Crescendo

Crescendo: Slot Overview

Thanks to the creative impulse, there are a lot of games that can be played using a regular pack of 52 playing cards. One of the most popular is poker, and within this subgenre are dozens of different variants, from Razz to Omaha, to the king of them all, Texas Hold'em. Gamblers who enjoy trying their luck with poker are already spoiled for choice, and developer ELK Studios has expanded the options with a new, intriguing entry. The game is Crescendo, which takes the basic rules of poker and adds a range of extras on top, including a win multiplier, and free spins.

Crescendo's visual design is nothing too fancy, but the aurora borealis at the top of the screen and the black and white checkerboard flooring are something to admire when not looking at the cards, features, or win area. Instead of setting up a virtual gaming table, Crescendo sends players somewhere a lot dreamier, which might irk players who would prefer to pretend they're at a casino. However, the visuals don't detract from the gameplay in any way, but fit well with Crescendo's unique approach to poker.

Each of Crescendo's 5 reels contains at least one instance of the 52 regular playing cards (2 to Ace of all four suits). Wilds are present on all reels, which substitute for any pay symbol. In addition, the initial spin also displays 1 to 5 features in the feature inventory above the card row. On each round, gamblers may stake 20c to $/€100, and the 94% RTP applies whether regular betting or using the X-iter feature buy, while the volatility is high.

Winning combinations are based on standard poker hands from pairs to 5 OAKs, and the full list of hands can be found in the game rules. Payouts range from 0.1x for a pair to 25x for 5-of-a-kind. If more than one different poker hand can be formed simultaneously, the one with the highest base win is always chosen. The left box at the top of the screen represents the base win, while the blue box on the right represents the win multiplier. The total payout is the base win multiplied by the multiplier.

Crescendo: Slot Features

Each winning poker hand triggers a respin, and each respin reveals a new feature in the feature inventory up to a maximum of 5. A winning hand consisting of 5 cards triggers a respin of all cards, and the win multiplier's starting value is doubled for any following wins. A winning hand of 2-4 cards triggers a respin where the winning cards are sticky and the rest respin. A win is awarded on the respin if a new hand of greater size or greater value is formed. When a complete 5 mini-reel spin results in a set of playing cards that is one card off forming a straight or flush, a respin is awarded on the 'missing' card. This respin does not award an extra feature card. If no win is presented, there is a chance of respinning again.

Features

Features are applied one by one from left to right for each matching card in each winning hand. Features do not apply to wilds unless the underlying card matches, and features are sticky throughout each game round.

• Add To Base Win - adds a displayed value to the base win for each symbol in a win matching the stated type.
• Multiply Base Win - multiplies the base win by the displayed value for each symbol in a win of the stated type.
• Add To Multiplier - adds its value to the multiplier for each symbol in a win matching the stated type.
• Add To Multiplier - multiplies the multiplier by its value for each symbol in a win matching the stated type.
• Make Wild - before the evaluation, this feature turns all landed symbols that match the stated type into wilds. Converted symbols count as wild and as the original type when features are applied.

Bonus Game

Collecting 3 bonus symbols triggers 5 free spins. The multiplier and features carry over from the base game and persist between free spins. Features in the inventory are sticky throughout the round.

X-iter

ELK Studios has also managed to incorporate five feature buys from the X-iter. They are the Bonus Hunt at 3x to have a bonus in the inventory and more than triple the chance of triggering the bonus game, 3 features guaranteed for 10x, or 5 features guaranteed for 25x the bet. A regular bonus costs 100x to buy, while the super bonus, which starts with five features, costs 250x to trigger.

Crescendo: Slot Verdict

Well, Crescendo was a surprise. ELK Studios has been producing stunning-looking, cunningly featured online slots for years now, so a dabble in poker was not expected. All in all, Crescendo turned out to be a positive surprise, too. Poker-wise, the rules are quite simple, as in, the goal is to get the best hand possible from five dealt cards, but on top of this, ELK Studios has layered in a ton of extra content. It starts with wins triggering respins, which makes it possible to improve a hand and win extra cash. Factor in the multiplier and you've already got an interesting poker game on your hands, but Crescendo doesn't stop there.

On top of the features revealed by the initial spin, respins also add features to the inventory, and multiple features interacting with cards is when Crescendo really elevates itself above regular games of poker. As you might expect, bonus rounds are where the magic really happens, on account of features and multipliers persisting between spins, and respins help extend the round further. Believe it or not, all that featuring and multiplying can produce payouts up to a cap of 25,000x the bet, which is quite impressive for a poker game.

Crescendo is no regular poker game, however, and while there are no chances to bluff or pull off outrageous psychological mind games, there is a fair amount of complexity. As such, Crescendo should blip brightly on the radars of players who count poker as a card game of their choice. Even if poker isn't high on the preference list, gamblers who get a buzz out of slots may enjoy the suspense and added sophistication Crescendo brings to the poker table.