Crystal Crater - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Crystal Crater review: introduction

Crystal Crater joins the long list of Slots Temple free slots and does so with aplomb. This slot burrows deep into the earth in search of treasure, and there is plenty to be found. The standard paytable is led by amber, rubies, amethysts and emeralds, with a smattering of playing card-style symbols bringing up the rear.

Not only do diamond wilds pay out the best wins but also they can appear stacked, bringing even more value! There are scatter symbols, which offer free spins, and an extra-special random wild bonus. The feature is particularly exciting because it drops random wilds onto the grid, paving the way to better combinations.

Crystal Crater also excels in another area: the paylines. There are 50, which is well above average and far more than you will find on most other online slots. Combine this with a strong RTP and features such as auto and turbo spin and you have a polished offering. 

Play this and other Radi8 free play slots right here at Slots Temple.

Theme, graphics & design

Crystal Crater’s subterranean setting doesn’t leave much scope for dramatic design choices, but Radi8 has done a fantastic job of bringing some character to the murky underworld. The background shows some craggy rock formations, with just enough light to make out the odd stalactite hanging from the roof of the cavern.

The grid is the main highlight, with a brilliantly personified mole looming at the top with his hands poised over a magical demolition button. The bonus game launches when he presses the button, so this is more than just a decorative feature. He is animated, wears a helmet and goggles, and his quirky appearance brings Crystal Crater to life.

Elsewhere on the grid, everything is kept quite simple. The gemstones are well-rendered but not especially eye-popping. The music is a major highlight, with its jaunty ensemble of light keys giving the slot a particularly happy vibe. It also has a faint echo, capturing the atmosphere of an underground environment.

Crystal Crater RTP and variance

Crystal Crater’s RTP is excellent at 97.038 per cent, and its medium volatility rating is reassuring. The top prize is less impressive at only 500x, but it still won’t be easy to win.

How to play Crystal Crater

You won’t need the skills of an adept miner to get to the bottom of Crystal Crater. This is one of the simpler slots around, so it doesn’t pose too many difficulties:

1. Make your way to the main menu by tapping the button to the upper right of the screen. Select ‘rules’ to read about the bonuses and how the game works.
2. Choose ‘paytable’ next and scroll through the symbols to see how much you can win.
3. Tap the blue lightning icon to enable/disable turbo spin.
4. Autospin is also blue and resembles a smaller version of the spin button. Press this to set up to 250 automated rounds.
5. The bet controls can be accessed by pressing the casino chip-style icon. Choose from the various stakes on offer.
6. It is important to set a budget before you start spinning to ensure you play responsibly.
7. Press spin to start the dig.

Bet & win sizes

Crystal Crater has a minimum bet size of 0.01 and a maximum of 0.80, so the bet range is quite limited. The most you can win on a single line is 500x for five diamond wilds. 

Let’s dig deeper into the earth to find the full paytable for five matching symbols:

• Diamond wild = 500x
• Amber = 200x
• Ruby = 150x
• Amethyst = 100x
• Emerald = 100x
• Club = 75x
• Heart = 75x
• Diamond = 50x
• Spade = 50x
• Bonus symbol = 50x

That 500x top line prize is also Crystal Crater’s maximum payout. 

Crystal Crater bonus features

Intrepid miners will be able to uncover quite a few bonus features. They can be lucrative and are all great fun, so let’s take a closer look:

Stacked wilds

Not only is the diamond wild the most valuable symbol on the paytable but also it can appear stacked and cover a whole reel. This, of course, means bigger payouts, so it is always a thrilling occurrence.

Random wilds

The random wild bonus symbols appear completely at random; however, when they appear, it is a big deal. The symbols drop additional wilds across the reels, so there is the potential for some fantastic wins.

Mystery choice

Mystery choice awards free spins for landing three bonus symbols, but there is a twist. Players will have to choose between how many spins they want balanced against the number of wilds. It is a difficult decision, but one that is made easier because you can retrigger free rounds with another set of bonus symbols.

Final thoughts

Crystal Crater might not be the most technically advanced slot that you will ever play, but it is a highly polished offering with some fantastic base stats. The RTP and variance are both excellent and although the top win is smaller than we would have liked, this doesn’t stop Crystal Crafter from being a truly premium offering.

The murky interior of the mine is wonderfully atmospheric, especially with the echoing music and the jaunty soundtrack. Alongside the animated mole, the mystery choice is the biggest highlight and poses difficult questions as you try to balance the number of free spins with wilds!

Graphical prowess, the strong base stats and some excellent bonuses come together to make Crystal Crater a solid all-around performer that doesn’t disappoint on any front.

You can find more mining fun in the Crystal Sun slot.
 

Disclaimer: Crystal Crater trademark / license is owned by Radi8 Games. This site is not endorsed by Radi8 Games.