Introduction to Giraffalot
Giraffalot is a casino slot from ELK Studios, inviting you for some wild adventuring in a fictional land ruled by anthropomorphic animals. While the game's title may initially feel quite puzzling, once you step into its majestic, dreamlike realm and meet the heroes, the peculiar wordplay will make much more sense. A noble giraffe knight, accompanied by several representatives of other species, clad in armor and wielding melee weapons, will allow you to somewhat place this setting in medieval times. Then, the ornate chalice, characteristic motifs, kingdom banners popping up occasionally on the reels, and the 'lot' part of the game's name will narrow it down to the famous Arthurian legend, and its iconic castle, Camelot.
So, now that the mystery has been solved, let's explore these breathtaking fantasy landscapes and try to find the elusive Holy Grail worth up to 10,000x the bet. If you'd like to get to know your animal companions closer before setting off on the actual quest, check out the demo at the beginning of this article.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Giraffalot is a video slot from ELK Studios with 5 reels, 4 rows, and 26 paylines. You can choose your 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%, which is significantly lower than the industry standards, which oscillate around 96%-96.5%. The math model combines medium-high volatility, which prioritizes the size of the wins above their frequency, with a max win capped at 10,000x the bet. The base game hit frequency is 23.9%.
The first thing you notice about the game's design is the vertical orientation of the symbols, despite the grid being in a 5x4 format. This is to accommodate the long-necked giraffe knight, who will occasionally need all the space he can get to stretch along the reels. At the same time, it makes the game ideal for mobile devices in portrait mode. As for the environment itself, the mythical land and its residents are nothing short of a visual wonder. Soft color palette dominated by shades of pink, turquoise, and yellowish brown makes the entire scene look like a surreal painting, while the detailed, ultra-crisp animal symbols on the reels add context to the narrative and breathe life into it. Complementing this stunning view is an uplifting adventure soundtrack played on a wide range of instruments, from strings and drums to flutes and xylophones. You can dive into the animal-ruled fantasy land from any modern device, whether you prefer to play on a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
The paytable carries two sets of distinct symbols responsible for delivering standard wins whenever at least 3 matching instances land on any of the active paylines. All qualifying sequences must begin from the left side of the panel and continue rightward on adjacent reels. Low-paying symbols take the form of royal emblems from playing cards, including J, Q, K, and A, awarding 1.5x the bet for a 5-of-a-kind combination. High-paying symbols are represented by a meerkat with a crossbow, a rhino with a club, a magician elephant, and a king tiger, offering a payout range of 2x to 10x the bet for matching 5 on a payline. Alongside regular symbols, reels are also populated with special ones like Expanding Wilds represented by a giraffe knight, Spreading Wilds in the form of ornate gates, and Bonus Symbols appearing as a golden monkey-shaped chalice.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Giraffalot?
You can win up to 10,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Giraffalot?
The features are Expanding Wilds & Multiplier Wilds, Spreading Wilds, Super Spin, Bonus & Super Bonus Game, Feature Buy (X-iter).
Expanding Wilds & Multiplier Wilds
Whenever the Expanding Wild lands on a reel, it will grow in size to cover it entirely and award a respin. Additionally, it may carry a multiplier that will apply to any wins created with its use. During respins, Expanding Wilds, Spreading Wilds, and Bonus symbols remain sticky.
Spreading Wilds
Spreading Wilds may land only on the middle reel, and once activated, they will award one of three modifiers. They will either convert all instances of one high-paying symbol into Wilds, increase multipliers on converted Wilds, or increase multipliers on Expanding Wilds. A Spreading Wild reactivates on every respin.
Super Spin
At the beginning of any spin, a Super Spin mode may activate, removing all low-paying symbols from the reels for that spin.
Bonus & Super Bonus Game
Landing 3 Bonus symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 activates the Bonus Game with 5 free spins. If there's a Super Bonus symbol in the triggering combination, an enhanced mode will be awarded. The regular variant is played with all base game features maintained. The 'Super' mode guarantees between 1 and 4 Expanding Wilds on every free spin.
Feature Buy (X-iter)
Like many other games from ELK Studios, Giraffalot comes with the X-iter menu that contains several options for triggering features and bonuses for a set price.
2.5x = Bonus Hunt with four-times higher likelihood of triggering the Bonus Game.
5x = Mega Bonus Hunt with ten-times higher likelihood of triggering the Bonus Game.
50x = Magic Spin with 2 Expanding Wilds guaranteed and a guaranteed Super Bonus if the bonus is triggered.
100x = Regular Bonus Game.
500x = Super Bonus Game.
Final Thoughts on Giraffalot
Given ELK Studios' track record of producing slots starring animals in main roles, it's no wonder they can pull off such a setting with flying colors. Games like Nitropolis 5, Pirots 4, Tropicool 4, and their numerous predecessors proved beyond any doubt that the team's creativity knows no boundaries. Giraffalot is another visually stunning release that reaffirms this statement with its magical setting, mixing fantasy, legends, and anthropomorphic animals imitating various heroes from the stories about King Arthur. Sinking into this mythical world is exceptionally easy while listening to the captivating adventure soundtrack and admiring expertly crafted symbols rolling through the reels. For anyone enjoying the animal angle mixed with some fictional medieval vibes, it's a true sensory treat.
Aside from being known for breathtaking designs, ELK is also famous for complex technical models. Giraffalot, however, does not fall into that category, offering a relatively straightforward setup populated with common features. Expanding and Spreading Wilds will be your main weapons during the base game, responsible for the majority of higher wins. The good thing is that every expansion comes with a complimentary respin, so chances for some solid hits grow as more giraffes keep stretching their necks. Also, you may be occasionally graced by a random multiplier to further boost the win potential. It's undoubtedly a mix many seasoned players have seen in other games, but we can't deny that a grid riddled with Wilds when both features happen to combine is always a welcome view. If you manage to hit that during a Super Spin, which leaves only high-value symbols in play, the chances for big wins improve significantly. When it comes to the regular bonus round, it may come across as somewhat disappointing, as there's nothing added on top of the base game mechanics. The Super variant, however, may provide some extra excitement, as between 1 and 4 Expanding Wilds will be guaranteed on every spin. Altogether, the config may not appeal to innovation-seekers, but that doesn't disqualify it from being an attractive proposition to hunt the 10,000x max win.
Giraffalot draws the majority of its charm from the mesmerizing visuals, while offering straightforward gameplay revolving around Expanding Wilds, multipliers, and respins.
