Secret Symbol

The ancient central and southern American civilizations have long held a fascination for scholars and historians. Since the time of the Spanish conquistadors, whose advance across the continents heralded the end of these once mighty empires, their legacy remains to this day with ancient monuments and myths about fabled lost cities deep in the jungles.

It is in this world that the Secret Symbol slot from Realtime Gaming has been set. The emphasis is on both aspects of life here, both the ancient civilizations of the area, and also the many different creatures that inhabit the jungle and which gave these once great people meaning and a focus for their fantastic stories and fables.

The Secret Symbol slot is based on the Aztec civilization, which was based chiefly Mexico and across large parts of central America and these people are famous for, among other things, the building of great pyramids. Many of which remain until today.

So how well does the Secret Symbol slot tell the tale of the Aztec people, its culture and its role within Central American society and does it do this in a playable and enjoyable slot game that will appeal to all players? Let's take a closer look and find out.

Overview

• Game: Secret Symbol
• Developer: Realtime Gaming
• Reels: 5
• Pay Lines: 25 (selectable)
• Minimum Bet: $0.01
• Maximum Bet: $6.25
• Jackpot: 10,000 coins
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: No
• Progressive: Yes
• Volatility: Medium to Low

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Presentation

The presentation of the Secret Symbol slot is fantastic with the most eye-catching aspect of the slot being the tumbling waterfall which is situated to the left of the reels. Water cascades over the falls as you play and it is a very nice effect to have running while you spin the reels.

Alongside the waterfall you are greeted with a typical jungle scene with trees, plants and creeping vines all under the baking heat of the sun giving the slot a very tropical and naturalistic feel. The five reels are central in the screen with the main control buttons at the foot of the reels and the two progressive jackpots displayed in turn in the top right corner.

You can play as many lines per spin as you like (though we'd suggest playing the maximum 25 on each spin) and you can increase the value of your bet per line using the bet controller. Finally, the Spin button can be used to play through your spins, though an Auto Play button is also available. Add to this a lovely soundtrack and realistic jungle sounds and you have a very nicely presented slot indeed.

What's on the reels?

On the reels are a mix of Aztec artifacts and items and jungle animals that played a significant role in the Aztec civilization. There are seven lower value symbols on the reels and I'm delighted to say that there is not a playing card low symbol anywhere in sight. The low value symbols include an Aztec necklace and box, a spear, a bowl and a headdress. In addition, the parrot is also a lower value win. These symbols offer wins from 5 coins up to 25 coins per spin.

The snake is a lower value symbol as it also only offers wins up to 250 coins, but you can win by landing just two snakes across the reels, rather than three, although this only offers a two coin pay out.

The panther, the golden Aztec idol and the Aztec warrior are the higher value symbols on the reels and these symbols offer pay outs when landed two across a pay line too. You can win between 5 coins and 2,000 coins on these symbols however, which is a considerably bigger top prize than the lower value symbols.

There are two other symbols on the reels, the Wild symbol and the Scatter and both of these access the games main features, which we will explore in more detail below.

Wild features

The Wild symbol on the Aztec Chief and he can be used to replace any of the high or lower value symbols on the reels to land extra pay lines on a spin. You can also trigger additional wins by landing consecutive Wilds on a pay line with the in-game jackpot of 10,000 coins available if you can land five Wild symbols across the reels on a single spin.

The Aztec Chief Wild also plays a key role in the free spins bonus round when its role on the slot changes slightly as we shall see when we explore the free spins bonus below.

Free Spins features

The scatter symbol on the Secret Symbol slot is the Mayan Pyramid and when you land three or more of these scatter symbols across the reels, then you trigger 10 free spins.

During these ten free spins, when you land the Aztec Chief symbol on the second or fourth reels during a spin, the symbol will expand to cover the entire reel and any additional wins will be added to the wins already landed.

Furthermore, on each free spin a Secret Symbol multiplier is revealed at the end of each spin and any wins you achieve on that spin are subject to this multiplier, which can range from 2x the stated amount up to 20x the stated amount.

You can also re-trigger the bonus by landing three or more scatters during the free spins to give yourself more chances of landing a bigger value win.

Other bonus features

The only other bonus features on the Secret Symbol slot are the two progressive jackpots that can be won on any spin at any time. They are the Major and the Minor jackpots with the Major obviously being the larger of the two.

Regardless of whether you won on your last spin or not, the progressive jackpots are awarded entirely at random at the end of a randomly selected spin and these wins will be added to any that you already achieved in the slot game itself.

Best feature of the Secret Symbol slot

Without doubt the best feature off the Secret Symbol slot is the free spins bonus round which when triggered can give you a chance of a bigger value win. That's because you have the Expanding Aztec Wild symbols on the second and fourth reels which can play a significant role in this bonus, and you also have the Secret Symbol Multiplier which can ramp up the value of any win if you can land a bigger value multiplier.

I also think the presentation of the slot deserves special mention here too as it is quite beautifully done and the waterfall at the side of the reels is a very nice touch.

What does the Secret Symbol slot lack?

If the Secret Symbol slot lacks anything then I think it is simply depth. The base game is decent enough although there isn't a huge amount of excitement in terms of massive value wins, you do win relatively frequently so you feel the slot is rewarding your efforts. The game is more exciting in the Free Spins bonus but in truth, adding a base game bonus feature or perhaps some multipliers to wins comprising of a Wild symbol in the base game, would have really given the slot a bit of extra appeal.

Conclusion

The Secret Symbol slot is beautiful to look at and good fun to play, but it is a rather basic slot compared to some more modern releases which are packed with bonus features and are festooned with all kinds of additional extras to make them appeal. What you have here is a simple slot, easy to play and understand, which offers low to medium variance gaming and a chance at a decent jackpot prize. It's features may not match some modern games, but the way the slot works and how its features link together is nicely done and this is a perfect slot for a new player to gain some experience playing before tackling some of the more complicated games available.

Ratings

• Presentation: 15 / 20 - The presentation on the Secret Symbol slot is beautifully done and really looks superb, especially on the higher quality screens you can get on many devices and computers nowadays. The animations and sounds work well and although everything is basic, it does make the game easy to follow and each symbol is easily distinguishable. This is a very nicely presented slot indeed.
• Game-Play: 12 / 20 - Where I feel the Secret Symbol slot lacks a bit is in terms of the game-play. It is somewhat basic and repetitive at times and although you do win often, the size of the wins is often smaller than your bet (especially if you are playing 25 lines in play on each spin). The bonus features do liven this up a bit, but the base game can drag on at times when the slot is playing a little more tightly and not offering up access to the free spins bonus.
• Bonus Features: 13 / 20 - The main bonus features on the slot are again, very basic and perhaps the minimum you would expect on a slot nowadays. The Wild symbol is useful for additional value wins in the base game and it really comes into its own during free spins when it can expand across two reels and lead to some sizeable wins. The Free Spins bonus is rewarding at times, although its pay outs can be somewhat volatile. The progressive jackpots also give the slot an added edge and a prize that the player could win at any time also helps keep excitement levels high.
• Entertainment Factor: 12 / 20 - Although nicely presented and with some simple but effective bonus features, the Secret Symbol slot doesn't quite deliver huge amounts of entertainment. A more experienced slot gamer would certainly find the game a little basic and although the jackpot size is decent, this can't hide the fact that there isn't a huge amount in the slot to get too excited about.
• Play Value: 14 / 20 - As a lower to medium variance game, this is a slot that does reward you with smaller wins more often. Many wins are very small however and this should be taken into account when you wager on the maximum number of lines per spin. However, in among these wins are some bigger value wins which really help boost your bankroll and as such, this isn't a slot that will devour vast chunks of your bankroll if played at a sensible level.
• Overall 66 / 100 - The Secret Symbol slot is a fun and enjoyable game which has some nice feature and is playable by all, but is especially suited to less experience slot fans. The jackpot is a nice size and the progressive jackpots are also appealing but it is through smaller wins more often that you'll find you get the best value from the slot. It's a solid if unspectacular game.

Good Luck!

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