Xibalba Slot Review
Xibalba is a Mayan word that roughly means “place of fright,” but game studios Yggdrasil have teamed up and woven their own narrative around it which goes like this:
“The 12 demon lords of Xibalba, gods of death, rule the Underworld with a firm hand. Men are summoned, and they fall, for the roads to Xibalba are filled with deceit and the gods full of treacherous trickery. Only the hero twins can defeat them and unlock the treasures for so long hidden.”
With an intro like that, I can’t wait to spin the sinister reels in Xibalba slot!
Gameplay
When you initiate the game, you’ll land on a page that shows this funky gold mask – with a nose like a throw switch – dangling from the top of the screen.
You’re prompted to set your bet limits, turn the sound on or off, and have a quick run-through of how the game works before you start by clicking the rock with the “i” on it. All of which you can also do in the base games, so this was a bit redundant for me.
The base game is something to behold as it’s filled with gob-smacking visuals that the studios have so lovingly and meticulously crafted. I think I spent fully 10 minutes just looking at the magnificence and the detail of it all.
Some of the symbols on the reels are also masks, and they’re animated – like the skull that gnashes its teeth. It’s simply remarkable.
The Xibalba mask dangles from the rafters again on the left, while the Buy feature symbol does the same to the right. Then there’s a rent-a-crowd on either side of the grid that is also animated and helps give the game a sense of theater and fun.
The controls are subtly designed and have been positioned at the bottom of the play area, so as not to detract from the drama happening on the reels.
However, this isn’t an ideal game for mobile phones as things get pretty cramped on the smaller real estate. It’s okay when viewed vertically, but then you miss out on some of the fun elements that couldn’t be squeezed in.
I was worried that it would all be looks and no substance, but luckily we have ourselves an RTP of 96.2%, a 14,600x multiplier, and a top prize of €146,000. Excellent!
Also remarkable is the fact that this game boasts 7,776 ways to win. It has a high volatility, and you can place bets from as little as €0.10 up to €10.
Features
The Buy feature we mentioned earlier is first up. Here, you can purchase Free Spins for a specific value and when you do, the whole scene gets submerged under water.
Now 3 golden Mayan calendar mask Scatter thingies appear on the reels and then this skull pops onto your screen announcing that you’ve won 15 Free Spins. It’s brilliant!
You can also get the same number of Free Spins if you pull in 3 Scatters on the reels. At the beginning of this round, the multiplier is set to 1x but it increases with each Cascade.
What’s a Cascade? When symbols are involved in a winning combo, they get removed so that others can drop into their place – creating the potential for even more wins. Cascades also come into play when you snag a win.
The Cascade in turn sets off the Growing Falls feature. This means that the reels which are involved in the Cascade increase in height by 1 row – up to 6 rows in total.
The Cascade will keep on going until there are no more wins. You’ll also see a white, fiery thing emerge from the eyes of the skeleton dude on the left that shows you your multiplier status. The best part of all is that these are unlimited! And unlimited multipliers also apply during the Free Spins round.
If you land 2 Scatters on the reels, it will set off the Gigantor feature. You’ll be awarded a re-spin and the reels that the Scatters landed on will now display Gigantic symbols. Scatters on reels 2 and 3, or 3 and 4 get 2x2 symbols, while those on reels 2 and 4 get 3x3 symbols.
Wilds will only appear on reels 2-5, and you can also find Growing Wilds that don’t get removed when the Cascades function is happening. When these bad boys show up, all symbols above them are transformed into Wilds.
Performance
This game was absolutely glitch-free on all devices and browsers.
Max Win
There’s a very generous €146,000 up for grabs in Xibalba slot.
Conclusion
Yes. It’s a resounding yes from me.
From the immaculate design to the stats, the 7,776 ways to win, the plethora of features that include unlimited multipliers, to the innovation and care that’s gone into this game, it’s just brilliant. You need to try it.
As a caveat, casual players might not resonate with the high volatility, but with a minimum bet of €0.10, what have you got to lose? This game is epic and definitely one of my favorites.
Slot details
Software: Yggdrasil
Game Type: Video Slots
Paylines: Up to 7,776 ways to win
Reels: 5
RTP: 96.2%
Bonus Round: No
Progressive: Yes
Free Spins: Yes
Max Win: €146,000
Published by:
BitStarz, award-winning Bitcoin Casino