Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls: Slot Overview

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls, an online slot from Play'n GO, has its roots in the ancient Chinese novel 'Journey to the West', which formed the base of the TV show 'Monkey' originally broadcasting in the 70s and 80s, which then went onto inspire 'The New Legends of Monkey', airing on Netflix as well as other networks. The latest show told the tale of a monk and a group of gods setting out on a journey across a land ruled by demons in search of wisdom-bearing scrolls, and many of these concepts make their way into Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls.

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls takes place in a fantastical-looking land of steep mountains, mist, and esoterically carved stones. Trigger free spins, and the round is held in an equally fantastical location, but one that feels higher up amongst the clouds, perhaps the place where the scrolls in question can be found. Technically, free spins are possibly where greater wins may be achieved since a multiplier is thrown into the mix. However, the base game isn't necessarily stingy, though, in part because it is played utilising a 5-reel, 3-row gaming panel with 243 to 432 ways to win, partly because four character-linked features may trigger there.

To dive into the scroll search, players choose a stake where the choices go as low as 10 p/c or as high as $/€100 per spin. It's a highly volatile slot machine, though not as volatile as it gets, Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls' math model has been rated 7 out of 10 in this regard, so still, pretty high. On its default RTP setting, players can expect a theoretical return value of 96.21%, though be aware that 4 lower return models have been created as well.

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls sees 8 regular paying symbols land across all 5 of its reels. These are J, Q, K and A as the low pays, then four characters, Tripitaka, Sandy, Pigsy, and the Monkey King, as the high pays. A 5 OAK low-value symbol win pays 0.3 times the bet, rising to 0.8 to 1.5 times the bet for landing a 5 premium symbol winning way. Dragon embossed wilds may be used to replace any regular paying symbols when they land on the reels.

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls: Slot Features

Keep your eyes out for what's happening above the reels as well because 4 character icons are located there. On each spin, the icons move around, and 1 to 4 of them are revealed. Character features play out if a Demon scatter lands on a reel underneath a revealed character icon:

• Monkey King's Ruyi Bang – creates stacked wilds.
• Pigsy's Fortune's Rake – splits symbols.
• Sandy's Wild Waters – adds random wilds.
• Tripitaka Monk's Spirit – transforms random symbols into one type of symbol.

When more than one character feature is triggered, each character's power updates the reels and then pays any wins before going on to the next character feature. Reels do not respin between features, and all symbols at the end of each character feature remain on the reels.

Jackpots

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls has 2 jackpot prizes. On any spin, reels 2, 3, and 4 may be highlighted. When highlighted, the Minor Jackpot prize is awarded if 2 bonus symbols land, or the Major Jackpot Prize is awarded if 3 bonus symbols land. Jackpots are progressive, so the winnable amount grows larger from contributions from players' bets. Jackpots cannot trigger in free spins.

Free spins

Landing 3 Closed Scroll scatters triggers the free spins feature. Once activated, 4 free spins options pop up on the screen for players to pick one of:

• Monkey King – 7 free spins with an x12 multiplier.
• Sandy – 5 free spins with an x19 multiplier.
• Pigsy – 24 free spins with an x7 multiplier.
• Tripitaka – a mystery mixture of 3 to 15 free spins with possible multipliers of x5 to x100.

In free spins, the chosen character icon is persistent above the reels. Their feature triggers when an Open Scroll scatter lands beneath it and any winnings are multiplied by the free spins multiplier chosen at the beginning of the round. The other character icons behave as they do in the base game, moving positions where 0 to 3 of them are revealed. Demon scatters and Closed Scroll scatters do not appear on the reels and free spins.

Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls: Slot Verdict

Just like the characters and story the game is based on, Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls is a journey with things to discover along the way. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the audiovisual production; both the base game and bonus rounds are held in lush, inviting territory populated by interesting characters and animations. Play'n GO, the studio behind the game, is known for producing visually pleasing games, and this one fits that mold.

Fans of Play'n GO are likely to appreciate what Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls has to offer. Players can expect character icons that change position, adding an element of surprise as to where they might appear next. The appearance of either a Demon Scroll or an Open Scroll scatter during free spins can activate unique features - these character features have distinct functions and effects. Upon triggering free spins, players are presented with options, each having an impact on the potential multiplier of the winnings tied to the chosen character's feature. This introduces a combination of choice and chance, culminating in a potential win of up to 10,000x the bet.

Although the theme might not resonate with everyone, Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls offers players an opportunity to engage with its storyline and features. The game is built on an interesting narrative foundation and is complemented with detailed artwork as well as a solid selection of entertaining features. It's not groundbreaking in any way, yet Monkey: Battle for the Scrolls provides a fairly satisfactory gaming experience.