Nouveau Riche Introduction
With its reels and symbols inspired by the art nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th century, Nouveau Riche by IGT is one of the more unusual free pokies. The mix of intricate, flowing designs and geometric patterns based on natural shapes and forms is central to the decorative art movement of the period. With the sound of twittering birds and running water, the overall design gives this pokie an almost fairy tale feel.
Erik Satie's enchanting Gnossiennes - piano music composed during the same period - plays along in the distant background, completing the overall vintage style.
Cascading symbols
The reels on this game use a free fall feature. This means that each symbol involved in a winning payline will disappear, causing the symbols above to tumble down into their place; in turn, these can form more winning combinations in succession, meaning that you can net multiple wins and more chances of a bonus on a single spin. The free fall feature is present in both the main and bonus games of this five-reel, 20-payline pokie.
The main game also has stacked wilds, helping to secure the bigger paying combinations. The ivy-entwined wilds substitute all symbols except the water pitcher bonus. If three bonus symbols come in, you are presented with three muses, each holding a pitcher of water. Pick the right one for the maximum number of bonus games and she will decant the water into a pool, revealing how many free spins you have won.
The bonus games are played with a different set of reels, which feature an extra +1 symbol - useful if you weren't so lucky on your choice of bonus muse. Each time this symbol appears, it will increase your number of free spins by one.
Payout
The top paying symbol on this pokie is the Nouveau Riche logo. Five of a kind will bring in 5,000 times your line bet, with 500 x and 100 x for four and three of a kind respectively. The muses are the next highest paying, with the red-haired muse paying 800 x, 200 x and 50 x your line bet for five, four and three appearances; the blonde paying 400 x, 80 x and 30 x; and the brunette paying 300 x, 60 x and 20 x.
The jewellery symbols are the lowest paying on the reels, with the green-gemmed brooch and blue-gemmed teardrop each paying 100 x, 30 x and 10 x for five, four and three of a kind, and the pink-gemmed piece yielding 80 x, 20 x and 5 x. As with most cascading-style games, payouts on this pokie are generally smaller to compensate for the more frequent wins, which are great fun if you hit a long run of multiple cascades on a single spin.
The theoretical long-term return to player is still competitive at between 93% and 96.43%. Treat yourself and indulge in the vintage styles and charming sounds of Nouveau Riche. With its cascading-style reels and stacked wilds, it won't be too long a wait before the wins start to come in.
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