Himalayas Slot
- A new slot from Barcrest, part of SG Gaming
- Great theme set in one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the World
- Big focus on free spins and wilds to increase winning combinations
Himalayas slot is a brand new addition to Barcrests portfolio of slot machines. As you probably guessed, the Himalayas slot is based on the Himalayas mountain range in Asia, forming some of the highest peaks in the world, including of course Mount Everest. There are over 50 mountains that form part of the mountain range that are more than 7,200 meters in height, making them famous around the world and a challenge for some of the most skilled climbers looking to be the best.
The Himalayas slot does its best to bring that sense of danger and adventure to the screens, with mountains forming part of the design, and even an avalanche that leaves behind a trail of Wilds on the reels (more on this shortly). Moving on to the gameplay itself, this is a 5 reel, 100 payline slot with the main focus on free spins and expanding Wilds, giving you plenty of opportunities to win some money. If playing at £2 or less per spin, the RTP is 94%, while playing at more than £2 increases the RTP to 96% (this is for the online version of the game, if you are playing the Himalayas slot in the bookies, the percentage will be around 91%, depending on the stake). The aim of course is to obtain a winning combination using the base symbols from left to right, which will either give you a cash reward, or a feature which will be discussed below. These base symbols are as follows, listed here in ascending order based on their value:
- Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades (lowest value)
- Tent and Climbing Gear
- Snow Leopard and Eagle
- Woman
- Man (highest value)
There is a Wild symbol which substitutes for all symbols apart from the bonus symbol in a winning combination. Additionally, there is a Big Freeze symbol which only appears during the Free Spins Bonus. If fully or partially in view, this symbol will expand to fill the reel it landed on with Wild symbols.
Himalayas Slot Bonuses and Features
Snow Slide Bonus. This is a mystery bonus which can be triggered on any spin during the game. Once triggered, the Himalayas slot will cause a huge avalanche to come crashing down onto the reels in spectacular fashion, leaving behind up to a whopping 50 Wild symbols!
Free Spins Bonus. This can be activated if 3 or more bonus symbols are in view at the end of a spin (on the Mega Spins on the fixed odds betting terminals, only two bonus symbols are needed). Having just 3 symbols will award you with 8 free spins, 4 symbols will offer you 12 free spins and 5 symbols will award you with a generous 20 free spins. During the free spins, the Snow Slide Bonus can occur at any time, and they also contain expanding Big Freeze symbols. The same award card is used as the game which triggered the feature, and it’s worth noting that the scatter is not available during free spins.
There is a chance to re-trigger the Free Spins Bonus in the Himalayas slot which increases every time a Compass symbol lands on reel 5 during the free spins. For every Compass symbol visible at the end of the free spins, the winning segment of the Mystery Free Spins Compass increases by 1/5th. If you manage to fill the compass before the end of the free spins, the bonus will be re-triggered. If there is still some blue losing portion of the compass left, then a needle will spin to determine if more free spins are awarded. If you’re fortunate enough with the compass, then the Himalayas slot map will open, containing 4 trails with a random number of free spins hidden beneath each point. You must choose a trail and will be awarded the corresponding number of free spins.
Big Bet Feature. It should be no surprise that, like many other Barcrest games such as Monopoly On The Money slot, a feature is available that rewards you for placing higher bets. There are options here to play at £20, £30 or £50, each having various impacts on the game:
- £20 Bet. Only 2 Bonus symbols are needed to trigger the Free Spins Bonus, awarding 8, 12, 20 and 50 free spins for 2, 3, 4 or 5 Bonus symbols, respectively.
- £30 Bet. Same as the £20 bet, but also removes the low paying card symbols from the reels.
- £50 Bet. Same as £30, but during the Free Spins Bonus, one of the reels will always be Wild, increasing your chance of getting a winning combination.
For people who play in the bookies, you will recognise the Big Bets from the Mega Spins / High Roller spins on the fixed odds betting terminals. Generally they are the same online, except you are awarded a higher RTP.
Conclusion
The Himalayas slot is a well made and visually appealing slot from Barcrest, part of SG Gaming, which has the potential for some significant payouts through the combination of free spins and Wilds. The gameplay itself ties in nicely with the theme and gives a sense of adventure, making the game enjoyable to play. Having the added extras for increased bets certainly provides an incentive to wager more, but be conscious of your bankroll as this money can quickly disappear. Overall though, it’s a great addition to Barcrest’s portfolio and a slot that I can recommend.