3 Oaks are a company that clearly specializes in Hold and Win slots, and you won’t need more than a brief glance at its catalog to realize exactly that. We’ve lost count ourselves, really, and it’s fair to say that we’d appreciate something a bit different at least every now and then. Well, there’s no breakthrough with Queen of the Sun, though the game itself is as rock solid as you’d expect it to be. It takes place on a playing field with5 reels, 3 rows and 25 paylines, and it offers both its own Hold and Win feature and free spins.
Thankfully, the theme is a bit different this time around, as we’re headed to an Aztec temple. That’s not particularly fresh or original, but we guess that 3 Oaks wanted to add that classic theme to their catalog for whatever reason. The production values areabove average, and there’s also a fair amount of animations and special effects whenever something important happens.
The mathematical model of Queen of the Sun combines ahighvolatility level with a fair5,000xjackpot, which you can win during the Hold and Win feature. The betting range starts at£0.10per spin, while high rollers can go for bets as high as£100per spin if they want to. The theoretical RTP of Queen of the Sun is then95.77%, which is somewhat below the 96% industry average.
There are 8 pay symbols in Queen of the Sun, and they are split evenly between low pays and high pays. For low pays, there are card ranks from Jacks to Aces, and they all play the same. That means 2x your bet for a full combination. For high pays, there are three stylish animals and one animal mask, with the mask paying up to 10x your bet. That’s the payout that you’ll receive if you find five of these symbols on a payline.
For special symbols, you can look forward toPriestess Wilds, Temple Scatters, and Sun Bonus symbols. Priestess Wilds can both substitute for other symbols and pay out on their own. In fact, they are the most valuable symbols in that respect, as you can get 12x your bet for a five-of-a-kind combination.
To get tothe Hold and Win feature, you have to find 6 or more Sun Bonus symbols in view. You’ll get 3 respins to start with, and each symbol that lands automatically resets the counter back to 3. The feature ends once you run out of respins or fill the entire screen, whichever comes first. If you fill all available positions with symbols, you’ll grab the slot’sGrand jackpot, which is worth 5,000x your bet. You can also land Jackpot symbols, which can give you the game’s three smaller jackpots. They are called Mini, Minor, and Major, and they are worth 20x, 50x, and 150x your bet, respectively. On top of that, you can also findMystery symbolsthat will then transform into one of the Jackpot symbols at the end of the feature.
If you land 3 or more Temple Scatters during the base game, you’ll triggerthe Free Spins featurewith 8 free spins. During free spins, all Priestess Wilds that land automatically become Sticky, which means that they’ll remain on the board until the end of the feature. Even better, if you get at least one on each reel, you’ll receive 5 extra free spins!
If Aztec settings are at least a little bit your cup of tea, there’s every chance that you’ll enjoy Queen of the Sun. Its theoretical RTP is slightly subpar, but the Hold and Win formula is there, and you can even enjoy free spins with Sticky Wilds. It’s nothing ground-breaking, to be sure, butit’s a fine addition to the Hold and Win catalog from 3 Oaks.
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