Kraken’s Cove: Slot Overview
Relax Gaming has long displayed a fondness for maritime themes, as evidenced by slots like Cowabunga Dream Drop, Lure of Fortune, and Shark Wash. It seems the call of the ocean is irresistible, much like the mythical Sirens of Greek lore. This time, the studio ventures back to the deep with Kraken’s Cove, a pirate-themed slot inspired by Relax Gaming’s 2022 release, Plunderland.
The slot opens with a cinematic introduction featuring a massive Kraken rising from the ocean depths—a creature that manages to be both intimidating and oddly endearing. Once the game begins, the tone shifts towards charm and whimsy. The grid is populated with neatly arranged symbols, surrounded by serene blue waters and small, picturesque islands. The scene evokes the warm, inviting atmosphere of a tropical paradise, reminiscent of the bonus round in Dead Man’s Trail, but with a friendlier vibe.
However, it’s not all sunshine and tranquility. Elements like a skeleton lounging in an armchair and circling sharks add a hint of menace, subtly reminding players that this paradise hides its dangers beneath the surface.
Kraken’s Cove: Gameplay Overview
At the heart of Kraken’s Cove lies a 7×7 gaming grid, floating serenely on the water’s surface. A key feature is the highlighted hot spot in the center of the grid, which adds an extra layer of excitement. This is a cluster pays slot, where winning combinations are formed by connecting 5 or more matching symbols horizontally or vertically. When a win occurs, the symbols explode off the board, making way for new symbols to cascade into the empty spaces, potentially creating chain reactions of wins.
The game employs a medium-high volatility math model with a default RTP of 96.1%. Players can wager between $/€0.10 and $/€100, with the option to access a newly upgraded feature buy alongside the standard one, offering additional flexibility and excitement.
Symbols and Payouts
- Low-Value Symbols: Card suits (clubs, diamonds, spades, hearts).
- High-Value Symbols: A ship’s wheel, a bottle of Kraken Juice, a pirate hat, and a pirate.
Cluster payouts vary depending on the number of matching symbols:
- Clusters of 5 identical symbols pay between 0.1x and 0.5x the bet.
- Large clusters of up to 32 identical symbols can pay between 70x and 500x the bet.
Wild Chest Symbol
The wild chest symbol serves multiple functions in Kraken’s Cove. It can substitute for all regular symbols to help form or extend winning clusters, increasing the chances of hitting significant payouts. Its utility adds to the dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.
With its cluster mechanics, cascading wins, and a rewarding symbol set, Kraken’s Cove offers players an adventurous and action-packed slot experience.
Kraken’s Cove: Features and Gameplay Mechanics
Kraken’s Cove is all about collecting, expanding, and navigating through its key features. Let’s dive into the mechanics of the Ship Wild Expansion Collection, Ship Wild, Free Spins, Free Spins Gamble, and Feature Buy options.
Ship Wild Expansion Collection
Wild chest symbols that land on the grid contain 1 to 5 coins. Each coin is added to the collection meter, and for every 5 coins collected, the size of the Ship Wild expands when it reaches the hot spot in the center of the grid.
- Base Game: Coins are only collected when there is a win present on the reels.
- Free Spins: Coins are collected regardless of whether a win occurs, ensuring consistent progression.
Ship Wild
The 1×1 Ship Wild appears on every spin and moves one step closer to the central hot spot whenever a win occurs, regardless of whether it is part of the winning cluster.
- Expansion: When the Ship Wild reaches the hot spot, it expands to 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5, depending on the collected coins in the Wild Expansion Collection.
- Respawn: After expanding and contributing to a win, the Ship Wild resets to a random position on the grid, ready to repeat the process.
- Persistence: The Ship Wild can reach the hot spot multiple times in the same game round, with its size and multiplier increasing incrementally.
- Multiplier: The Ship Wild multiplier grows by +1 each time it contributes to a cluster win, offering potential for significant payouts.
Free Spins
The free spins round is triggered when 3 scatter symbols are collected in a single game round, awarding 5 free spins.
- Persistence: During free spins, the Ship Wild Expansion progress and the Ship Wild multiplier carry over and remain active for the duration of the feature.
- Multiplier Growth: Each cluster win involving the Ship Wild increases its multiplier by +1, with the multiplier applying to all wins for the entire round.
Free Spins Gamble
Before free spins begin, players can gamble for a chance to enhance the feature:
- Increased Free Spins: Gamble for up to 20 free spins.
- Higher Multiplier: Gamble for a starting Ship Wild multiplier of up to 50.
Successful gambles move players to the next highest level, while losing gambles drop players to the next lowest level. If no lower level exists, the game returns to the base round.
Feature Buy
For those eager to jump into the action, Kraken’s Cove offers two feature buy options:
- Standard Free Spins: Costs 50x the bet.
- Upgraded Free Spins: Costs 250x the bet and starts with enhanced features, including a higher starting multiplier and larger Ship Wild potential.
These dynamic features make Kraken’s Cove a highly engaging slot with opportunities for strategic play and big rewards. Whether navigating the base game or diving into free spins, the game offers plenty of excitement and potential.
Kraken’s Cove: Slot Verdict
Much like its predecessor, Plunderland, Kraken’s Cove excels at keeping players on the edge of their seats, riding waves of hopeful anticipation. The game captures a sense of adventure, particularly when the Ship Wild inches its way across the grid toward the hot spot in the center. Adding to the suspense is the Ship Wild Expansion Collection, which gathers coins from wild symbols to increase the potential size of the Ship Wild once it reaches its destination. These mechanics, which created highly engaging moments in Plunderland, deliver similar thrills in Kraken’s Cove.
The game also introduces a few enhancements to spice things up, such as the revamped Ship Wild expansion mechanic and the option to gamble at the start of a free spins round. This gamble feature is a tantalizing addition, offering the chance to begin with a Ship Wild multiplier as high as x50—or at least x10—which is an enticing prospect. Players can also gamble for more free spins, which is appealing since the default 5 spins feel limited (one fewer than in Plunderland). The free spins feature significantly amplifies the intensity, especially when tracking the Ship Wild as it builds a hefty multiplier and expansion potential while edging closer to the hot spot. These moments can be heart-pounding, as they bring the promise of big payouts.
That said, the base game can feel a bit stingy with actual monetary rewards, despite its bursts of activity. However, the slot’s potential to deliver wins of up to 10,000x the bet ensures that Kraken’s Cove has the capacity to dish out impressive payouts when the stars align. While it may surprise some to see Relax Gaming revisit the mechanics of Plunderland, Kraken’s Cove is a worthy successor. It offers an engaging and absorbing experience, packed with moments that can swing from fist-pumping triumph to head-in-hands frustration.