Games Scatter symbols on reels 1, 2 and 3, awarding between 6 and 16 extra turns. During the feature, those Scatter symbols transform into Wilds and remain active on reels 1, 2 and 3. These Wilds help bridge the gaps created by the reel-locked premium symbols, enabling more frequent high-value combinations. Any winning combination must still include at least one non-Wild symbol.

What is the tumbling reels feature in Crystal Kingdom?

Crystal Kingdom's tumbling reels mechanic removes all symbols that formed a winning combination after the payout is awarded, and new symbols fall from above to fill the vacant positions. This allows multiple consecutive wins to occur from a single paid spin. The mechanic is active in both the base game and Free Spins, though it works most effectively when Wild symbols help connect the reel-locked premium icons in a chain of wins.

What is the top jackpot in Crystal Kingdom?

The highest possible win in Crystal Kingdom is 5,000x the bet, achieved by landing a ten-of-a-kind win on the blonde sorceress symbol. Because the blonde sorceress is restricted to reels 1 and 4, this maximum win requires Wild symbols to complete the ten-symbol chain across all five reels. This outcome is most achievable during Free Spins when the Scatter-turned-Wilds are active on the first three reels.