The Specs

Game type: Slot
Theme: Magic Forest
Reels: 5
Paylines: 25 fixed
RTP: 94.78%
Hit frequency: 23.09%
Volatility: Low / 5
Bet range: 25–2,500
Maximum win: x2,000

Getting around the reels

Regular combinations pay from left to right on selected lines. Scatters play by their own rules: they can pay anywhere on the screen, with those wins added to any line wins from the same spin. Only the highest win on an individual payline is paid.

Wilds can appear across all five reels and substitute for everything except Scatters and Totems. It is a simple base-game setup, which is probably for the best — the Totems have enough business of their own.

Free Games

Landing 3 Scatters in the Main Game awards 8 Free Games. Scatters appearing during the round can trigger 8 extra Free Games, so those initial eight spins do not necessarily mark the full length of the feature.

Straightforward? Yes. Complaints? None.

The Totem Bonus

This is where Mystic Idol earns its name.

The Bonus Game starts with 6 or more Totems. Totems can land on any reel, and once the bonus begins, every one you collect stays put.

You enter with 3 respins. Land another Totem and the counter resets to three. Then another can reset it again. The round carries on until either the respins hit zero or all 15 Totems have been collected.

Once it ends, the values of the Totems on screen are added together to form the Bonus Win. Totems only pay during this round.

That resetting counter does most of the heavy lifting. A dry respin suddenly matters when only one attempt remains; a fresh Totem buys another three. Get close to filling the screen and even one stubborn empty position can become deeply annoying. Slots have a talent for making us feud with rectangles.

There is more hiding among the regular Totems. MINI, MINOR and MAJOR Totems can appear randomly during the Bonus Game and award their corresponding bonuses. Collect all 15 Totems of any type and the game awards the JP Bonus.

How does Mystic Idol feel to play?

The game sheet puts Mystic Idol at 94.78% RTP with a 23.09% hit frequency, while its volatility is listed as Low / 5. The betting range runs from 25 to 2,500, and the maximum win is x2,000.

What gives the game its personality, though, is the switch in pace between the regular reels and the Totem round. The base game does not throw ten mechanics at you at once. Then six Totems land, the symbols start sticking, and suddenly the only number you care about is how many respins are left.

Verdict

Mystic Idol works best when the Totems take over. The rules are easy to pick up, Free Games add another route away from the base reels, and the resetting-respin mechanic makes each new Totem immediately useful.

The goal is also refreshingly obvious: keep filling the screen. Six Totems open the door; fifteen finish the job. Everything in between is you hoping the forest coughs up one more before that counter reaches zero.