Sumi-e Slot - Demo, Free Play, No Registration -

Introduction

Sumi-e is Japanese, with a translated meaning of ‘black ink painting’. The title is a reflection of the aesthetic style this slot takes. This slot is a 2019 release from the Japanese developer Ganapati.

The game veers away from traditional slots, instead appearing more like a piece of paper with a 4x4 grid in the centre. There are four reels, but no typical paylines.

A variety of regular base game symbols can grace the reels: flower, bamboo, birds, volcanoes, turtles, koi fish, and Japanese writing. In essence, these symbols act as scatters in the sense that they can pay in any position; however, to win a payout, you will still need to land four of the same symbol on a line. There is also a red enso symbol, which is a Japanese writing symbol in a thick red circle.

The balance and bet level are found on the bottommost line. To the right is the game menu; to the left is the user control button. The largest is the spin button, with a small A underneath for autospins. Above spin is a button with two arrows that is used to select your bet.

Theme, graphics & soundtrack

This slot falls within the around the world, culture, Oriental, Asian and art themes.

The backdrop is beautifully illustrated, taking players to an outdoor scene of trees and jagged cliffs, with the tops of buildings visible here and there as animated mist gently swirls from the bottom of the screen. The colour is sucked out of the game, leaving a black and white aesthetic that is quite distinctive and memorable.

A calming and alluring oriental soundtrack accompanies gameplay. The aesthetics and sound combine to add a touch of mystery to this slot, enhancing the quality appeal and sense of intrigue.

Sumi-e RTP & volatility

This slot has an estimated 95.06 per cent RTP, which is perhaps a little disappointing as it is under the 96 per cent average we like to see. Nonetheless, it is a more volatile game, suggesting that while payouts are not likely to be regular, the prizes are typically much higher than a low volatility slot.

How to play Sumi-e

1. To play, press the button with the two arrows pointing up and down above the main spin button. This will open a new screen overlaid on the game with wager options.

2. Choose from the pre-determined bets.

3. Your selected bet will be highlighted. If you are happy with this, you can press the X to the bottom left.

4. While in this screen, you can also see the game information, choose autospin options, and adjust game settings.

5. Exit the bet page to return to the game, then hit spin.
 
6. Autospin is available if required. This enables players to choose between 5 and 100 automatic spins, with further options for limits.

Bet sizes & paytable wins

Bets start from just 0.01, while the maximum is a 0.50 bet. The bet increments are rather restrictive, with only 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.25 and 0.50 to choose from.

All symbols pay for combinations of four. The most valuable of the base game symbols is the Japanese writing, worth 10x prior to multiplying by the wager. This is followed by volcanoes at 1x. The lowest value is one of the flowers at 0.01x for four.

In terms of the top win, the cash jackpot is thought to be worth up to a maximum 20,000 coins.

Max-win 1,000x

Volatility High

Top RTP 95.06%

Sumi-e bonus features

Sumi-e comes with just one feature, but this has the potential to be very rewarding.

Free Spins - land at least one red enso symbol to get a free spin. Players will receive one additional multiplier for each enso symbol on the screen. The multiplier will continue to increase for all consecutive free spins, but it will be reset once the free spins are completed.

Overall review

We like the monochrome palette based around the concept of ink paintings, making this a novel and intriguing slot. Similarly, the distinctive layout - as though on a piece of paper with four reels and no standard paylines - makes it stand out from the crowd.

Sumi-e is kept simple and offers quite straightforward gameplay. As mentioned, the wagering is a little restrictive - while casual players may find the 0.01 starting bet attractive, higher rollers are unlikely to be satiated.

This game doesn’t feature a wild and has only one bonus feature, so players who prefer a slot jam-packed with diverse bonuses may find it a little lacklustre; however, the free spins round could potentially be very lucrative. In theory, players could retrigger free spins and grow the multipliers several times, boosting the prize they will walk away with.

The 95.06 per cent RTP is lower than we would hope for, but players holding out for the bigger prizes may find this slot appealing for its higher volatility. More patience and investment is likely to be needed to scoop the prizes, but there are some decent payouts to be had.

Continue your oriental adventure with the Koi Princess slot demo from NetEnt. This 5x3 Asian-themed slot has beautiful animations and graphics, with 20 fixed paylines, a decent 96 to 96.23 per cent RTP, and lower volatility for more regular wins. It is also packed with exciting bonus features to make it both interesting and a pleasure to play.

Disclaimer: Sumi-e trademark / license is owned by Ganapati. This site is not endorsed by Ganapati.