Shadow of Dominion

Shadow of Dominion: Slot Overview

Decide to create a fantasy or mythology-inspired slot, and it might be tempting to rely on familiar concepts or simply create another Thor or Zeus-themed game. Software provider Slotmill avoids temptation with the creation of Shadow of Dominion, a slot steeped in fantasy, inhabiting a world of action and intrigue. It's also a slot that lets the studio flex its scatter pay talents, enhancing the pay anywhere mechanic with giant symbols, avalanches, a win multiplier, and an exciting respins feature, amongst other things. Be warned, Shadow of Dominion is no pastel-painted, candied feel-good world, but one of monsters, bitterly cold weather, and centuries-old stone. As a result, any gambler looking to trade bright fantasy tropes for a darker tale of ancient powers awakening beneath a veil of mystery, please read on.

Shadow of Dominion's action is divided between two locations. The base game takes place in a lower level of a castle, built of dark, dour rock covered in esoteric runic scrawlings. This part of the game gave off Cathedral 9 vibes, as a place where plans are hatched, then left to fester for a thousand years before the time is ripe to enact them. That time comes in the bonus round, when play moves upstairs to a ritualistic room overlooking the surrounding mountainside. Not sure what the shadow is or where this dominion might be, but that hasn't stopped Slotmill from crafting a juicy fantasy world for players' imaginations to run amok in.

Shadow of Dominion's plotting and scheming take place on a 6x6 grid, forming wins with a scatter pays system. When 8 or more matching symbols land in any position, they payout, then vanish, causing an avalanche to fill the gaps. Avalanches continue until a new win does not appear. Bet levels in the game go from $/€0.20 to $/€100, while the math model is highly volatile and the higher of the two RTP variants is 96.12%.

Symbols on the paytable are four rocks with glowing shapes carved on them, four glowing-eyed beasts, and a masked lady as the most valuable symbol. Rock symbols pay 10x-25x for 36 OAK combinations, while the rest are worth 40x-500x for a full screen hit. Wilds are not used in this game.

Shadow of Dominion: Slot Features

Lurking in the shadows are a win multiplier, giant symbols, Dominion Respins, free spins, super free spins, feature buys, and the Xtra-Bet.

Win Multiplier

The win multiplier is displayed in a bubble next to the reels. It is increased by 1 for each tumble and/or respin, and by the multiplier value from a giant symbol when used in a win. Tumble wins are multiplied by the multiplier, which resets at the start of a new base game spin.

Giant Symbols

Giant symbols of 2x2 or 3x3 may randomly appear on the grid, counting as 4 or 9 symbols, respectively. Giant symbols appear with a multiplier which is added to the win multiplier when the giant symbol is part of a win.

Dominion Respins

Dominion Respins may trigger at random at the start of any spin. A single pay symbol type and/or dead symbols land in waves of respins until no new pay symbol appears. Giant symbols may appear. Pay symbols fall to the bottom of the screen where they are kept. Each respin increases the win multiplier, which applies to the win when the feature ends. An upgrade symbol may also appear, which upgrades the chosen pay symbol to the next available on the paytable.

Free Spins & Super Free Spins

Landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols in the base game awards 6, 8, 10, or 12 free spins. During free spins, the win multiplier starts at x1 and does not reset until the feature ends. Landing one super scatter when the bonus is triggered awards the same number of super free spins. The same rules apply, but a giant symbol lands on every super free spin. Free spins and super free spins cannot be retriggered.

Fast Track & Xtra-Bet

From the Fast Track, it is possible to guarantee a giant symbol for 10x, or trigger Dominion Respins for 50x the stake. Free spins cost 100x to buy, or 400x buys super free spins. When making use of the Xtra-Bet, the stake increases by 100%, and the chance of triggering free spins is 3.6 times greater. Burst Mode is also here for sessions of very quick play.

Shadow of Dominion: Slot Verdict

It's always nice when a studio decides to create its own new myths instead of taking the easier option and falling back on the proven classics - Norse, Greek, whatever. Those sorts of slots have their place, but they've been done countless times, so it's good to see some new ideas. From slots like Dark Forge and Emberfall, Slotmill has a talent for designing heavy-duty, no-nonsense games, and Shadow of Dominion is certainly another one of those. The gloomy presentation, hinting at an ancient underlying power, sets the scene for the actual gaming to come in, doing the scatter thing while also being able to throw one or two curveballs.

That said, the foundation of the gameplay is built of pretty standard stuff. Scatter pays working alongside cascades, boosted by a win multiplier and giant symbols, is a strong, if fairly regular combination, and close to what the studio put into Emberfall. Dominion Respins add variety, though. One thing to consider is that winning combinations, at lower levels, can be quite small, so even landing a few rows of matching symbols during respins doesn't always add up to much. However, respins can, on occasion, land a lot of rows, methodically building the win multiplier, and giant symbols can help boost the value even more. In other words, find yourself on a good respin roll, and it can be quite a ride, and Dominion Respins produced some of the most exciting outcomes of the review.

Shadow of Dominion is a confident addition to Slotmill's catalogue, delivering a dark fantasy experience that matches its brooding visuals with engaging mechanics. It doesn't rewrite the rules, but there are entertaining elements here to complement the sturdy combination of scatter, multiplier, and avalanche - with 10,000x the bet up for grabs. For players willing to brave a harsh, rune-carved, chilly-weathered world, stepping into this shadowy realm uncovers a well-made adventure that should please scatter paying buffs.