This pirate-themed slot from Microgaming partner Triple Edge Studios is called Adventures of Doubloon Island, and it follows on from Assassin Moon, a secret agent game with some similar characteristics. The major attraction is still the proprietary HyperHold feature, which has been changed for some reason to provide even less benefits. The two games are differentiated by a number of changes, including a decreased hold & win element and a thematic shift.
The quest gets off to a good start thanks to the beautiful opening cutscene. The reels spin against a background that appears like blank parchment, as if a map had yet to be made, and the game is played utilizing a 5×3 layout with 20 paylines to land winnings on. There isn’t as much going on visually, and the game doesn’t delve as deeply into its topic, as Assassin’s Moon did. The scenery is lovely, but Assassin Moon’s dark and mysterious underworld provides far more fodder for the imagination. Despite its visual appeal, Adventures of Doubloon Island is the less interesting slot machine because pirated games are nothing new.
The values of the four fixed jackpots are shown above the reels, and they change depending on the quantity of the wager and whether or not the Win Booster has been enabled, which raises the wager. Adventures of Doubloon Island is a medium-volatility slot game with a 96.01% return to player percentage and a betting range of 10 pence to £/€75 per spin.
Eight standard symbols (four high and four low) must align to win. The lows include the four diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades from a standard deck of playing cards, while the highs have a pair of swords, a parrot, and two swashbucklers. The best possible hand is five of a kind, which pays out between 10 and 20 times the original wager. When the female pirate appears on reels one, two, or three as a wild, she can take up any of those positions. If you’re familiar with Assassin Moon, you’ll know that a full house pays 12,500x the stake, while here it only pays 1,000x for a five-of-a-kind.
Slot Functions in the Story of Adventures on Doubloon Island
As a result, while the core concept of Adventures of Doubloon Island remains the same, the proposition is not as appealing from a ‘win big’ perspective. The free spins, Win Booster, and HyperHold feature combine to create the most exciting moments.
When triggered, the Win Booster boosts the wager by a factor of 1.5. If you do this, the value of your victories during the HyperHold feature will increase without affecting your line winnings. The jackpots and cash rewards are both multiplied by a factor of 2.5. At any moment during the main game, you can activate or deactivate Win Booster.
The HyperHold feature is activated when 6 or more HyperHold symbols appear anywhere on the reels. The triggering symbols will remain in place for the three free spins. The number of spins is reset if further HyperHold symbols appear. When all available slots are taken or the spin counter reaches zero, the bonus round will terminate. Cash prizes of 1-50x the wager are revealed by the visible symbols while the Win Booster is disabled, and cash prizes of 2-100x the entire bet are shown when it is enabled.
One of the four jackpots might be unveiled by the symbols as well. The Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega pay out 25x, 100x, 500x, and 2,000x the wager, respectively, while Win Booster is deactivated, and 33.33x, 133.33x, 666.67x, and 3,333x the wager, respectively, when it is on.
Finally, landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters activates 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. The advantage here is that the high-paying symbols are left on the reels while the lower-paying ones are eliminated. With 3, 4, or 5 scatters, you’ll be awarded 10, 15, or 20 more free games, respectively.
The Slot Conclusion of Adventures on Doubloon Island
The similarities between Assassin Moon and Adventures of Doubloon Island are immediately apparent. Although HyperHold is still the major draw, four jackpots now sit above the reels, and free games galore come standard. Digging a little deeper reveals several striking distinctions that make Adventures of Doubloon Island an entirely new experience.
This is accomplished first through the concept, which is intimate; yet, in contrast to Assassin’s Moon, it was not that simple to go with the flow and become immersed in Adventures of Doubloon Island. Slots are flooded with pirate-themed games, thus the game’s initial appeal was muted despite its beautiful visuals. As a result, Doubloon Island needs to do more to stand out, an area in which it struggles a bit. Perhaps if it had better numbers, but those have been dialed down by Assassin Moon. Full-screen wild payouts no longer occur, and jackpots have shrunk as a result. Overall, it makes the game less appealing.
There’s not much of a purpose in giving Adventures of Doubloon Island a try if you’re not like piracy, commercial ships, or invading towns and cities. After the initial excitement of “arr me hearties” fades, there isn’t much else to keep people around if they have poor potential.