Introduction to Sea of Spirits
Sea of Spirits is a casino slot from Push Gaming, setting off on another naval adventure in search of sunken treasures. Given that about 71% of the world's surface is covered with water and considering humanity's rich maritime history, there must be loads of precious riches still waiting to be discovered on the ocean bed. To make the exploration efforts easier, the studio teams up with the popular streaming community to deliver this haunting escapade, so the ship we'll be flying two flags, Push Gaming's and CasinoGrounds'. It's curious to see another product of such a collaboration appearing shortly after we reviewed Iron Bank 2, a game created by CasinoGrounds and Relax Gaming, but we're definitely up for a completely different ride in this case. Under the surface, among wrecks slowly consumed by time, the nudging Frames feature will deliver most of the action during the journey, rewarding you with Instant Prizes, Wilds, and matching symbols whenever they activate. At the same time, the bonus round will keep Frames locked in their positions, for increased chances of triggering features and scoring more wins, up to the ultimate motherlode worth 25,000x the bet.
There are plenty of lucrative spots and rewarding features to explore on the ocean's bed, but also lots of danger lurking in the depths, so if you prefer to familiarize yourself with them without risk, try out the demo mode first.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Sea of Spirits is a video slot from Push Gaming with 6 reels, 4 rows, and 4,096 ways to win. Within the bet selection panel, you can pick your stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.1 up to a Max.bet of 100, which can grow to 500 with the use of Mega Bonus Boost mode. The game comes with a default RTP of 96.36%, although two lower variants of 94.28% and 85.71% are also available to operators, so make sure to verify your version before playing. Due to the game's high volatility, you should expect the win distribution to deliver higher wins less frequently. It's possible to win up to 25,000x the bet in any single game round.
The main scene in Sea of Spirits blends a dark atmosphere reflecting the dangers of naval exploration and cartoony design that slightly softens the eerie mood. But it quickly goes in the initial direction again, thanks to the intense orchestral soundtrack, heralding thrilling moments to come. Adding to the ominous tone are the skeletons in the background trying to rise to the surface, but failing to escape, forever held underwater by iron shackles. Everything is dressed in crisp, polished graphics and fully optimized to work seamlessly across most modern devices, so you can enjoy the pirate adventure on a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
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 emblems in different colors: brown 10, blue J, green Q, purple K, and red A, awarding 0.5x the bet for matching 6 of a kind. The mid-value group contains images of a compass, a spyglass, and an anchor, with payouts ranging from 1x to 2x the bet for complete ways of 6. The top symbol appears as a pirate with a hook for a hand, paying 10x the bet for 6-of-a-kind combinations.
Reels will also hold special symbols, like Wilds represented by a shield with a skull and Scatters appearing as a gold letter 'B' on a green or red gemstone, depending on whether it's a regular or a super variant. In addition, there are also Activator Symbols, triggering various features inside the Frames.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Sea of Spirits?
You can win up to 25,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Sea of Spirits?
The features are Frames, Activator Symbols, Coin Reveal Feature, Bonus & Super Bonus Game, and Feature Buy.
Frames
Frames exist in three different variants: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. During the base game, a random number of Bronze Frames can be added to the grid on any spin, and on each round, all visible Frames will nudge down one position. During free spins, Frames can be upgraded, and they stay locked in their positions. All Frames remain inactive until enabled by Activator Symbols.
Activator Symbols
An Activator Symbol landing anywhere on the grid triggers its respective feature and applies it to all Frames currently in view.
Symbol Sync = reveals a matching paying symbol in all Frames.
Wild = reveals a Wild symbol in all Frames.
Coin = triggers the Coin Reveal feature in all Frames.
Coin Reveal Feature
Each position included in the Coin Reveal feature will display one of the following outcomes.
Instant Prize = cash prize worth between 1x and 10,000x the bet.
Multiplier = multiplies all visible Instant Prizes by x2, x3, x5, or x10.
Collector = collects all visible Instant Prizes and retriggers their positions.
Bonus Symbol = reveals a Bonus Symbol (available only during the base game).
Super Bonus Symbol = reveals a Super Bonus Symbol (available only during the base game).
Upgrader = upgrades a random number of Frames to the next level (available only in the Coin Reveal Feature purchased through Bonus Buy).
Bonus & Super Bonus Game
Landing 3 Bonus Symbols anywhere on the grid in a single spin awards 5 Bonus Spins. At the beginning of the round, 3 or more sticky Bronze Frames are added in random positions. The Super Bonus Game requires 2 regular Bonus Symbols and 1 Super Bonus Symbol to land simultaneously. The enhanced version awards 8 Bonus Spins with 3 or more sticky Frames of random tier distributed on the grid. During either mode, the Upgrader symbol may land organically from the reels and upgrade a random number of Frames to the next level. Landing a single Extra Spin Symbol awards 1 additional spin. In higher-tier Frames, features triggered by Activator Symbols are more powerful.
Symbol Sync & Wild = additionally splits symbols into two in Silver Frame and into three in Gold Frame.
Coin = Instant Prizes have a minimum value of 5x in Silver Frame and 25x in Gold Frame.
At the start of either Bonus Game variant, the Overpowered Bonus Mode may activate, providing a higher chance to achieve big wins throughout the game.
Feature Buy
If you need specific directions to the shipwrecks holding the most valuable treasures, you can purchase them in the Bonus Buy menu.
1.5x = Push Bet Bonus Boost with a 2.5x higher chance to trigger Bonus and 2x to trigger Super Bonus.
5x = Push Bet Mega Bonus Boost with a 9.5x higher chance to trigger Bonus and 55x to trigger Super Bonus.
100x = triggers regular Bonus Game.
500x = triggers Super Bonus Game.
500x = triggers Coin Reveal with the entire grid populated by Bronze Frames.
150x = triggers Bonus Chance Wheel, where you can win Bonus, Super Bonus, or nothing.
Final Thoughts on Sea of Spirits
Products of collaboration between player communities and slot suppliers are always intriguing to review, given the potential influence of a large number of real gamblers. Sea of Spirits, however, didn't give off a strong impression of having many new elements that wouldn't appear in previous Push Gaming's slots. Naturally, it's not a bad thing for the gameplay overall, and perhaps that was exactly this production's goal to appeal to the widest audience possible by selecting the most attractive bits from the studio's vast portfolio and combining them in one game. We're leaning toward this being the actual approach also because of the theme revolving around pirates, shipwrecks, and sunken treasures, which is arguably among the most common ones in online gambling. The execution, as befits a premium provider like Push, is flawless, packed with beautifully designed symbols with a slightly ominous touch, set against an immersive underwater environment haunted by remains of once mighty ships and brave sailors. Despite being a bit generic content-wise, it's a genuinely attractive scene.
When it comes to features, it's a rich mash-up of all that Push Gaming is known and loved for. Frames establish a subtle connection to games like Big Bite Push Ways through splitting symbols and Big Bamboo through the Coin Reveal mechanism, whereas their nudging behavior is also a signature motion that appeared in many productions, starting around the time of Razor Shark's release in 2019. During our extensive testing session, we realized that 5 free spins awarded in the regular Bonus Game is quite a stingy amount, given that the game is all about upgrading and activating frames. There was usually not enough time to form a good setup on the grid before the last spin played out. The Extra Spin Symbols helped a little, but they just didn't appear often enough to extend the round as long as we'd like. Trying the more pricy Bonus Buy options was quite satisfying, so high-rolling players and streamers may have some proper thrills to look forward to. Altogether, the game is as solid as they come, and will undoubtedly be a hit for those who like the studio's flagship mechanics, but in a general sense, it's made of bits and pieces we already knew.
Sea of Spirits may not shine with novelty, but it's a competent and well-crafted game showing the studio's experience and the player community's preferences regarding the most attractive features.
