Slot Mechanics – how does the slot pay?
The gaming action plays out on a 5 x 3 reel format. On this grid, win lines emerge once at least two (for themed high-value symbols) or three (low-value royal poker icons) identical symbols land on any one of the 10 fixed pay lines incorporated in the slot. All 10 paylines run from the leftmost reel position to the right. This means you can easily decipher for yourself if you have completed a win line or not by checking the starting position of the identical symbols you landed. All themed symbols, including the wild icon, fetch payouts when at least two-of-a-kind land adjacent to each other on an active payline. For the low-value symbols represented by the royal poker icons, you need to land at least three to win a payout.
Symbol payouts
In all, there are 10 symbols which appear on the playing grid during the gaming session. These 10 are wittingly structured into three distinct groups. These are as follows:
- Special Symbols: There are two special symbols namely the scatter and the wild. Bizarrely but in a good way, both the scatter and the wild are represented by the same icon, the golden shovel.
- Themed High-Value Symbols: Complementing the game’s Ancient Egyptian theme are four themed icons. Namely, these are the archaeologist, vase, scarab and key. These are the symbols to aim for as they fetch the biggest payouts when they create a winning combination.
- Generic Royal Poker Icons: These are the least-paying icons. They come in the form of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and number 10.
Features of Bonus rounds
One great beauty of the Dig Dig Deeper slot is that you won’t spend all of your time spinning the reels in the base mode. Rather, you get the chance to activate the free spins mode where you spin the reels for free but stand a chance of winning real cash! Get to learn more about this feature and all others incorporated into this game when you check out the section below.
- Wild: The wild is represented by a golden shovel. The symbol possesses substituting powers that can be applied to any other reel symbol. The powers can only be used when the substitution will help create a win line. This, therefore, means whenever the wild lands, there is a great chance of landing a winning combination.
- Free Spins Feature: Three of the scatter icons that land simultaneously on the grid help activate the free spins round. An initial 10 free spins are awarded. Before utilizing the free spins awarded, a special expanding symbol is randomly picked from either the high-value or low-value symbols. The beauty of the special expanding symbols is that they transform into full reel icons whenever they land. Also, they fetch payouts in any position on the grid – they do not need to land adjacent to each other! More free spins can be retriggered during the bonus once three or more scatters land.
- Gamble Round: After any winning combination you land, you get the chance to play the gamble game. There are two options available for those who opt-in. The first one entails guessing the colour of the card to be drawn next. Guessing correctly helps you to double your payout. Alternatively, you can opt to guess the suit of the card to be drawn next. A correct guess will quadruple the previous payout.
Fast-tracking to Bonus Rounds
There are two options available to gain quick access to the incorporated bonus rounds. These are as follows:
- Buy Bonus: The buy bonus option gives you the chance to pay a stipulated feature purchase price (determined by the current bet), hence triggering the free spins round on the next paid spin.
- Chance x2: This option allows players to increase their current bet and, in turn, scatters are guaranteed to land frequently on the reels. This, in turn, enhances your chances of activating the free spins round.
Payout Statistics
The math model is the one thing which does a brilliant job of stating in near-explicit terms the lucrativeness of the slot. On this front, note that the RTP of this slot falls just below the industry average as it sits at 94.82%. While this is the case, the game compensates for this by having a top hit rate of 3.42 as well as a super high volatility level. This, therefore, means you can go for many spins without landing a winning combination. However, once a win line lands, a relatively handsome payout comes your way. Essentially, this game requires you to plan for the long haul to cover the rather long non-winning streaks.