Introduction to Goblin Grand
Goblin Grand is a casino slot from Golden Feather Studios, and the first real-money product from the provider, hosted on the Relax Gaming platform. At the time of writing this review, the studio has about a dozen games in its portfolio, of which most were published in the social casino domain. The creators' official website boldly states that their slots 'aren't just feature-rich; they are immersive worlds', so it will be an interesting task to measure Goblin Grand against that claim. At first glance, it looks like quite an entertaining setting, taking place in a fantasy world inhabited by mischievous creatures and carrying a bit of an Alice in Wonderland vibe. The list of features includes some common phrases like Wilds, Multipliers, Free Spins, and Jackpot Respins, so that side doesn't sound too encouraging, but who knows, maybe there are some unique, riveting secrets hiding beneath those traditional names.
Let's visit the city of quirky goblins and find out where they've hidden wins reaching 10,000x the bet. And if you prefer a test tour beforehand, without putting your real money on the line, check out the demo at the top of the page.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Goblin Grand is a video slot from Golden Feather Studios with 6 reels, 4-5 rows, and 10,000 ways to win. In the bet selection panel, you can choose your active stake from multiple options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.2 up to a Max.bet of 10. The game's default RTP is 95.99%, which is slightly below the industry average. Wins should appear slightly more valuable but less frequent due to medium-high volatility, while the top prize from a single spin may reach 10,000x the bet.
Goblin Grand takes place in a town governed by, well... Goblins. It's precisely the type of establishment you'd expect from a type of creature that's known for its mischievous and sloppy nature. They've adapted a spacious cavern to their needs by carving living quarters in its walls and spreading clotheslines across the deep pits. To the left, there's some more organized structure visible, perhaps a dwelling of a chief goblin that watches over this quirky community. It might even be the one standing on the right, dressed in a jester's attire, tipping its hat at us. The overall atmosphere is quite whimsical, but also slightly eerie, so it's hard to tell if we're entirely safe to explore the dark corners of this village. If you decide to go on, the game is fully optimized to work on a wide range of modern devices, so it can be played on desktops, smartphones, and tablets.
The paytable splits into three groups of distinct symbols, which award wins when at least 3 matching instances (or 2, in the case of the top symbol) land on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost one. Among the low-value ones, you'll see playing card suits in different colors: spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, awarding 0.5x the bet for matching 6 of a kind. The mid-value group contains images of a key, a scale, a pouch, and a treasure chest, with payouts ranging from 1x to 2.5x the bet for complete ways of 6. Premium symbols comprise images of a goblin with a ledger and the chief goblin, paying from 10x to 50x the bet for 6-of-a-kind combinations. Alongside the regular symbols, you'll find a bunch of special ones, like Wilds represented by a gear engulfed in flames and Scatters appearing as a mechanical hatch. There are also Coins that lead to the Jackpot Respins feature.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Goblin Grand?
You can win up to 10,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Goblin Grand?
The features are Cascading, Goblin Side Features, Jackpot Respins, Free Spins, and Feature Buy.
Cascading
Whenever you score a winning combination, it will mark the beginning of a cascading sequence, where participating symbols disappear from the grid, making all others drop down. Then, new instances are added to complete the view and potentially award more hits. The process will continue until there are no opportunities for creating new combinations.
Goblin Side Features
Two random features may trigger at any time during a base game spin or a free spin.
Random Wilds = between 3 and 7 Wild symbols are added in random position on reels 2 through 6.
Win Multiplier = a multiplier of x2, x3, x4, x5, x7, or x10 will be applied to all wins achieved during the same spin.
Jackpot Respins
If you manage to land 6 or more Coins anywhere on the grid at the same time, you'll receive 3 Jackpot Respins. Initial Coins and all others that land during this round stay locked in their positions, and respins reset to 3 every time a new symbol drops. Coins carry instant prize values worth between 1 and 15x the bet, or Mini (25x), Minor (100x), and Major (500x) jackpots. Once 20 positions on the grid are populated, a special Upgrader symbol is added to the reels, which multiplies a random Coin on the grid by x2-x10 when it lands. Once all respins are used, prizes visible on the screen are added together and paid, and if the entire grid is filled, the Grand Jackpot of 10,000x the bet is awarded.
Free Spins
Landing 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 Scatters anywhere on the grid during a single base game spin activates 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 free spins, respectively. During the round, Goblin Side Features can trigger more frequently. The Jackpot Respins feature can also be triggered in free spins.
Feature Buy
If you're willing to pay a bit more for directions to the most lucrative parts of the Goblin Grand village, you can purchase instant access to both bonuses for a price of 45x the bet, each.
Final Thoughts on Goblin Grand
After testing Goblin Grand thoroughly, we must give credit to the team at Golden Feather Studios, for there is genuine effort visible in creating the game's environment. It's a well-put-together fantasy world, abounding in numerous details, both on the grid and outside of it, that competently shape the theme's character. Obviously, it's nothing that would stand out massively compared to countless productions out there with a similar approach, but the time we spent in the little goblin city was enjoyable enough to be remembered, even if for a short while. We would appreciate the entire package even more if there were unique scenes dedicated to each of the game's leading features, instead of just changing the color of the lighting. Still, there's nothing to complain about when it comes to Goblin Grand's audiovisual setup.
The technical side, however, came across as less impressive, being a collection of massively overused, common mechanics. Hundreds of slots have already proven that they still work, but it's rather difficult to get excited about them if you're a seasoned player. Base game is fueled only by two random events, either placing up to 7 Wilds in random positions or awarding a win multiplier of up to x10. Pretty standard stuff, but who has ever complained about an occasional boost like that? Then, there are two bonus rounds, one being a straightforward Hold&Win-style respin session, and the other offering free spins with an increased frequency of the aforementioned random features. As said before, it's a combo that appeared countless times in all kinds of grid setups, so it's unlikely to make any big waves, but may appeal to those players who appreciate familiar mechanics in a quirky fantasy environment.
Goblin Grand is a well-made game showing experience behind audiovisual design, but it lacks depth on the technical side, using a collection of timeworn features.
