This is the fifth installment from the popular “Gold” series of video slots by Elk Studios and their latest releases is just more highly volatile than the one before. In each of the series, we find the same character, Kane, exploring a new and different location with the last four-game editions seeing him on a hunt for gold in Tahiti, Ecuador, the Louisana swamps, as well as the bitter cold regions of Yellowknife. This time we find our hero on yet another adventure in search of the hidden gold that is rumored to be found in an ancient temple located in Katmandu, within the Himalayan Mountains.
Katmandu Gold is a cascading video slot that features 6-reels, with a varying number of rows that start at 4 rows but can go as high as 9 rows. Meaning that 4096 paylines can turn into 531,441 paylines. You get to choose between making a minimum bet of 0.20 and a maximum bet of 100. The game’s RTP is set at 96.2% by default. However, with the Bonus Buy feature the RTP can go up to 96.3%, and in the Super Bonus Buy feature the RTP is 96.4%. Katmandu Gold is a high volatility slot, and you can win up to a maximum of 10,000X the amount you bet.
Katmandu Gold takes the whole series to a new level, bringing you some stunning audio as well as visuals, and packed full of brand new innovative features. There’s also the 10,000x max win potential, which is the highest win potential in the series thus far. Thanks to the Ice Climber feature and the Expanding Wins, which add extra rows allowing for more wins as well as adding to the fun, massive bonus round payouts are also to be expected due to the progressive multiplier.
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The slot game is based on the City of Kathmandu which is the capital of Nepal. The theme features two Tibetan-style pillars flanking the board, and a temple in the distance, with the sun blazing in the background. There are mystical creatures on either side of the pillars, with golden lotus flowers as decoration. We also see some high snow-capped mountains in the background, and an enchanting and rhythmic soundtrack playing in the background.
Symbols found in the game consist of low-paying symbols, royals J, Q, K, A, as well as 4 high-paying elements icons symbols. These consist of Tigers, Falcons, and also Dragons, the symbol that pays the highest is Kane who pays 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5x the stake for 3, 4, 5, or 6 symbols landed in combination.
The Wild is represented by the Gold Lotus symbol, which can appear on all 6 reels, this can substitute for any symbol except for the bonus symbol and the ice climber symbol.
We find a total of 6 bonus features in Katmandu Gold, such as Avalanches, Big Symbols, Expanding Wins, Free Spins, Multipliers, And an Ice Climber symbol that causes symbols to be replaced with high-value symbols and wilds. It also allows for an extra row to be added thereby giving you 531,441 ways to win.
Let’s take a closer look at the features:
The Free Spins feature named The Multiplier Free Drops feature is activated by landing 3 or more bonus symbols anywhere on the reels. The more bonus symbols that are landed, the more free drops or free spins will be awarded:
While the feature is active, it is possible to retrigger to be awarded extra free spins with every bonus symbol landed triggering the Multiplier feature. This means that the multiplier value increases by 1+ each time a bonus symbol appears.
Katmandu Gold is a great new addition to the series, possibly the best so far. It’s an enjoyable game to play, that has some entertaining features. The win multiplier, as well as the free spins, is where players will benefit the most, not to mention the max win of 10,000x the stake. Ultimately, ELK Studios has taken all of the best parts of the previous four Gold games and added some new features. Making this title a winner!
