Wolf Howl is one of the most recent releases from Microgaming and takes us on an expedition into the North American wilderness to come face to face with one of nature’s fiercest predators. Along the way, we will also meet other denizens of the forest, including a full wolf pack, if we’re lucky.
The slot was created exclusively for Microgaming by the up-and-coming studio Just For The Win. Despite being a newcomer on the online slot scene, this small Swedish developer already has a number of high-quality titles to its name. Let’s trek into the wilderness to see if Wolf Howl lives up to expectations.
| Wolf Howl Slot Summary | |
|---|---|
| Software Provider | Microgaming and Just For The Win Studios |
| Payline Number | 10 |
| RTP | 96.15% |
| Min Bet | $0.10 |
| Max Bet | $10 |
| Wild Symbol | Yes |
| Scatter Symbol | Yes |
| Bonus Features | Multipliers, Free Spins, Scatter Adder |
| Jackpot | 25,000x bet |
Symbols and Winning Combinations of Wolf Howl Slot
Wilderness and wolf themes are quite popular, possibly due to the subjects being romanticized over the past few decades. Nevertheless, they remain fairly popular, and there are several such slots online.
What sets Wolf Howl apart, for us, is the unique art style used in the backdrop. We are treated to a snow-covered forest shrouded in the radiance of the setting winter sun. It is not overly detailed and there are no flashy animations, which creates a sense of stillness that can be found in the forest during winter.
The 5×3 grid is framed by gold with transparent, dark red reels that house sixteen well-illustrated symbols. Eight are regular, one is wild, one is a scatter, and four are multiplier wilds. They are:
- Low-value = A, K, Q, J
- High-value = Rabbit, Eagle, Bear, Moose
- Wild = Wolf, can substitute for all other symbols except the scatter and special symbols
- Multiplier wilds = wolves with multipliers (x2, x3, x4, x5)
- Scatter = Full blue moon
With the lowest betting level selected, the smallest winning combination is three J’s, which is worth $0.04, and the highest combination is five moose, which will win you $2.
Bonus Features of Wolf Howl Slot
There are a few bonus features in Wolf Howl, but those included can dramatically increase your winnings.
Wolf Howl includes four additional wild symbols called Wild Multipliers. During the base game, you will only see x2 and x3 multipliers appearing on reels 2, 3, and 4. If more than one such symbol appears on the same reel, their values are multiplied, i.e. two x3 symbols will result in an x9 multiplier being applied to your winnings.
During the free spin rounds, you will see multipliers up to a maximum of x5.
Long-time slot fans will be more than familiar with the free spin feature. When 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols appear on the reels, you trigger the feature and are awarded 8, 15, or 30 free spins respectively.
If additional scatter symbols land during the feature, you will receive extra free spins. The amount you receive depends on the number of scatter symbols.
- 1 scatter = 2 extra free spins
- 2 scatters = 5 extra free spins
- 3 scatters = 8 extra free spins
- 4 scatters = 15 extra free spins
- 5 scatters = 30 extra free spins
Another part of the free spin feature is Wild Call. At the beginning of each spin, every scatter symbol and any adjacent symbols will turn into an x1 multiplier. If a Multiplier Wild is adjacent to a scatter, it will be upgraded to the next highest level, i.e. x2 to x3. If the Multiplier Wild is adjacent to two scatters, it will be upgraded twice, to a maximum of x5. All affected symbols will be sticky for the remainder of the free spins.
The second-to-last bonus feature is the Scatter Adder. This feature can be triggered randomly during the base game, and will add up to four scatter symbols anywhere on the reels.
The final bonus is the Buy Free Spins Feature. This allows you to trigger a free-spins round directly by purchasing it at a multiple of your bet. Keep in mind that this feature is not available for players located in the United Kingdom due to Gambling Commission regulations.
Verdict
Wolf Howl is a great-looking slot with some good potential payouts. It is a high-volatility slot with an RTP of 96.15%, so while you can win up to 25,000x your bet, you’ll have to spend a bit of time spinning or hope that Lady Luck is on your side.
Although there aren’t many bonus features, we feel that during development the studio tried to stuff each one with as many different aspects as it could. This doesn’t detract from the gameplay at all. It just feels like a roundabout way of adding more features without actually adding more features.