Aztec Trailz

Aztec Trailz: Slot Overview

Rising up like a mythological winged creature, here comes the debut slot from Phoenix Flames Studio, a new developer working in partnership with one of online gambling's more established names, Blueprint Gaming. For its debut, Phoenix Flames Studio has created Aztec Trailz, which, judging from the name, might not sound freakishly exciting, given the huge number of Aztec games already floating about the place. Fear not, though, innovation junkies, the studio has leapt out of the gate with a rather unique game utilising an unusual pay mechanism backed up by equally unusual features.

If you get vertigo, maybe close your eyes when Aztec Trailz loads because the camera view drops from the top of the trail down dozens of rows to the bottom, where the majority of a regular session is probably going to be spent. Down here is a high def view of a jungle location, where palm trees populate a landscape strewn with carved stone blocks, clearly visible when symbols tumble in and out of the active gaming area. Maybe not an optical marvel, Aztec Trailz does, however, stand out, to a degree, from its peers, though it might have benefited from a more engaging soundtrack. The sound effects, some may agree, sound as if borrowed straight from the classic Gonzo's Quest slot.

On each base game spin, 24 symbols are dropped into the gaming area in a 6-reel, 4-row configuration. Aztec Trailz does not use ways or paylines to create wins. Instead, matching symbols must land connected to each other in horizontal or vertically adjacent positions, and wins must begin from the bottom row. With its medium volatile math model, Aztec Trailz spits out an RTP of 95.5% when staking 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin, or 95.54% when using the Extra Bet. The Extra Bet ups the stake by 25% whilst doubling the chance of triggering free spins. With the Extra Bet off, free spins have a frequency of 1 in 300; when it's on, the figure changes to 1 in 150.

Symbol values on Aztec Trailz's pay table represented on a per-symbol basis. There are 5 regular pay symbols – three carved objects, a mask, and an explorer. These symbols pay 0.05 to 0.4 times the bet each, so a raw 4 OAK win is worth 0.2 to 1.6x the bet. However, there are several ways of potentially boosting wins. One way of helping tie them together is the wild, which is able to substitute for all symbols except the scatter.

Aztec Trailz: Slot Features

The main goal of Aztec Trailz is creating the longest winning combination possible, going from the bottom upwards. Around here, this is called forming a Trailz. As well as Trailz, the game's got Trailz Enhancers, free spins, and a bonus buy.

Trailz

Landing matching symbols from the bottom row to the fourth row forms a Trailz. When this happens, a new row is added to the grid. The process of adding rows continues until a Trailz is no longer connected to the top row in view. Reach row 5, and a multiplier of x2 is added, increasing by +1 with each additional level the Trailz reaches.

Trailz Enhancers

At certain levels, players receive enhancers, which may help continue the Trailz. These are:

• Add Wild/s – 1 to 4 wild symbols in random positions on the row are awarded. Random wilds may also appear on the row in addition to the awarded wilds.
• Add Wild Row – a full row of wild symbols is added.
• Extra Row/s – this guarantees the Trailz will continue for 1 to 3 rows.
• Symbol Swap – swaps symbols from the active Trailz into a position so the Trailz continues.
• Symbol Upgrade – turns all symbols within any Trailz(s) that reach that row into the next highest symbol on the paytable.
• Guarantee Bonus – the free spins feature is guaranteed to trigger. This is only available when the Extra Bet is active.
• Lifeline – a respin is awarded if the symbols on a row do not continue the Trailz(s).

Free Spins

Players are awarded 8, 10, or 12 free spins when 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols land – plus 2 free spins for any additional scatter symbol achieved. During the round, +1 free spin is awarded whenever a scatter symbol lands. Also, during free spins, the Trailz's height is held rather than dropping back to the bottom. For example, reaching row 10 means on the next spin, symbols drop into levels 7, 8, 9, and 10. Multipliers are also held in free spins, so the value achieved on the previous spin is the starting value for the next one. Each Enhancer can only be used once in free spins.

Bonus Buy

If you'd like to buy free spins, Aztec Trailz provides two options. One is 12 free spins for 100x the bet. The other is 20 free spins for 250x the bet. Both have a return value of 95.66%.

Aztec Trailz: Slot Verdict

If you thought the Aztec corner of the online slot market had coughed up all the bounty it was going to, you might want to think again because Phoenix Flames Studio has managed to do something original with it. Aztec Trails has echoes of ELK Studios' Gold games, Gonzo, a bit of Rome Supermatch and Grim Reaper Supermatch from Nailed It Games, with a vertical version of Infinity Reels thrown in for good measure. That's quite a lot going on, so points to Phoenix Flames Studio for choosing to be bold for its debut.

Bold doesn't always translate to a successful game, but for the most part, Aztec Trailz manages to pull all of its bits together to form a coherent whole. Step 1 is landing 4 matching symbols in a stack to get the Trailz rolling, and from there, it is a case of adding to the win while benefiting from the win multiplier and the Trailz Enhancers, or hoping to at least. On the positive side, the multiplier increments each level once awarded, and the Enhancers appear at frequent intervals. Now, all you have to do is land matching symbols as high as you can to take advantage of the extras. Easier said than done, and decent wins weren't exactly plentiful, nor is Aztec Trailz exactly the paciest game of all time.

If you were wondering how high the whole setup goes, then the answer is 70 levels/rows, and reaching the top means being rewarded the game's max win of 10,000x the bet (up to 250,000 if this monetary amount comes first). Whether Phoenix Flames Studio was consciously influenced by the games mentioned above or not, Aztec Trailz feels like it brings in elements from all over the place. However, instead of coming across as a patchwork quilt of imitation, Aztec Trailz provides players with a unique experience to try.