The carnival is all fun and games… until the lights…
The Birth of the Meme Slot: Fortune Llama Slot
Llamas are originally from South America and are known for their thick woolly coats, gentle demeanor, and quirky personalities. They have been domesticated for thousands of years and are often used for their wool, meat, and as pack animals. In recent years, they have also become popular pets and even therapy animals. So, what do llamas have to do with disco?
Welcome to meme slots, I am officially coining that phrase if it hasn’t already been. And as evidence of the emergence of this new kind of slot, I give you Fortune Llama slot from Fantasma.
What is a meme slot?
Now, bear with me here as this one comes from a rather tired millennial brain. Put simply, a meme slot is something that incorporates an element that directly plays on an existing meme or, as is the case with Fortune Llama slot, appears to be created specifically with the intention of becoming a meme.
Basically, if you could see a slot’s visuals as fitting right at home on 9Gag (is that still a thing?) then you’re probably dealing with a meme slot.
All visuals and no features
I’m not to saying Fortune Llama slot doesn’t have bonus features. However, as a first-generation meme stock, the memification is not yet embedded on the feature level but rather on a surface level. As a result, the features are pretty standard.
The slot has a diamond bonus symbol. Collect three or more of these symbols, and you’ll unlock a round of the slot’s collect-and-win feature. At the start of the feature, you’ll be given three spins with the chance of instant-win golden llamas appearing on the reels. If you grab an instant-win golden llama symbol, your three spins will be reset. If you go three spins without grabbing another symbol, your round will be over. If you manage to fill an entire reel, the instant win amounts will be paid and the reel will be reset, giving you a chance to fill the reel up with even more instant wins.
The Fortune Meter is a nice idea. Every time you get a golden llama symbol, it is added to the Fortune Meter. Once you’ve collected 100 llama symbols the global multiplier will be upgraded. The upgrade ladder is as follows: 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 7x, 10x, 12x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 30x, 40x, 50x, 60x, 80x, 100x. This sounds great on paper, but to get even to the 5x multiplier you’re going to need several thousand spins. It’s an interesting feature, but it’s only for those who are planning to play the slot for hours on end.
Is Fortune Llama slot something totally new or just a fresh coat of paint?
Fortune Llama slot is a nice little stab at something new from Fantasma. I am not sure the slot developer went far enough, but it’s a nice foundation that I hope they build on.
The slot has medium volatility, which I do think is the perfect choice for this slot. It gives the gameplay a lot more balance, giving you a shot at small consistent wins and rare big wins at the same time. The 7,075x max multiplier also means that you’ll be able to get some nice wins without having to bet at the absolute max every spin. The slot has an RTP of 96%.
Fortune Llama slot is just one of a great selection of games from Fantasma. If you’d like to explore a few more, I recommend giving Animal Carnival and Bounty Showdown a try.