Name: Darkness
Item: Darkness
Rating: 7.9
Author: Nigel Hall

Casino Bonuses

Provider	Print Studios
Reels	5
Rows	4
Paylines	26
Bonus Rounds	1
Bet Range	0.20 - 4
Volatility	High
Max Win	20,000x
Bonus Buy	Yes
RTP	96.14%
Our Rating	7.9

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Game Overview

Those of a nervous disposition should look away now! Unfortunately, that statement applies to me, but I’m the one who has been given the task to review Print Studios Darkness slot. But let me tell you, every single light is switched on in this place! Okay, so other than scaring me half to death already, I can also tell you this slot game features 5-reels, an RTP of 96.14% and a maximum win of 20,000x bet.

Digging into the feature set, we uncover Print has included their instantly recognisable SuperSpinners modifier, which multiplies all wins that pass through it. We also have Giant Symbols that can appear in blocks as big as 5×4, but the real nail bitter is the Dark Ritual Free Spins bonus, triggered when at least three scatters appear in view. During this round, it’s possible to lock wild symbols into the shape of a Pentagram, where filling all positions will summon Lucifer himself for some guaranteed wild reels. Crikey!

This certainly seems to be a slot game with a difference from our initial overview, but how will the rest of it turn out? You can learn more below, where you’ll also be able to access a free Darkness slot demo to try. If you’re like me, you’ll strictly be playing this one in broad daylight with the volume switched off!

Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols

Darkness paytable

If you have a good search through any slot provider’s catalogue, you’ll rarely find a game that truly captures the horror niche with any real authenticity. In fact, most of these slot games are still quite cartoony in appearance, except for a few titles that include Nolimit City’s Book of Shadows and Hacksaw Gaming’s Bloodthirst. This is undoubtedly one genre of online slot that is not over-saturated, so to see Print Studios enter the fray with a new game for players to get stuck into provides plenty of intrigue and excitement. As always, the pays section is the first stop on our review. Let’s take a look.

Kicking things off from the top, the most valuable symbol in the game is the Dirge Wild, paying 5x the bet for a five of a kind win. This is followed by the spooky-looking Agatha at 2.5x, with the equally frightening Isadora next worth 1x for a completed line of five. The Chalice, Dagger and Vial follow, paying 0.6x, 0.5x, and 0.4x, respectively, for a winning combo of five, with the lower pays represented by four different Wiccan Twigs paying 0.2x, 0.15x, 0.12x, and 0.1x respectively if five appear on an active payline.

Setting the reels spinning can cost as little as €0.20, with the maximum stake to play reaching €4. This top limit does seem on the low side, but I imagine that when the game is in an online casino for real money play, the max bet will reach someone in the region of €50. In its current state in the demo, there is still a decent selection of bets available to play between the two values, and let’s be honest; only a handful of punters are playing at over €4 a spin.

Base Game & Modifiers

Darkness base game

Upon Print Studio’s Darkness slot loading up, you are invited to adjust the slider so that the background image you can see is barely visible. The reasoning behind this becomes more apparent when the reels appear, and you hit spin for the first time. The darker you make the background, the less you can see the standard symbols of the slot.

As for the gameplay itself, this takes place over a 5×4 matrix with 26 paylines active. Players will create a winning combination when three or more matching symbols hit, starting from the leftmost reel first, whilst also needing to appear on one of the 26 ways to win.

Superspinners

Print’s SuperSpinners feature, which first appeared in Crystal Golem, is back in the Darkness slot, and there are 14 of these positioned between the game’s reels. If a winline crosses a SuperSpinner with a number and the SuperSpinner is to the left of a winning symbol, the number will multiply the win from said winline. If multiple SuperSpinners are present in a winning combo, they will be applied individually.

Giant Symbols

The Giant Symbols can land on any spin of the reels and appear in size from 3×2 up to 5×4. The positions covered by a giant symbol count as instances of the symbol indicated.

Scatter Boost

Activating the Scatter Boost option will increase the cost of the current price to play by 50% but will add more bonus symbols to the reels.

Darkness Slot Bonus Features

Darkness free spins feature

You’ll find the scatter symbols present on all reels and landing 3, 4, or 5 in view will trigger the bonus round and award 10, 12, or 14 free spins respectively.

Dark Ritual Bonus

As the free spins begin, you will notice an outline of a Pentagram on the reels. Wilds landing at the point positions indicated by the Pentagram will remain in place until five wilds have landed on each point or the bonus ends. If all five wilds hit, Lucifer will be summoned, turning reels 2, 3, and 4 wild for the remainder of the feature.

Bonus Buy

If the Feature Bet option is active in your jurisdiction, then you can instantly trigger the Dark Ritual Bonus for the cost of 100x the current bet.

Pros

A good addition to a niche of slot lacking in choice.
Solid max win of 20,000x bet.

Cons

I wasn't overly sold on the idea of making the reels darker. It's a struggle to see the symbols as it is, but I guess some players might find this more of a pro than a con.

Darkness Slot Review Final Thoughts

With only a handful of slot games currently under their belt, Print might be one of the smaller providers of the iGaming scene, but you do have to give them credit for trying out new styles of games and being brave with their themes. We've seen what the guys at Print Studios are capable of in regards to being different in both Reapers and Shinobi Spirt, and now, with Darkness, we see them again offering players something more unique whilst showcasing their design skills further.This is certainly another positive release, and Print Studios is moving in the right direction to cementing itself as a solid tier-one slot developer.

7.9

Good

Author Bio

Article by Nigel Hall

23 years Gambling Industry Experience

About Nigel Hall

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