Introduction
Golden Volcano takes place on somewhat unconventional reels. There are eight reels in total; however, since these are displayed in the shape of a volcano, the same number of symbols doesn’t show appear each. Instead, they appear in a configuration of 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3.
There are eight standard symbols, four of which are themed as gemstones and the other four as the high playing cards. Blue wild symbols appear randomly after winning combinations, while scatter symbols appear as brown rocks.
Rather than traditional paylines, the pokie uses cluster payouts whereby four or more connected symbols, in any direction, equal a win.
After any win, the winning symbols are removed; every time this happens, the lava at the bottom of the pokie rises, pushing more symbols onto the reels. These new symbols can also form winning combinations, forcing the lava even higher.
The cascading reels feature is what truly makes this pokie worth playing. It is thrilling to watch new symbols appear on the reels and hope that they will form winning combinations.
You can try free Play n GO online pokies right here at Online Pokies 4U to get a feel for their many features.
Theme, graphics & soundtrack
Upon loading the pokie, the first thing that struck us was its originality. The unusual volcano-shaped reels are particularly striking and grabbed our attention straight away
The graphics are simple but effective. The volcano takes centre stage behind the reels, with lava bubbling ominously at the bottom of the screen. A dark and turbulent sky adds to the sense of pending destruction, while the volcano quivers as though it is set to erupt at any moment.
The background music couldn't be much more suspenseful. It has a brooding, near-apocalyptic tone that is perfect for the fiery setting.
Gold Volcano RTP & volatility
The RTP of Gold Volcano is 96.20 per cent. It is a medium volatility pokie with a top payout of 10,000x.
How to play Gold Volcano
With its uniquely-shaped reels and many bonus features, Gold Volcano might seem quite confusing at first glance. Here is a quick guide to get you started:
1. When the game loads, press the question mark icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up the rules.
2. Close the menu to return to the pokie.
3. Pressing the i button to the bottom left of the screen brings up the paytable and explains the bonus features.
4. Use the small lightning arrow next to the help button to turn the turbo spins on or off.
5. You can adjust the size of your wager using the arrows on either side of the bet size box.
6. Should you choose to use it, autoplay is located to the bottom right of the screen, next to the play button. You can set autospins up to a maximum of 100 with loss/win limits.
7. Set your budget for the session, press play, and remember to enjoy the pokie responsibly.
Bet & win sizes
Gold Volcano has a minimum bet of 0.1 and a maximum of 100. It is simple to adjust your bet size using the bet level buttons. The highest possible single cluster win with 30+ golden symbols stands at 1,000x.
Let’s take a look at the list of payouts for fiver matching symbols:
- 30+ golden stones - 1,000x
- 30+ diamonds = 60x
- 30+ green stones = 35x
- 30+ red stones = 30x
- 30+ purple stones = 25x
- 30+ spades = 5x
- 30+ hearts = 4x
- 30+ clubs = 3x
Cluster payouts and cascading reels mean there are multiple ways to win per round. Winning combinations disintegrate and are replaced with new symbols, which can also combine for wins. The highest possible win on this pokie stands at 10,000x; however, such a large win is incredibly rare and require patience.
Gold Volcano bonus features
Gold Volcano comes loaded with bonus features, which can seem a little unconventional at first. We have put together a quick guide to help you with these exciting and potentially lucrative features:
- Pressure
This feature is triggered at random after any win. Wilds appear across the reels instead of standard symbols. Some wilds can even have a 2x multiplier, offering larger wins.
- Dormant
If a base spin doesn’t result in a win, this feature can trigger at random. There are three potential effects: Rumble shuffles the symbols into new combinations and adds a scatter, Lava adds another layer of any symbol, and the Excavate feature places three to five wild symbols at random across the reels.
- Crystallisation
Collecting scatter symbols fills the gauge to the top left of the screen. Collecting enough scatters transforms standard symbols into gold, which is the highest paying symbol. The scatter total resets at the end of each round unless Eruption has been triggered.
- Eruption
Achieving six cascades in a row triggers the Eruption feature. The grid expands to 8x8 and the player is awarded five free spins; better still, one extra free spin is added every time the player manages another six cascades.
Our verdict
Gold Volcano is a fiery offering from Play’n GO, which should be commended for developing a pokie that has plenty of graphical flair, is thrilling to play and offers big potential wins.
We particularly enjoyed the cascading reels and the possibility of multiple wins per round. This feature, coupled with the many bonuses on offer, means that long chains of wins can form, one after the other.
The excitement never lets up and the action is perfectly complemented by the dramatic design and ominous soundtrack.
If you enjoy cluster pokies, you can find many more, including the ever-popular Reactoonz online pokie, right here at Online Pokies 4U.
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