Enchanted Woods Slot
Enchanted Woods is a fantasy-themed 5-reel video slot with just 1 payline. Developed by leading slot manufacturer Microgaming, the title pays homage to the classic casino games of old, though there are no cherries or BARs in sight. Rather, the icons accord with the woodland vibe, with toadstools, fairies and wizards cropping up on the reels. The audio, meanwhile, is eerie and unnerving – it reminded me a little of the soundtrack to Alfred Hitchcock’s bone-chilling original Psycho movie.
Players can play the Enchanted Woods slot in free mode, or with real cash, at a host of Microgaming-powered online casinos. The game is available to a wide range of players, as one can wager as little as 0.10 per spin, right up to a maximum of 100. Since there’s a single payline, the wagering couldn’t be simpler, though there’s also a wild symbol and a bonus icon to keep the title from feeling too stale. Without further ado, let’s delve into the enchanted woods and find out if we’re in for a big prize…
Getting Started
Enchanted Woods was released in November 2011 and follows the same principles as most video slots, although there is a slight difference in that all wins are considered ‘scatter’ wins: in other words, matches can start on any reel. As you might expect given the title, the grid appears against the backdrop of a darkened enchanted forest populated by whimsical fairies, talking frogs and other supernatural personages.
In Enchanted Woods, there are 10 bets to choose from: 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Place your bets by adjusting the plus and minus symbols beside ‘Stake’, then hit the ‘Play’ button to spin the reels. Once the reels have stopped, there’s a second free spin available once players select which symbols they wish to ‘hold’. Yes, there are ‘Hold’ buttons below each of the five reels, thereby putting at least some of the power in the hands of players.
To win a prize, players must find at least three matching symbols or a minimum of two bonus symbols. Your chances of hitting wins is pretty good considering the RTP, which is 96.4%.
Inhabitants of the Forest
Eight symbols flit across the reels of this slot, including the Fairy of Night, the Fairy of Tale, the Fairy of Wizdom, the Fairy of Destiny, the toadstool, the demon and the leprechaun. A wild symbol is represented by a Pink Fairy, while the bonus toad acts as a scatter icon.
As usual, the wild is able to replace other symbols to help the player in their quest to win cash for matching combinations. However, the elusive Pink Fairy is not able to substitute, at any time, the scatter. She also only appears on the second and fourth reels and she is not linked to any pay values on her own.
Three toad scatters triggers the bonus game. In the subsequent mini-game, the player must select mushrooms caps which are located in the branches of an ancient grandfather tree. Depending on the number of bonus icons that appeared on the payline, you will be allowed to choose three, four or five tree toads in the bonus game, and they will in turn reveal bonus prizes. You can win as many as 180 coins during the feature. The bonus icons also pay modest amounts in the base game, including a single credit for two matching, two for three, five for four and 10 for five.
Among the regular symbols, the Fairy of Night is the highest-paying, awarding 15 for three, 30 for four and 70 for five. At the lower end of the scale, the demon pays just one for three, five for four and 10 for five, and in the middle of the table, the leprechaun pays five for three, 15 for four and 30 for all five in a line.
Worth a trip to the woods?
Enchanted Woods is an alluring slot game made unique thanks to its single payline. A combination of mystical music, strong theme, high return-to-player percentage, bonus game and ‘all wins pay’ mean Enchanted Woods is certainly worth a look, particularly if you enjoy nature- or magic-themed slots. And while there is no gamble feature available after wins, the fact that the player is able to ‘hold’ reels introduces an element of control into the gameplay, something a great many players crave.
