Timelines

Timelines: Slot Overview

Sometimes fact really can be stranger than fiction. In 1971, physicist Joseph Hafele and astronomer Richard Keating conducted a relatively simple experiment to test aspects of the theory of relativity. It involved flying a bunch of atomic clocks around the world, then comparing them to clocks which had remained firmly planted on the ground. Mind-blowingly, the clocks from the planes were different to those on the ground, proving Einstein's time dilation theory that time goes faster the further you are from the earth's surface, where gravity is lower. So, someone living at the top of an apartment building actually ages faster than a person living nearer the ground.

We're talking about very minor differences, though, so don't worry about looking like Gandalf while your neighbour a few floors down has Frodo's youthful complexion. Let's set aside relativity for a moment and concentrate on something a bit less mind-bending. It's an online slot from Northernlights Gaming called Timelines, which uses a time repeat mechanic in conjunction with a 9 Masks of Fire style scatter prize system. Timelines' action takes place on a 5x3 game grid, and when each spin finishes, a snapshot of the reels is taken and stored above the main grid - 5 previous spins are held there, which can make for quite a crowded screen. Behind the active game area is some sort of blurry, travelling through time wormhole image, which suits the theme, but the visual impact as a whole is a little mismatched and feels a bit low budget.

Statistically, Timelines is a medium volatile game that provides 243 ways to win and has a hit frequency of roughly one in every three spins. It comes with four RTP settings depending on the market, where the maximum return value is 96.17%, the lowest 86.81%. When picking a bet, stake limits vary from 10 p/c to $/€25 per spin, and sailing forth on the winds of time is possible on any device.

Joining the voyage are eight normal pay symbols, divided into four low pay gems and four higher-paying futuristic-looking objects. Landing a five of a kind is worth 0.5-1x the bet when made up of low pay symbols and 2-10x the bet when made up of five high pays. There are no wilds in Timelines, but there are multiplier symbols which are applied to ways wins and are combined when more than one multiplier is in view.

Timelines: Slot Features

Timelines' main innovation is its Timelines Bonus so let's start there. We've already mentioned the five mini reels stored above the main grid, and whenever a clock face Timeline Symbol lands, it pulls up to 15 symbols from the stored mini reels onto the main reel-set. This could be things like normal pay symbols or Epic Strike symbols, but keep in mind a win is not guaranteed. Changing the bet saves mini reels at each stake level.

Epic Strike

Landing at least 3 Diamond symbols awards a prize from the Epic Strike feature. To be exact, when 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 Diamonds are in view, players collect a payout worth 1x, 3x, 10x, 30x, 80x, 200x, 1,000x, or 4,000x the bet, respectively.

Free Spins

When 3 Wormhole Symbols hit, players are awarded 10 free spins. In free spins, Timeline and Multiplier symbols are increased on the reels.

Timelines: Slot Verdict

It seems a minor obsession with reliving the past was going on in the slot development world when Timelines was released. Not long before Timelines, 4ThePlayer had a crack in 10X Rewind, as did Hacksaw Gaming in their ponderous slot Itero. All three games have something different to offer, though all share humankind's fascination with the past. The way Timelines holds onto previous spins made us wonder why people retain certain memories and not others, how they shape us in the present day, and what memories float away, never to be rethought of again. Unless, perhaps, you're someone diagnosed with highly superior autobiographical memory, or HASM, who can remember far more days of their life in surprisingly good detail. Having an excellent memory would be a blessing in some ways, possibly a curse in others if you're stuck reliving cringe moments again and again.

There's something a little cringey about Timelines, or tacky at least, and without trying to be harsh, that's not an uncommon trait in certain Northernlights' slots. The studio seems content to slam things together and call it a day rather than fuss over getting every detail just so. Timelines ends up being a visual cacophony of gems, clocks, fuzzy background, and flimsy-looking grids. Ah well, beauty is only skin deep after all, so let's move onto the gaming side of things.

On this topic, it's easier to be more forgiving because while Timelines follows in the tradition of 9 Masks of Fire, which the Microgaming family of studios just can't seem to get enough of, Northernlights has tried to do something original with the concept. This they've achieved in two main ways. One is the use of multipliers, which is part of the reason Timelines has a max win figure of 9,500x the bet; the other is the unusual Timeline Bonus system. Some might argue that since Timeline symbols pull seemingly random symbols from the last five spins, they could just as well pull random symbols from any old where, thereby negating Timelines' USP to an extent.

While it's hard to argue with this cynical point of view, at least Northernlights has made an effort to create something new for players interested in these sorts of scatter symbol prize games. There is something off about the presentation, but hey, if you can look past this, Timelines might elicit a few thrills in a 9 Masks of Fire with a twist kind of way.