In the latest edition of Slot Selection, Gambling TV’s Ellie Lynch rounded up the best titles in the iGaming sector from this week, in collaboration with SlotBeats.

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Starting the proceedings is Viking Runes from TruLab, in partnership with Yggdrasil, where cluster paylines can lead to players winning up to 25,000x their stake if six or more symbols are landed in a cluster, whilst Lightning Wilds can hit the reels at any time.

An additional feature is the Runic Shuffle, which can grant players a win by rearranging the symbols. The Viking Sorcery feature can be triggered per cascade and add up to nine Wilds on the reels, whilst the Spell of Ancestors can also transform all low-paying symbols into the Red Rune, potentially boosting cash payouts.

Lastly, the slot’s Free Spins mode – in which Lightning Wilds can have progressive multipliers to increase wins – can be triggered by five or more cascades. 

Stuart McCarthy, Head of Partner Programs at Yggdrasil, said: “Viking Runes is yet another innovative addition to our YG Masters arsenal with an exciting theme true to our roots.

“With cascading wins, plenty of features and a thrilling theme, it adds a fantastic new dynamic to the portfolio.”

Vasily Polynov, Chief Business Development Officer at TrueLab, added: “We’re delighted to unveil Viking Runes, our latest hit through the YG Masters program.

“With staggering win potential, triggerable features on every cascade and an immersive landscape, this is a title that will appeal to all slot lovers looking for a thrilling and exciting experience.”

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This week’s second choice is Pragmatic Play’s Temujin Treasures, inspired by Mongolian warrior Gehnghis Khan, and featuring a Wheel of Fortune containing Jackpots, Multipliers and Free Spins.

If five or more of the same symbols are landed on the middle of the five reels, they are transformed into Wilds and trigger the Wild Switch Feature. Payouts are then decided by the new Wilds which replace old symbols.

An additional bonus feature can also be triggered, and players will need to land a Scatter symbol on the three middle reels in order to enter the Wheel of Fortune and access its range of prizes.

Finally, the wheel will respin if Jackpots or Multipliers are won, and whenever a Firecracker symbol lands during Free Spins, all players will benefit from a bonus in the form of Free Game, Money Values, Wild Multipliers or Jackpots.

Yossi Barzely, Chief Business Development Officer at Pragmatic Play, explained: “Taking inspiration from the Mongol Empire and its great leader Genghis Khan, our latest release puts an elegant twist on a ruthless chapter of world history.

“Introducing a host of fascinating bonus features that could lead to big wins, Temujin Treasures provides players with an experience that they will not be able to find anywhere else.”

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Next up is Wheel of Amp, the latest 3×3 video slot release from Red Tiger, with 25 paylines and the potential to expand to a 5×5 grid.

Containing a Free Spins segment, players can gain 10 free spins, and the Wheel of Amp can be activated in the same manner as in the base game. The game will grant five additional spins if triggered with the round. 

During the Free Spins mode, the Wheel of Amp’s WIn Booster multiplier doesn’t reset following a Win. Additionally, the multiplier applies to every Free Spin win for the duration of the feature and also to first win following it.

Only a 10x Win Boost multiplier is offered initially, but as players progress through the game more Win Multipliers can be unlocked in place of the Step Change segments. There are eight Step Change segments, and four will unlock a high paying symbol and the other four will expand a slot. If a player secures a Step Change segment, it will be replaced by a Win Boost multiplier on future spins.

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Finally, claiming SlotBeats’ Slot of the Week is Monopoly Utility Trails, a production from Scientific Games, in cooperation with Hasbro.

The 8×7 cluster pays slot includes a number of features based around the hit board game, including a Water Works Spin Streak, Community chest and Wild Rails Expanding Wilds.

Wild symbols substitute for all other symbols except for the Electric Company Bulb and the Water Works tap, and if a Wild has not been used it will remain on the board during the cascade until the spin is completed. If the entire board is filled with Wilds, the player wins the Off The Rails Jackpot.

Rob Procter, Content Specialist Director, Digital at Scientific Games, said: “Monopoly remains one of the most popular game brands in the world and we thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Hasbro in delivering this innovative new title. 

“Our OpenGaming proposition really springs to life with the Monopoly brand, and Monopoly Utility Trails typifies everything we are about in terms of game releases this year. Our in-house team has produced a slot that has a great front end, striking artwork and as ever, a strong set of responsible gaming features. 

“The Cluster pays mechanic has great potential and this is a slot we are certain will be enjoyed by players seeking a new, feature-rich experience that builds on the success of a timeless classic.”

Golden Wild symbols trigger a Wild Tracks Carriage Wild when sharing the same column or row as another Golden Wild. This replaces all symbols between the Golden Wilds in that row or column. As an alternative, if a square is formed by the Golden Wilds, the Carriage Wilds expand to cover all symbols within the square, potentially leading to big wins for players.

The 3×3 Community Chest symbol may land on the grid randomly during the cascade, revealing a random cash prize, whilst Water Works Tap can increase the gauge metre if landed during the base game. If 15 Tap symbols are collected and the gauge is filled, the bonus mode will triggered.

Once a player has collected 15 Tap symbols and filled the gauge, the bonus mode will be triggered. Additionally, during the Water Works feature, the game will spin until a winning cluster is landed, and once all winning clusters are locked they will remain for the duration of the mode.

All non-paying symbols are cascaded and any symbols which can increase a cluster or create new ones are locked. Meanwhile, the taps located above the board may activate once the board is populated, and can activate one of two modifiers. 

An alternative option to the Water Works gauge is the Electric Company meter. Whenever a Bulb symbol is landed te metre will expand, whilst bonus rounds are activated by landing 15 Electric Company Bulb symbols, filling the gauge.

Players have three lives during this mode, and grid symbols are replaced by Property Cards, Colour Tiles and Chance Cards. Property Cards are reatiend throughout the feature, whilst clusters of Colour Tiles will double the value if matching the colour of the Property Cards. 

Moreover, Chance Cards can be flipped between either a House or Hotel, the former of which doubles the value of a random Property Card, whilst the latter doubles the value of all.

Mark Blecher, SVP Corporate Strategy and Business Affairs at Hasbro, commented: “Our long experience partnering with Scientific Games has shown us that this is a company dedicated to producing gaming entertainment that pushes the boundaries while staying faithful to our iconic brands. 

“The Monopoly brand is the most iconic of all and it’s a delight for us to see a cherished brand globally inspire such an innovative gaming experience that we are sure players will love.”