Sumo - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction

If you can’t make it to Japan to watch a real sumo match, then stepping into the ring of Sumo, one of the stars of the OneTouch demo slots available here on Slots Temple, may be the next best thing. The immersive theme and graphics put you right at the heart of the arena, where the unusual 4x4 layout combines with 10 paylines and an exciting re-spin feature for a distinctive and thrilling slot.

Theme, Graphics & Soundtrack

Sumo wrestling might only be widely practiced in Japan (where it is the national sport), but it is instantly recognisable wherever you are in the world. From the build of the wrestlers to the 'mawashi' loincloth that they wear, there is no risk of confusing sumo with any other martial art. Over hundreds of years sumo wrestling has developed into a cultural phenomenon and one of the great icons of Japan.

In this slot you are placed right at the heart of the wrestling ring, or dohyō, with the parchment of the reels hanging right over the clay. In the background you can see row after row of fans, their faces blurred and indistinct but their presence overwhelming, the topmost rank almost touching the sky in this open air arena. There is no doubt that this is the most popular of sports.

Other symbols are also icons of Japanese culture, including a bonsai tree, some tea and the great shape of Mount Fuji as well as a trophy for the winning wrestler. It’s a nice change from the more common Asian-inspired slots that rely mostly on Chinese folklore. The music is also distinctly East Asian and adds to the immersive atmosphere of this thrilling setting, alive with anticipation of the match to come.

Sumo RTP and Variance

One of the first things you’re likely to look at when choosing a new slot to play is RTP. After all, you want some idea about average returns even if it’s only a guideline, not a guarantee. You’ll be glad to hear that Sumo has a more than solid 96.62% RTP. There’s no official information on variance, or frequency of wins.

How to Play Sumo

You don’t actually need to know how to sumo wrestle to win at this game, you just need to understand some basic slot features:

1. Before you open any slot, you should already have an idea about how much money you have available in your budget, and what sort of loss and single win limits will keep your game under control. To stick to this budget, keep an eye on the balance, win and bet displays at the very top of the screen.
2. Also at the top of the screen, but in the right corner, is a menu button. It will give you useful links to game rules, history, game settings, language and lobby.
3. Game rules will explain all the basic features of Sumo, though the more in-depth guide to the paytable and bonus features is elsewhere. Game settings includes background music, game sounds and left-handed mode.
4. When you’ve finished with the menu, go back to the main screen and click the i to open the paytable. This is where you’ll find all you need to know about the value of symbols and how to access the re-spin feature.
5. Next to the i button is a settings gear that will give you the option to toggle turbo mode, mute the volume or return to game history.
6. Also on the main screen and to the right of the reels is a button represented by a stack of coins. Here you will find adjustors for both bet size and coin value. Make sure both are where you want them before you start playing.
7. There’s only one more choice to make. You could press the giant red button with the play symbol to spin the reels once. You could choose to activate autoplay, where you can set it to spin between 10 and 100 times automatically, with your win and loss limits still active. Either way, have fun.

Bet & Win Sizes

The bet adjustor will allow you to choose a bet size between 10 and 100 and a coin value between 0.10 and 10.00. That’s a total bet of between bet range between 1.00 and 1000, which is a pretty impressive range.

The paytable looks as follows for 3 or 4 matches across a payline on low paying symbols and 2, 3 or 4 matches for symbols that are higher paying:

9, 10, J, Q - 10, 50

K, A - 5, 75

Tea, Bonsai - 20, 100

Woman - 2, 25, 150

Mount Fuji - 2, 50, 200

Trophy - 5, 50, 200

Wild - 10, 100, 300

Sumo Bout Re-spin

There’s just one bonus feature in Sumo, but it’s more complex than it first looks. Find either of the two sumo wrestlers competing on the first and fourth reels and you will be awarded a single re-spin with 2x your total bet. Not only that, during the re-spin you may find up to 16 wilds appearing randomly on the reels, dramatically increasing your chances of a winning line.

Sumo Review

This isn’t the most innovative slot in terms of gameplay. There’s only one bonus feature, and that’s only one re-spin - but its appearance is breathtaking, from the unusual reel layout to the immersive way it places you right at the centre of the sumo arena. Sumo really embraces its theme and that always makes for a fun slot, as you’ll know if you’ve played its thematic cousin, the Hanzo's Dojo slot demo.

Disclaimer: Sumo trademark / license is owned by OneTouch. This site is not endorsed by OneTouch.