Introduction to Ribs' Golden Crypt
Ribs' Golden Crypt is a casino slot from Slotmill with a quirky, lighthearted take on the usual Halloween / graveyard theme, introducing you to an undead fellow who found himself in a bit of a pickle. See, Ribs was quite a resourceful guy when he was alive, which allowed him to amass loads of valuables, but apparently, he didn't get to enjoy them much. His untimely death during yet another adventure has left all that loot sitting in his crypt. Now, whoever finds it first will be able to grab a handful of the treasure pile worth 10,000x the bet. Just one little snag - you need to locate the keys first. That's where the cluster-paying, cascading gameplay with win multipliers and giant symbols steps in. The keys are hidden somewhere between the standard symbols, and you'll need at least three to open the vault and try your luck in the Free Spins mode, where the progressive multiplier never resets.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Ribs' Golden Crypt is a video slot from Slotmill with 6 reels, 6 rows, and a cluster-pays win system, requiring 5 or more matching symbols to land orthogonally adjacent. The range of available betting options starts from a Min.bet of 0.20 and goes all the way up to a Max.bet of 100. You can increase that value further by using the Xtra Bet feature, bringing it up to 150. The game offers a default RTP of 96.01%, which is on the lower end of the industry average. Additionally, there is one alternative variant of 94.00% also available for operators, so be sure to check your version before playing. You can expect higher wins to be further apart but more valuable on average when you score a hit due to high volatility, while the max win achievable in a single round is 10,000x the bet.
The game's main scene lives up to the title, placing you on the grounds of a graveyard bathed in soft, warm light, where a lustrous golden crypt hides Ribs' treasures. Two gargoyles sit in front of the entrance, guarding the valuable loot, while the forgetful skeleton stands on the other side, probably wondering where he misplaced the keys to the tomb. The answer lies on the stone-framed playing grid in the middle, where symbols are neatly organised on individual tiles. The visuals carry a casual, cartoony style, infusing the theme with a light atmosphere, while the colourful, glossy symbols give off a candy slot feel. You can jump into the search of keys from any modern device, as the setup adapts seamlessly to all screen sizes on PCs, smartphones, and tablets.
In the paytable, you'll find regular symbols split into two categories. Regardless of the hierarchy, to achieve a win, you'll need to land at least 5 matching ones orthogonally adjacent. The low-paying icons are represented by a red heart, an orange star, a green moon, and a blue diamond, which award 12.5x the bet for matching 20 or more in a cluster. Four quirky ghosts represent the high-paying symbols, which bring payouts of between 20x and 30x the bet. At the top of the hierarchy is an image of Ribs on a tombstone, paying 50x the bet for a set of 20 or more identical instances. In addition, reels also hold Wilds appearing as a gold tombstone, Multipliers in the form of a purple flame, and Bonus symbols represented by a gold key on a pillow.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Ribs' Golden Crypt?
You can win up to 10,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Ribs' Golden Crypt?
The features are Cascading, Win Multiplier, Free Spins & Super Free Spins, and Feature Buy (Fast Track).
Cascading
Thanks to the cascading feature (also called Avalanches in this case), you'll have a chance to score multiple consecutive wins within a single game round. Every initial combination is removed from the grid, causing the remaining symbols to drop and new ones to refill the board. This can potentially lead to more hits, thus extending the sequence until no new combinations can be formed.
Win Multiplier
The Win Multiplier increases whenever a Multiplier Meteor or a Giant symbol lands in view. Each giant 2x2 symbol can carry a multiplier of between x2 and x10, while the Multiplier Meteors offer values of x2, x3, x5, x7, x10, x20, or x100.
In the case of the Giant symbol, it must contribute to a win for its multiplier to be added to the Win Multiplier meter. Multiplier Meteors are added together once all the cascading has finished, and their total multiplier multiplies the value on the Win Multiplier.
Free Spins & Super Free Spins
Gathering 3, 4, or 5 Bonus symbols anywhere in view at the end of a base game spin awards 8, 10, or 12 Free Spins. Randomly, the game might be upgraded to the Super Free Spins mode. In either variant, the total win multiplier is progressive and does not reset between spins. In the Super mode, you additionally get a guaranteed Giant symbol on each spin.
Feature Buy (Fast Track)
Like most games from Slotmill, Ribs' Golden Crypt comes with a Fast Track menu containing several options to trigger features and bonuses for a fixed price.
1.5x = Xtra-Bet, with a 2.1x higher chance to trigger the bonus game.
30x = a spin with a guaranteed Giant Symbol.
100x = instantly trigger regular Free Spins.
250x = trigger a 50/50 gamble to win Super Free Spins.
500x = instantly trigger Super Free Spins.
Final Thoughts on Ribs' Golden Crypt
With Halloween right around the corner, October becomes packed with spooky slots aiming to capitalise on this short yet prominent holiday. Slotmill joins the trend with its quirky, light production, starring a forgetful skeleton and his treasure-loaded tomb. It's a fine-looking game, with a casual, cartoony approach to the design and vibrant graphics. Perhaps too vibrant for a Halloween theme, as the first impression of the symbols was that they came straight from some cute, colourful candy slot. On the other hand, there's loads of glossy, shiny releases featuring monsters and ghosts, so it's not exactly a jarring exception. As usual with Slotmill's creations, everything works smoothly, is well synchronised, and provides a consistent experience, even if some of the unskippable animations of adding and applying the multipliers felt a bit dragged out.
The game's technical profile should feel familiar from the get-go for those of you who are up to date with the industry trends from the last few years. A total multiplier increased by special symbols throughout the round is one of the most popular formats, whether it's in a scatter or cluster-paying slot. Within 5 years, since the release of Pragmatic's Gates of Olympus, it has become pretty much mainstream. Slotmill has spruced it up not only with extra values added from winning Giant symbols, but also with the multiplying nature of the Meteor symbols, which can produce massive jumps in the total Win Multiplier. It may not transform the core of the gameplay that much, but it undoubtedly intensifies the anticipation of each new Meteor, since their figures create exponential growth. The entire appeal remains in the progressive nature of the multiplier during Free Spins, which becomes even more crucial when single boosts can be so significant.
Rib's Golden Crypt is a light Halloween release, recycling the familiar progressive multiplier concept and empowering it with additional multiplications.
