That is not dead which can eternal lie, so begins one of the most popular and enduring horror stories in history. The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft would go on to set the book world on fire and captivate the imaginations of readers all around the world.
And so from one story, we got the adjective “Lovecraftian”, meaning anything dealing with malevolent cosmic forces that are outside human reckoning. In this vein, many authors and artists have continued the original Cthulhu story in what is now called “The Cthulhu Mythos”.
Here now is an unusual addition to the canon, Tome of Madness by Play’n Go, featuring the developer’s famous character Rich Wilde in a game full of maddening special features and interesting gameplay gimmicks.
Theme
You can’t exactly be Lovecraftian without being grimy and gloomy and that’s exactly the vibe this game goes for. Set in something that looks like an evil cathedral with the floor collapsing and leading to god-knows-what horrors the atmosphere is very effective.
This is a far cry from Rich Wilde’s previous outings. The cheery jungle-themed Aztec Idols and the mysterious but brightly colored Ancient Egypt inspired Book of Dead.
Still, the marriage of Rich Wilde and Cthulhu seemed to be a match made in Heaven (or maybe… Hell?) ever since Play’n Go announced the game some weeks back and we are glad to report it is.
Graphically and thematically they knocked it out of the park.
Betting Options and Functions
Fitting for a slot with “madness” in the title, the design of the game is unorthodox. It’s a 5x5 grid but there are no paylines to be seen.
Instead…
…it’s a cluster win system! Any time four or more of the same symbols touch vertically or horizontally, the players win. The symbols also tumble, with winning ones disappearing and leaving an opening for new combinations.
Special Features
Where to even begin? This one is quite complicated. Firstly, there are Eye Marks which are placed randomly on the board. If you get a winning combination including it, two special wilds are added.
If the special wild forms a win, then a portal effect is triggered which can clear non-winning symbols from the play area.
The main goal is to win enough to charge the portal, which will then open and be filled with eye marks. Make all of them go away and the Old One himself – Cthulhu appears as a mega wild and falls to the bottom of the screen creating huge wins.
Our Take
This is a slot with a real premium feel. You can see all the effort that went into it. The special features can be a bit overwhelming, but it’s very much a learn by doing situation. After a couple of spins, you’ll feel right at home.
Definitely, do not miss this one, this is what a real high-quality product looks like.
Slot data and features
- 5Reels
- $5,000.00Max cash jackpot
- 96Payout Percent
- YesWild Symbol
- YesMultiplier
- $0.1 - $50Betting Range
- 0.01 - 5.0Coin bet range
- 1Coins per line
- NoProgressive
- 1000Max coins jackpot
- NoScatter Symbol
- YesFree spins available
- NoBonus Game
- NoBuy feature
- Gems & Jewels , Mystical , Retro Game theme
- Very-high Volatility
