Panther’s Reign slot review

By Quickspin

Panther's Reign Slot

Panther's Reign Basic info

Game provider Quickspin

Release Date 2/2020

RTP 96.25%

Game Technology HTML5

Popularity Low

Min bet $0.10

Max bet $100

Max Win bet x 5202

Gamble Feature Freespins, Re-spins, Sticky wins, Wilds, Scatter symbols

Layout 5x4

Devices Support all devices

Configurable Winlines No

Volatility High

Progressive Jackpot No

Panther’s Reign gives us a look at life in the jungle where the apex predator is the panther and the other animals have to be wary of it all the time. This slot not only features free spins and wilds but also includes sticky re-spins.

A slot developed by Quickspin and released in 2020 is sure to bring impressive graphics and immersive soundtrack. In this case, you’d be right thinking that since the slot is completely devoted to establishing its location and theme. The 5-reel, 4-row playing field is filled with symbols that are related to the jungle and its wildlife, or make use of standard card suits to complete the collection.

If the player gets a win on one of its 25 paylines the game will light up the winning tiles and give a complete count of the win. In the background, we can see the jungle as it stands lush and green. There is a waterfall that is animated but it is blocked by the playing field and only visible during the transition from the base game to free spins mode and back. During the free spins mode, the jungle is covered in darkness which also gives it another look.

With regards to the sound, the game opts for a very light presence. There is the continuous sound of the jungle playing in the background, a cacophony of faint insect sounds, birds singing and the heavy bass of high humidity. Getting a win will trigger a light jingle but that didn’t really break immersion for me. Activating any of the features comes with its own sound bytes.

Symbols

Panther’s Reign makes use of a standard collection of symbols, meaning they can be divided up into high- and low-paying symbols with some special symbols that are related to the features. The high-paying symbols are easily recognizable since these are based on animals that can be found in the jungle of South-America. Meanwhile, the low-paying symbols are card suits. Unfortunately, the designers did not put a lot of thought into their design and they look quite out of place.

With its moderate number of paylines, a bigger selection of symbols and features that aren’t as easy to trigger, the game has High Volatility. In my experience, getting a natural win during the base game wasn’t impossible but these would often not be high enough to win back even a single spin. The player will really be dependent on activating a feature in order to get a big win.

Players can deal with the volatility in different ways. By picking a bet between $0.10 and $100 they can either reduce their bet so they can play for longer or increase their bet and get bigger wins when they do hit it big. Obviously, both choices have their advantages and disadvantages. The max. win of this slot is 5,202x your bet which is about average for a slot with this volatility.

The symbols in the game include:

  • Green Gem (Bonus): Get 3 Bonus symbols on the screen at the same time to activate the free spins mode with 5 free spins.
  • Wild: Wilds substitute all other symbols in the game except the Bonus symbol. Max. 100x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Panther: Max. 100x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Margay: Max. 25x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Gibbon: Max. 25x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Parrot: Max. 15x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Frog: Max. 15x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Heart: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Spade: Max. 10x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Club: Max. 5x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.
  • Diamond: Max. 5x your bet with five-of-a-kind on a winning bet line.

Features

Panther’s Reign only has a few features but I did think they were interesting. The main downside is that they are extremely volatile and can offer wildly different results. During my time playing, my free spins mode once only paid out less than a single spin, and another time paid out hundreds of spins. It makes it impossible to predict what will happen and players will have to keep a close eye on their funds as they play.

The features you can find here include:

  • Wilds: Wilds substitute all regular symbols in the game.
  • Random Wilds: During the game, up to 10 random Wilds can be added to the playing field.
  • Free Spins: Get 3 Bonus symbols on the screen to activate the free spins mode with 5 free spins. Extra Bonus symbols during the mode will add 1 extra free spin.
  • Sticky Re-Spins: During the free spins mode, all wins will trigger the re-spin functionality. Winning symbols stay in place while the reels spin again. Adding to the win will make those symbols sticky too, then re-spin again until no further symbols are added.

During the base game, only the Wilds are something that you can encounter frequently. The Random Wilds can be added both during the base game and the free spins mode but it is exceedingly rare. Don’t count on it activating when you want it to. If it does activate during a free spins mode this will trigger the re-spins mode and can massively increase the size of your wins on that spin.

The free spins mode is very volatile and except for the Sticky Re-Spins feature offers no advantage over the base game. As I mentioned above, in my experience they can be very lucrative or a complete letdown.

Conclusion

Panther’s Reign is a nice looking slot but not one that will likely stick in people’s mind for very long. The features are interesting but simple and don’t trigger often enough to feel like an important part of the slot. When I played the game I had one big win and that was enough to put me in the positives, but when I kept playing it dropped back down below my starting point.

Players should keep this in mind and adjust their bets accordingly. There can be a lot of time between two bigger wins and it is not impossible to run out of funds before you reach that point. In that case, sticking to smaller bets will allow you to play for longer.

The game’s appearance is good but there is no special role for the panther nor do any of the other animals do anything special. The whole slot feels rather static and it makes the experience rather bland. Players that are looking for a solid but basic slot will most likely enjoy it though!

Leticia Miranda

Leticia Miranda

Slot Games Analyst

Leticia Miranda is a former gambling reporter who knows everything about slot games and is happy to share her knowledge. She has covered a broad swath of topics and trends on gambling and is always full of new ideas and energy. Leticia also has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and is passionate about writing.