Alkemor’s Elements

Alkemor's Elements Overview

Players in this latest game from the BetSoft studio will join the white-bearded magician Alkemor in his potions room to discover the many strange and wonderful concoctions being brewed. Indeed, players are transported into a magical mystery world similar to that of Merlin or Harry Potter. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you are likely to enjoy this game. Mechanically this is a five-reel, four-row game with 25 pay lines. Winning combinations is as easy as matching three or more symbols in a row.

The features for this game revolve around the elemental cycles feature, which means that the game is played in rounds of ten spins. Throughout these spins, players will collect the four elements and therefore be able to trigger their respective features. Collecting elements during a cycle will give you access to the elemental spells feature. However, the number and variety of elements that you collect change the dynamics of the spin round you are awarded, as each element represents different criteria. Finally, this game also has a free spins game and bonus buy option.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is a classic magic theme based on the original tale of Merlin, the reference point for any magical wizard. Merlin, usually described as an older gentleman with a long white beard and a flowing black robe, was a mythical figure in the legend of King Arthur. Merlin was an especially popular character in Wales. However, his legend spread to much of Britain and Northern France. Alkemor, as you can tell from his name, is more interested in Alchemy, yet all the same physical character tropes are followed in comparison to the normal wizard/enchanter.
The background for this game is Alkemor’s study or potions room, which looks like it is located in the very depths of a medieval castle. Heavy looking open tomes and a shelf full of bizarre ingredients give this game the right look of a magical potion room. It looks very similar to the potions room portrayed in Harry Potter, the one that Snape oversees in the second movie. Its dark and shadowy atmosphere gives the screen a sense of mystery and intrigue important to a magical theme.
The playing board has been cleverly designed to look like an old wooden cabinet, with each shelf space representing a symbol location.

The symbols for this game are split into low-value, high-value and special symbols. The low-value symbols are the 10, J, Q, K and A in playing card royals. The most valuable of these is the A paying out at 0.12x the stake for the top combination. On the other hand, the more valuable symbols are the yin and yang icon, the green potion, the crystal ball, the taro cards, the scroll, the scales, the green gems, and finally, the owl and Alkemor himself. These last two are the most valuable, worth 4x the stake for the top combination. The specials for this game are the four different element wilds, and the golden key scatter.

Game Play

Alkemor’s Elements is played on a 5-reel, 4-row machine with 25 fixed pay lines. To win combinations, players must land three or more matching symbols on pay lines moving from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel.

The betting range for Alkemor’s Elements is 25p to £25 per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stake up and down using the tool located at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.
Further information, including a short tutorial and a display of the paytable, can be found via the menu button in the right-hand corner of the screen. The spin and auto spin buttons are located in the centre of the screen.
Volatility for this slot is rated in the medium range. The return to player percentage for Alkemor’s Elements is 95.45%, which is below average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 1,200x your stake.

Features

This game, as mentioned, is played in rounds of ten spins. During this time, you have to try to collect the element vials to help trigger features.

If you manage to collect one of these elements more than the others, you will trigger the free elemental wild spin feature that aligns with that element. However, if you collect two or more of the elements in the same number, you may be awarded free elemental wild spins with any of the triggering elements.

The element collected and the feature specifics are explained below:
Fire - On each spin, 1-4 reels are randomly chosen and replaced with the respective wild.
Water - On each spin, 4-6 water wilds are randomly placed on reels 4 or 5. These wilds will spread one position prioritizing right, then left.

Air - On each spin, 4-6 air wilds appear on random positions on reels 4 or 5. They will spread one position in any direction then, prioritizing top, right, then left and bottom.
Earth - On each spin, 6-10 earth wilds are placed in random positions on the reels.
Finally, this game also has a free spins game triggered when you land three or more scatter symbols on the reels at the same time. The more scatters you land, the more free spins you are awarded. For these spins, one of the elemental spells is active.
There is also a bonus buy option. However, it is not available in the UK.

Conclusion

Elemental spinning excitement combines with feature-rich gaming content in this new game from the BetSoft studio. The aesthetics and visual appeal of this game are very high. However, the winning potential is pretty poor both in regards to the top payout and the RTP. Playing this game, although fun, did give us a hollow feeling that players might waste a lot of money.