1K Yeti: Slot Overview
When software provider 4ThePlayer first appeared on the scene, it did so through the debut of 9K Yeti. Not a bad debut it was either, helping put the up-and-coming studio that likes to preface its game titles with a numeral on the map. Later on down the track came 90K Yeti Gigablox, bolstered by the popular dynamic reel mechanic on loan from partner Yggdrasil Gaming and a colossal winning potential pump. When it comes to slots, players are no doubt used to a bigger, better, faster ethos when it comes to follow-ups. So, the idea of another Yeti slot from 4ThePlayer might have had big-win chasers frothing at the mouth. In an unusual move, 1K Yeti takes things in the complete opposite direction, being a smaller, gentler, and lighter game by almost all measures.
Mount Everest is 1K Yeti’s stomping ground, and the mythical creature is as ripped as ever. In fact, the visuals haven’t changed much, though mountain ranges do have a samey appearance (in a way) whether they are found in Tibet, Pakistan, Switzerland, Nepal, or New Zealand. Towering peaks stab into the sky, flags on ropes hang about the place, and a thick layer of jagged ice has formed around 1K Yeti’s gaming grid. The original 9K Yeti wasn’t a bad looker, to begin with, and 4ThePLayer has clung to the same graphical style as the later related slots have been released. A ton of other stuff has changed, though.
One is RTP. Where the original possessed a well respectable return value of 97%, 1K Yeti follows the general creep downwards to 95%. Volatility has been ‘softened’, matching the game as a whole. Bets of 20 c to $/€100 may be staked on each paid spin, and the Yeti-ing occurs on a game grid constructed with 5 reels and 40 paylines.
In 1K Yeti, it is possible to land winning combinations of 3 to 5 of a kind in length using the ten regular pay symbols available. Hitting a 5-of-a-kind winning line consisting of matching J to A card ranks pays 2.5 to 3 times the bet, increasing in value to 4-10 times the bet when 5 matching ropes, picks, tents, lady climbers, male climbers, or mountain symbols hit. The Yeti here is the game’s wild symbol, present on all reels. Wilds substitute all pay symbols and are worth an award of 25x the bet for landing a line of 5 of them.
1K Yeti: Slot Features
Like almost everything else in 1K Yeti, the features have been dialed back a notch or two. Or more. The two things to look out for are Yeti Rush free spins and a bonus buy.
Yeti Rush Free Spins
Yeti footprints in the snow are the free spins scatter symbols, appearing on all reels. Landing at least 3 scatters triggers Yeti Rush free spins. The number of scatters in view, when this occurs, determines the number of free spins awarded. During free spins, one reel is covered by a stacked wild symbol, counting as 1 wild symbol on each of the 3 reel positions. On the first free spin, the stacked wild covers the rightmost reel. On each following free spin, the stacked wild moves one position to the left. If the stacked wild is on the leftmost reel and there is at least 1 free spin remaining, it moves back to the rightmost reel.
Buy Feature
The buy feature is where players can purchase the free spins round for 50 times the bet. When buying free spins, the return to player value remains the same at 95%.
1K Yeti: Slot Verdict
When given 1K Yeti for review, it was hinted that it was a ‘softer’ version, but the actual softness of 1K Yeti might surprise many. As mentioned, 9K Yeti was a solid debut for the early 4ThePlayer team and a taste of the experimental direction the studio would take in subsequent releases. 90K Yeti Gigablox was a powerful slot that has demonstrated its ability to achieve significant results, so a third installment in the series should have been an exciting event. Instead, 1K Yeti turned out to be more like a grumpy squirrel than a monstrous mythical beast terrorizing explorers traversing mountain ranges on the roof of the world.
What doesn’t help 1K Yeti’s cause is the weak, limited list of features. The base game is uninspiring, and even the free spins round was disappointing. Perhaps, and here’s a conspiracy theory for the moon landing deniers out there (not judging), maybe 1K Yeti was actually the studio’s first slot, like the beta version of what went on to become 9K Yeti. Now, for the lols, the studio decided to release it anyway. Not suggesting this is the case in any way, but it would be one way to explain why it felt like 4ThePlayer took about 10 steps back with this one.
The winning potential doesn’t salvage 1K Yeti from the dustbin either. Its 1,000x the bet top prize is like a rounding error compared to what is possible in 9K and 90K Yeti. Okay, okay, this game is for players looking for a different kind of gambling experience. Fair enough, fill your boots. Yet even when accounting for that, it’s hard not to walk away feeling that 1K Yeti is small and somewhat pointless compared to the two games that preceded it.
