Shambala is a 5-reel, 40-payline online casino slot game developed by NextGen Gaming. The game is set in an enchanted temple amidst lush foliage, transporting players to a mystical realm where fortune and excitement await. In this review, we delve into the intricacies of Shambala’s design, symbols, payouts, bonus features, and gameplay mechanics, providing an exhaustive analysis of what makes this slot so captivating.
Theme and Design
Shambala’s theme revolves around Asian mysticism, drawing inspiration from Eastern cultures’ rich traditions and symbolism. The game’s visuals Shambala transport players to a tranquil atmosphere, complete with waterfalls, lanterns, and intricately crafted wooden carvings adorning the temple’s walls. Rich colors like emerald green and sapphire blue dominate the palette, evoking an air of luxury and mystery.
The 5×4 reels are arranged on a grid, offering players 40 paylines to potentially win from. Each reel contains various symbols representing aspects of Asian culture, including characters (represented by various animals), numbers, special items (like vases or fans), and some standard card suit icons. To the top-left corner of each reel is a golden lotus flower icon.
Symbols
Shambala’s symbol set consists of 12 main icons and four high-paying symbols. The latter can be divided into two categories:
- Animal characters: Lion, Dragon, Tiger, Elephant, Monkey, Fish
- Special items: Vase with incense sticks, Fan, Bell
Card suit icons (A to K) make up the majority of lower-paying symbols.
Payouts
Wins are awarded based on a combination of 3-5 identical symbols across any active payline or adjacent positions in both directions. Paying out from left to right, payouts start with basic card suit values and climb as players achieve combinations consisting of various animals, vases with incense sticks, fans, bells, etc.
Some example winning combos include:
- Three fish: x40
- Two lions + three tigers: x120
Wilds
The wild is a stacked version of the Dragon symbol, occupying 2×5 positions on any reel and participating in forming winning combinations. When one or more Dragons land in any position across reels, they expand to occupy adjacent spaces and trigger respins. During this feature, additional free spins can be triggered if two or three more Dragons appear.
Scatters
There are no traditional scatters in Shambala. Instead, the bell symbol acts as a bonus scatter when it appears on reels 2-5. Upon activation of the Bell Bonus game, players receive a win based on their current bet and the number of bells triggered.
Bonus Features
Shambala offers several bonus features:
- Wild Dragons
- Free Spins: The Dragon’s Hoard respin feature can award additional free spins
- Bell Bonus: A scatter that triggers wins
Additionally, Shambala is home to a special gamble function. Following a successful win of 5 or more consecutive times on either the regular reels or during bonus rounds, an opportunity arises for players to increase winnings by selecting from two choices.
Free Spins
During certain combinations in Free Spins, additional free spins can be triggered, providing limitless potential winning opportunities. Players are not restricted to just a fixed quantity of such events but receive them continuously as the game evolves around Dragons’ hoarding riches on their reels.
However, do note that this particular slot uses only its RTPs as they have been stated and the values vary from other slots. Shambala has an average return-to-player (RTP) rate of 95.45%.
