Gates of Xibalba: Slot Overview
When the word “Gate” is mentioned alongside Pragmatic Play, thoughts immediately turn to the popular slot “Gates of Olympus.” This association is not only due to the word repetition but also because the game has served as the foundation for numerous clones, copies, and offshoots. In a surprising twist, “Gates of Xibalba” breaks away from being a clone of “Gates of Olympus.” However, it is a copy of “Forge of Olympus,” which itself was constructed using the framework of “Gates of Olympus” but introduced a progressive feature in free spins—a feature that returns in “Gates of Xibalba,” along with multiplier symbols.
For those familiar with Peter & Sons’ work, the name “Xibalba” might ring a bell, as it is the title of one of the Armenian developer’s slots. For those unfamiliar, “Xibalba” refers to the Mayan underworld—the “place of fright”—where death gods like One Death and Seven Death, as well as other Lords like Flying Scab, Pus Demon, and Stabbing Demon, could be found (information from Wikipedia). In other words, not the most cheerful place to end up, but it does provide rich material for an online slot. Pragmatic Play has taken this opportunity to fill the view of “Gates of Xibalba” with stone, a swirling lightning, tornado-like entity, carved snakes, and a driving tune full of chanting—a rather decent reskin on the surface.
The remaining features of “Gates of Xibalba” have been directly transferred, providing players with a highly volatile math model and an RTP of 96.25%. This slightly decreases to 96.23% when utilizing the ante bet. The base bets range from 20 cents to $/€100 per spin. When the ante bet is activated, the stake increases by 25%, doubling the chances of triggering the feature. The game is played on a 6-reel, 5-row gaming grid, utilizing a scatter pays system to determine wins. A win is achieved when 8 or more of the same pay symbols land on the reels in any position.
The tumble mechanic is employed to eliminate winning symbols from the grid, allowing symbols above to drop down and fill the empty spaces. This process of tumble wins continues, accumulating winnings until no new win occurs. “Gates of Xibalba” features nine regular pay symbols inspired by Mayan objects—four circular objects as the low pays and five mask-like objects as the highs. Scatter wins with 8 matching symbols pay 0.25 to 10 times the bet, while a scatter win with 12 or more symbols is valued at 2 to 50 times the bet. It’s worth noting that “Gates of Xibalba” does not include wild symbols in its gameplay.
Gates of Xibalba: Slot Features
Similar to “Forge of Olympus,” “Gates of Xibalba” incorporates multiplier symbols, free spins with a progressive feature, and the option to purchase free spins as its features.
Multiplier Symbols
In both the base game and free spins, multiplier symbols have the chance to land randomly on spins or tumbles. These symbols come with values ranging from x2 to x100. At the conclusion of a tumble sequence, all the multiplier values present on the reels are combined and applied to the overall win.
Free Spins
The free spins round is triggered when 4, 5, or 6 scatters appear, awarding 10, 15, or 20 free spins, along with a payout of 3x, 5x, or 100x the bet, respectively. Free spins incorporate a progressive feature that starts at Level 1. Whenever multiplier symbols land, they are collected by a meter, and the round levels up when the meter reaches specific thresholds.
- Level 1: Initially, multiplier symbols may have values of x2 to x100.
- Level 2: Achieved after collecting 6 multiplier symbols. Multiplier symbols now have values of x8 to x100.
- Level 3: Reached after collecting 5 more multiplier symbols. Multiplier symbols now have values of x15 to x100.
- Level 4: Reached after collecting another 4 multiplier symbols. Multiplier symbols now have values of x50 to x100.
The round does not progress beyond Level 4. However, landing 3 or more scatter symbols at any point during the round adds an additional +5 free spins to the remaining total.
Buy Free Spins
For the cost of 100 times the bet, players can purchase free spins and start the round from Level 1. Alternatively, they can pay 200 times the bet to guarantee starting from Level 2, 400 times the bet for Level 3, or 500 times the bet to begin at Level 4. When opting for the buy-in feature, a random number of scatters will land to trigger it for any of the available options.
Gates of Xibalba: Slot Verdict
With the release of Gates of Xibalba, Pragmatic Play adds another clone to its repertoire, falling into the trend of reskins and remakes driven by a demanding release schedule. Despite its cloned nature, Gates of Xibalba offers a familiar level of playability found in titles like Forge of Olympus and Gates of Olympus, presenting a visually appealing game. The win cap remains consistent at 5,000x the bet, and the progression through free spins levels adds an interesting dynamic. Mechanically, Gates of Xibalba operates smoothly with its scatter-paying system.
However, the choice of a Central American theme for a cloned slot might not bring the excitement one could hope for, lacking originality in its concept. Nevertheless, Pragmatic Play has executed the game with its characteristic polish, delivering high-quality artwork and sound. In summary, while Gates of Xibalba may not offer groundbreaking innovation, it stands as another engaging scatter pays alternative within Pragmatic Play’s portfolio.
Best Dama N.V. Casinos Bonuses Where Can Play Pragmatic Play Slots