Jade of the Jungle

Jade of the Jungle Overview

Developed by Stakelogic, Jade of the Jungle is an Aztec/Incan-themed game with a double panel playing board set-up. The quality of the graphics and visual mastery is very high, giving the game a premium feel. Each reel set – one to the left and one to the right has seven pay-lines available. Being a medium to high volatility game, bigger wins will be a touch rarer than in other slots. The top payout also isn't overly impressive at 2,976x the stake. However, if you are looking for a novel game with some fun features and a high-quality finish, Jade of the Jungle could be exactly what you are after.

There are just the two features for Jade of the Jungle. The first is a Super Stakes feature, which gives you the possibility of triggering an extra feature when switched on. When this feature is activated, a random symbol is chosen. Then all symbols barring this chosen one and the specials are removed from the board. Players are then given one spin with this new set-up. Turning this on does increase your stake per spin, however. The other feature is an interesting free spins round. All features will be explained in greater detail later in the review.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is Meso-America, specifically the cultures of the Inca or Aztec. At the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Inca were a people who ruled an empire that stretched along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from Ecuador to Chile. The people of the Incan civilisation were highly developed with refined agricultural and economic technologies. However, what they are largely recognised these days for and indeed what this slot has depicted in its visuals is the amazing art and temples they created in stunning proportions and designs that rival any period's architecture.

The background for this slot is a dense jungle, behind which stands a gleaming gold temple – a nod to one of the many amazing temples that the Incan people constructed in their time. In the foreground, the picture is dominated by thick undergrowth and colourful flowers, all of which, if strictly accurate, should be native to central and south America. Further, into the picture, players can see a comprehensive tree canopy, broken only occasionally by sharp shafts of sunlight. The background is bright, colourful and engaging to look at.

The board for this game is unusual in that it is two boards split down the middle by a doubled-headed totem pole created from stone and gold leaf.

The symbols are split into low-value, high value and special symbols. The low-value symbols are the animal or element emblems: the flame, the flower, the water symbol, the alligator, and the bird. The higher value symbols, on the other hand, are the two Incan/Aztec heads. However, the most valuable symbol is the Jade stone icon, which pays 10x the stake for the top combination. The specials include a wild, which substitutes for regular symbols to form more wins and pays out at 14x the stake for the top combination. Finally, there is the scatter, which, when landed in combinations, triggers the free spins feature.

Game Play

Jade of the Jungle is played on two 3-reel, 3-row machines with 14 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 Jade of the Jungle is 25p to £75 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 to high range. The return to player percentage for Jade of the Jungle is 95.30%, which is below average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 2,976x your stake.

Features

The first feature in this game is the Super Stake feature. This is an option that can be turned on at the side of the board. When turned on, it gives you the chance of randomly triggering an extra feature. When this feature triggers, a regular symbol is chosen to be a special symbol. Then all symbols other than this symbol and the specials are removed from the board. Players are then given one spin with this new arrangement. However, to turn the Super Stake on, you do have to up your stake per spin.

The other feature is the free spins feature, triggered when players land either three or four scatters in view (it doesn't matter the configuration across the two boards). Players are then given eight or twelve spins depending on if they landed three or four scatters. When a scatter lands during the free spins round, the lowest paying symbol on the board is removed for the duration of your spins, plus extra spins are added to your tally.

Conclusion

Easy to play, high-quality visuals and fun if a limited set of features, this is a solid product from Stakelogic with the added novelty of two spinning boards. However, where this game falls down is in the poor top payout and woeful RTP. If you're looking for big wins in an Aztec setting, you might be better off going to a casino in Mexico.