Pearls of the Ocean Slot Review

I read about a creature last week that flat-out refuses to die - and I thought I was stubborn!

It's a jellyfish 🪼 the size of your pinky nail, and when it gets old or stressed, it throws its life cycle into reverse 🔄, melts back to its baby stage, and grows up all over again.

God damn, I wish I could get a do-over! I wonder if the jellyfish remembers everything? Like, does it go back to its baby form but with all of its knowledge and wisdom? Now, that would be the shizzle! 😎

Pearls of the Ocean slot from Platipus Gaming has jellyfish on the reels, but also offers close to $300k, which I think I might prefer to a second chance at life.

Gameplay

This game's focus is less on the aesthetics, so I'm hoping that means the game mechanics are robust, but we will find out in a minute.

I find that the game looks quite a bit better on a mobile phone, although in portrait mode. The grid is a bit smaller than it should be, and that's because the controls and your balance and your total bet are quite large, larger than they have to be, I reckon.

Flip the phone into landscape mode, and you get more or less the same look as you would on a laptop.

The reels sit on a 5x4 grid with 40 fixed paylines. The RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.

RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate. is 95.04%, volatility is medium to high, and the max multiplier tops out at 1,234x. The max win works out to $296,160, with bets running from $0.40 to $240.

At the top of the paytable, the Dolphin symbol pays 10x for 5-of-a-kind. The Clownfish follows at 5x, and the Hermit Crab, peering out of its blue shell, closes out the high-paying symbols at 3x.

The Jellyfish and Starfish share the middle of the table, both paying 2x for a full line of 5. At the bottom of the paytable, the A and K pay 1.25x for 5-of-a-kind, while the Q and J trail at 1x.

The Mermaid is the Wild symbol, landing only on the middle reels (2, 3, and 4) as an expanding symbol that can fill a whole reel.

She replaces every regular symbol and doubles as the Scatter, so the same Mermaid that finishes lines also helps trigger the features.

The Scatter symbol proper is a Pearl resting in an open shell, landing anywhere on the reels in both the base game and the Respins. Nothing fancy.

Features

RESPINS:

Respins trigger when 2 or 3 full stacks of the Mermaid Wild land at once, awarding 2 or 3 re-spins respectively, and every extra full stack adds another. Those Wilds lock in place while the rest of the reels spin again.

Getting those full stacks is where the Nudging WildsThese are Wilds that will shift their position for a few reasons. It could be that they partially land on a reel, and will adjust to land fully. Or, these Wilds will move to take over an entire reel or when they can form part of a winning combination. come in. Drop Wilds onto 2 or more reels and they can slide up or down until each fills its reel, which sets the Respins off on its own. The payout only lands once every Wild has finished nudging.

FREE SPINS:

Free Spins trigger when 3, 4, or 5 Scatter and/or Wild symbols land in a row from the leftmost reel, handing you 7, 9, or 12 Free Spins, respectively. Because the Mermaid counts as both a Wild and a Scatter, she does double work toward setting it off.

Once you're in, any Wild that lands nudges out to cover its full reel and sticks there for the rest of the round. Each Wild also tacks on an extra spin, so stacking a few can drag a short round out into a long stretch.

BUY BONUS:

The Buy Bonus drops you straight into Free Spins, and the cheaper the buy, the better the return:

• Buying 7 Free Spins costs 35x, with an RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.
  
  RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate. of 94.05%.
• Buying 9 Free Spins costs 60x, with an RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.
  
  RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate. of 92.62%.
• Buying 12 Free Spins costs 100x, with an RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.
  
  RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate. of 92.07%.

Performance

My verdict of this game's performance is “no problem” and “thumbs up.” Is nice.

Maximum Win

Bag the max multiplier of 1,234x at the top bet of $240, and you’ll have netted the $296,160 max win. The smallest bet you can place is $0.40.

Conclusion

The game's money-making leans hard on the Mermaid Wild - the one that stacks across the middle reels and stays locked through Free Spins.

Reaching the top end takes a Free Spins run where Wilds nudge to fill reel after reel. It's a tall order, but the max multiplier sits low enough to feel like a real target instead of a lottery ticket.

And speaking of max multipliers, 1,234x isn't great for a medium to high volatility game. The slot plays best in short, well-funded bursts aimed at the features rather than a slow grind.

With no Ante BetAn Ante Bet is an option that costs a percentage of your bet but increases your chances of landing triggering symbols that initiate a feature. to lean on, the Buy Bonus is the only shortcut. The cheapest 7-spin option carries the best return on offer, so make it your pick. The 12-spin buy? Skip it; it costs nearly triple for the worst odds of the lot.

So who is the game for? It suits players who like their slots clean with minimal, easy-to-understand features, and with a top prize that feels reachable rather than a distant mirage.

Patient feature-hunters will be at home, while anyone after a long, low-variance grind should swim past.

Slot Details

Game Provider: Platipus Gaming
Game Type: Video Slots
PaylinesPaylines are preset lines that run across the reels, and when you land matching symbols on them, that will result in a payout. The more paylines, the more ways you can win, but also the higher your bet per spin.: 40
RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.

RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate.: 95.04%
Volatility RateSlot games can have low, medium, high, or extremely high volatility rates (or a combination thereof).

The less volatile the game, the more often it should pay out, but the lower the amount, the less the payout, as this is in keeping with the risk you’re taking. Volatility rate should be considered in conjunction with a game’s RTP.: Medium to High
Bonus Round: No
Progressive: No
Free Rounds: Free Spins, Re-spins
Max Multiplier: 1,234x
Max Win: $296,160
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