Crescendo Slot Overview
Crescendo is a casino slot from ELK Studios that weaves classic poker card game rules into spinning reels. It might feel like an unusual concept initially, although if you think of the classic video poker machines, the premise is somewhat similar. At its core, the mechanics follow the same idea, requiring players to arrange symbols on the board into one ten hands to receive a payout. However, Crescendo takes things up a notch with a line-up of exciting modifiers that can boost the achieved combination with multipliers, added values, or Wild symbols. On top of that, each successful hand will yield a respin, while the bonus round will keep all features persistent between spins to make the road to the max win of 25,000x the bet a little easier. There's no need to work on your poker face in this case, so just enjoy the funky disco track and watch the card-filled reels spin.
Crescendo is a video slot from ELK Studios with 5 reels, 1 row, and a win system based on poker rules, requiring to form particular hands out of symbols on the reels. Players can choose their stake from a range of options, starting from a Min. bet of 0.2 up to a Max. bet of 100. The game offers a default RTP of 94.00%, combined with medium-high volatility, hit frequency of 22.8%, and a max win capped at 25,000x the bet.
Card games are usually quite straightforward with not too many added mechanics, but this one is different and comes with an exciting collection of features to help players on their road to big wins. The features of Crescendo are Respins, Feature Inventory, Bonus Game, and Feature Buy.
Crescendo Slot Information
For a card-styled casino game, Crescendo comes with some funky vibes, delivered primarily through an 80s disco soundtrack and neon glows adorning the boxes above the main reels. At the bottom of the view, a chequered pattern spreads far into the background, disappearing somewhere in the darkness of an aurora-lit night sky. The black-lined, gold-framed rectangular panel sits in the lower part of the screen, while the assisting feature area hovers right above it. To land a winning combination, a poker hand must be formed across the 5 reels, which are populated with traditional playing cards from 2 to Ace. Thanks to the universal, mobile-friendly design, players can give the game a go on any modern device, whether it's a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
The game does not contain a traditional paytable with each symbol having its assigned value. Instead, payouts are awarded for forming particular poker hands, according to the following order.
Pair = 0.1x
Two Pair = 0.25x
Three of a Kind = 0.5x
Straight = 0.75x
Flush = 1x
Full House = 2.5x
Four of a Kind = 5x
Straight Flush = 10x
Royal Straight Flush = 15x
Five of a Kind = 25x
Crescendo Slot Features
What is the max win in the slot Crescendo?
You can win up to 25,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Crescendo?
The features are Respins, Feature Inventory, Bonus Game, and Feature Buy.
Respins
Every time a winning hand is formed, the reels that do not contain winning cards will spin again. Also, a respin will be granted if no hand is formed, but the composition is 1 card short of creating a Straight or Flush. If a hand uses all 5 available cards, all reels will respin and the active multiplier will be doubled until the end of the round. On each consecutive respin during the same round, one additional feature will be added to the Feature Inventory.
Feature Inventory
Two boxes visible above the reels represent the base win value (left) and the multiplier (right). The win value will be populated by the winning hands' payouts, but can also be increased by certain features. The multiplier can only grow by landing features. At the beginning of each spin, between 1 and 5 features appear in the Feature Inventory.
Add To Base Win = adds the displayed value to the base win box for each symbol in a winning hand matching the stated type.
Multiply Base Win = multiplies the base win by the displayed value for each symbol in a winning hand matching the stated type.
Add To Multiplier = adds the displayed value to the multiplier box for each symbol in a winning hand matching the stated type.
Multiply Multiplier = multiplies the multiplier by the displayed value for each symbol in a winning hand matching the stated type.
Make Wild = transforms all symbols matching the stated type into Wilds that substitute for any other symbol when the game tries to compose a winning hand.
Once all respins have been played and all features have been applied to both boxes, the total win resulting from the base win value multiplied by the multiplier will be awarded.
Bonus Game
Collecting 3 Bonus symbols throughout the same spin activates the bonus with 5 free spins. The multiplier and all features accumulated during the triggering round will be carried over, plus they, and any new ones added in the process, will stay sticky until the end of the bonus.
Feature Buy
For players who prefer to dive straight into the most thrilling action, the X-iter menu offers several options for triggering features instantly for a fixed price.
3x = Bonus Hunt with more than a triple chance to trigger the bonus round.
10x = a spin with 3 features guaranteed.
25x = a spin with 5 features guaranteed.
100x = regular Bonus Game.
250x = Super Bonus Game starting with 5 features.
Crescendo Slot Conclusion
In many players' heads, ELK is most likely associated with elaborate games spanning massive grids and handling complex mechanics, like Pirots, Nitropolis, or the Gold series. However, the studio also has a history of delivering more straightforward productions, mainly 3x3 classic-looking machines, like Win Win. It's been a while since we've seen something as straightforward as Crescendo, but don't let the initial look fool you, as this game packs quite a punch with its added mechanics. Also, if you're wondering why it carries such an odd title, it becomes much clearer once you play the bonus round, where the game explodes with the energy of its roaring soundtrack that makes you want to turn up the speakers to the maximum. It's also exceptionally clean and polished, although the choice of a chequered-style background merging with a night sky painted with northern lights makes for a relatively odd scene. But, to each their own, and once things start to unravel on the 5-reel panel, you hardly pay attention to what happens behind it.
Gameplay-wise, it might take a while to get used to the slot's tempo. Keeping track of winning hands during respins while watching added features boost the base win value and grow the multipliers can become a tad much at times. Still, the more is happening, the better, as each respin means you've hit something. The Feature Inventory gets populated on every spin with at least 1 modifier, maintaining decent levels of anticipation on every round, and the seemingly stingy low-end paytable values can often transform into a solid win thanks to them. All in all, despite its unique format, the game offers entertaining gameplay that may appeal to card game enthusiasts and slot players alike.
Cescendo is a unique, thrilling blend of card game rules and slot machine mechanics, offering a respectable max win of 25,000x the bet in an energetic, neon-lit environment.
