9 Skulls of Gold - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction

Buck Stakes Entertainment is a very new slot maker formed by a group of South African developers. This dynamic young company has released a small selection of games which focus on innovation, original gameplay and an overall entertaining package. This new slot is part of the same series as a previous release, 8 Golden Skulls of Holly Roger, but the action has been spiced up with expanded bonus features and a raised RTP. So grab a bottle of rum, splice the mainsail and read on for our full 9 Skulls of Gold slot review.

Theme & Graphics

Building on their Skulls of Gold range, 9 Skulls of Gold has a classic five by three free slot layout focussing on buccaneers and booty. The graphics are clear, and animations fly and sparkle across the screen, keeping the play active. However, the game grid sits slightly to one side on the screen, while the Firepot marker takes up a lot of room, which does detract from the playing experience.

9 Skulls of Gold RTP and Variance

9 Skulls of Gold has very high volatility, so you’ll have to be patient before those wins hit your pot. It has an RTP rate of 96.33%, which is smack bang in the average range for an online slot.

How to Play 9 Skulls of Gold

The basic gameplay of 9 Skulls of Gold is simple; here’s a quick slot review of the main features:

1. The menu button is found in the top right corner. Click on it to view the game rules and paytable information.
2. Press the coin symbol to open up the betting menu and use the sliding scale to set your stake.
3. When you’re ready to play, press the central button to get the reels spinning or use the Autoplay function. To activate, open the menu and use the sliding scale to set a particular number of spins between 10 and 100.
4. Using the autoplay function is a great way of playing 9 Skulls of Gold responsibly. The game also has a timer so you can see how long you’ve been playing for.

Bet & Win Sizes

Stakes in 9 Skulls of Gold go between 0.2 and 125. Prizes are a bit more complicated than your average free slot because the symbols in the base game can pay out either cash or free spins. There are higher- and lower-paying symbols in the game, divided between the lower-paying buccaneers and a selection of higher-paying 7 symbols. The highest paying of the ordinary symbols is the triple 7, which gives you 37.50x when you land the top combination of five symbols. The next lowest prize, for matching four symbols, is 16.25, but if you match three symbols, you’ll get three free spins. During the free spins round, the symbols will only pay out cash prizes, so, for example, the triple 7 will give you a top prize of 37.50x.

The highest-paying symbol in the whole of 9 Skulls of Gold is the Wild, which gives you a top prize of 125x. The wild can also replace any other symbol apart from the scatter and Firepot.

Max-win 2,000x

Volatility High

Top RTP 96.33%

9 Skulls of Gold Bonus Features

The 9 Skulls of Gold online slot has a lot of bonus features, including free spins and the Golden Skull Firepot, which border on the overly complex (compared to Push Gaming's Deadly 5 slot, for example, which also mixes a popular theme, although here it's the Wild West, with simple features).

Firepot Symbols

The trademarked Firepot symbols (the bandana-wearing gold skull of the title) can appear on any reel during both the free spins and base game. Landing three or four Firepot symbols in the free spins round awards you between one and five free spins, but in the base game gets you a bonus of 5x or 15x. But, if you land five or more Firepot symbols, you’ll win cash amounts in both the base and free spins round, with a top prize of2000x for the maximum nine skulls.

9 Skulls of Gold Review: Our Thoughts

9 Skulls of Gold is an interesting free slot that’s definitely full of innovation. The mixture of free spins and cash prizes is something we’ve not seen before and might be something that other gaming studios pick up. All in all, you can’t knock Buck Stake’s ambition in this game, but the number of bonus features is difficult to understand, particularly as they are reluctant to land on your grid so you can’t see bonuses in action. But don't just read our slot review: give this and other Buck Stakes Entertainment slots a go for yourself at Slots Temple.

Disclaimer: 9 Skulls of Gold trademark / license is owned by Buck Stakes Entertainment. This site is not endorsed by Buck Stakes Entertainment.