Which company made this game?

One reason why people may find it confusing is that online reviews claim that Microgaming made African Legends. However, that is only half of the truth. Microgaming partnered with Slingshot Studios to build this game and make it available to Microgaming users. In 2022 Games Global acquired Microgaming’s slot library; therefore, today you will commonly see Games Global listed next to Microgaming as well. Why does it even matter? The company behind a video slot machine says a lot about how it will operate. Slingshot has a history of using established slot machine themes and adding a unique mechanical twist. That is what they have done here. The theme of Africa is familiar. What is not familiar is the mechanics behind the game.

African Legends is part of the wowpot family. Wowpot is a progressive jackpot network created by Microgaming in 2020 as an alternative to their Mega Moolah network. If you have previously played Wheel of Wishes, Book of Atem, Sisters of Oz or Queen of Alexandria, then you know the cousins of Wowpot. African Legends was among the first games added to the Wowpot network and in my opinion, remains one of the most enjoyable.

Carved stone, Mist and waterfall: appearance and soundtrack

First off, let me tell you what I thought the developers did not do right. I did not notice a smiling cartoon lion trying to catch my eye or any bright colors and lights. Instead, the reels were placed atop carved stone, surrounded by rocky formations, a waterfall and soft Mist. It looked more like an ancient temple swallowed by nature rather than a zoo. The rest of the symbols fit into this environment. The low-paying cards suit (diamonds, hearts, clubs and spades) were cut into stone and thus blended into the surroundings rather than standing out from them. The high-paying animal symbols (lion, elephant and rhino) went up in value until reaching the lion at 6x your bet for five of a kind. There is also a gold totem mask wild symbol that stands out against all the grays and pays 10x your bet for five in a row. The soundtrack includes tribal styled percussion music that builds as cascades become longer.

Screenshots

It’s great to say that there was no annoying music in this game. That alone is rarer than you’d think. I’ve turned off the music in many other slots within the first five minutes, and I left it on during my African Legends gameplay. One thing to note: unlike many other video slot machines, there is no scatter symbol in this game. I kept waiting for one to appear throughout my gameplay. It never appeared because African Legends triggers its bonus feature differently, as described below.

How spins work in this video slot machine

Mechanically speaking, African Legends is easy enough to learn. You select a bet size ranging from €0.25 to €25 per Spin and click “Spin”. The game awards payouts on 243 ways; i.e., you do not have to pay attention to any particular payline. As long as there are adjacent reels with identical symbols starting from the leftmost reel, regardless of row position, you get paid. Three lions in reels one, two & Three award regardless of which rows they’re located on. Both auto play and quick Spin options are provided if you prefer to play fast or continuously. I would suggest leaving Quick Spin on for your first session so you can enjoy seeing the cascades take shape.

Cascading wins / tumbling reels: the gameplay mechanic

All aspects of African Legends revolve around cascading wins / tumbling reels, which is Microgaming’s term for cascade wins. Whenever you receive a payout, all of the symbols involved in that payout disappear, and new symbols drop down from above to replace them. If these new symbols create another payout, this process repeats itself. This is where the slot begins to deviate significantly from its safari-themed peers. With each consecutive win you move one step further along a multiplier trail which can reach all the way to 10x. A single Spin can begin with a small payout resulting from a win involving small card suits and end up as a bigger payout thanks to a couple of dozen cascades.

Wild Blast: an unpredictable freebie

Periodically, Wild Blast occurs randomly in the base game with no warning whatsoever. Between 1 and 5 golden totem masks are dropped randomly onto the reels, replacing any regular symbol, almost always creating a payout; often leading to subsequent cascade chain(s). I like that this feature helps alleviate one of the weaknesses of many cascade-based slots. These types of slots often remain dormant for extended periods of time as you wait for a first payout to kickstart things. Wild Blast provides a shot in the arm when needed.

Wowpot progressive jackpot: how does it work here?

For those who come here primarily for the progressive jackpots portion of the game. African Legends ties into the wowpot progressive network providing access to the Major jackpot with an initial amount of €50,000 and it grows as players across various networks wager on the game. Let’s clarify one important detail regarding wowpot progressives: wowpot has multiple levels or tiers (mega etc.) with varying amounts that can be awarded as part of the progressive jackpot. Unfortunately, you are restricted to accessing only the Major tier via African Legends. Some players will find this unacceptable while others will consider it reasonable given the higher odds offered compared to larger jackpots found elsewhere.

Regarding how the jackpot is triggered – there are no specific scatter symbols required to collect or any jackpot wheels to Spin. The jackpot can be randomly activated at any time during any real money bet. Larger staking sizes increase your chance to receive a jackpot win, which is typical behavior seen in network progressives. Many reviewers incorrectly state that you must achieve 7 consecutive cascades prior to receiving a jackpot; this is not how the game states triggering a jackpot.

RTP & Volatility: Honest Numbers

Finally, let us discuss numbers, which some players dislike discussing about slot machines. African Legends has an RTP (return-to-player) percentage of 94.92%; whereas RTP percentages typically range from 95% to 97% for online slots; i.e., approximately 96%. I’m sure many readers have seen RTP figures such as 94.20% reported by websites; however, 94.92% appears to be the number reported by Microgaming/Games Global officially.

Why do you see differing RTP figures? A proportion of each bet is removed from your account and deposited into the jackpot pool; therefore, there is less money returned on average due to this progressive element being deducted from your overall potential winnings. Every progressive slot machine offers a trade-off between contributing funds toward progressively increasing jackpot prizes versus having smaller payouts on average. Volatility-wise – I believe medium Volatility accurately represents how African Legends operates in practice; although – you’ll rarely experience 80+ consecutive losing spins waiting for something worthwhile to occur; likewise, you’ll rarely encounter larger-than-average payouts outside of winning the wowpot jackpot either.

Playing on your mobile device

As part of my test process, I ran the majority of my tests on a mid-range Android device, and it played very smoothly. Because it’s built in HTML5, it runs right within your mobile browser on either Android or iOS. You won’t be required to download an application. When you rotate your device from portrait to landscape, the layout adjusts accordingly. Also, because the game is designed using cascade animations, the experience is always smooth and does not consume excessive power from the battery. My only minor critique was that the pay table appeared a bit tight on a mobile screen. Check out the pay table on a larger screen to familiarize yourself with the symbols’ values.

First, test the demo mode before spending money

Regardless of which cascade slot machine you are playing, I would follow the exact same strategy. This slot machine has a demo mode available for public access; play the demo mode for 20 minutes to get a solid understanding of how often the cascading reels occur, how often the Wild Blast symbol appears during your play time and how high the multiplier trail goes.

When switching over to real money bets, several strategies help:

• Use smaller betting limits until you have become accustomed to how much the game pays out.
• Determine your session budget ahead of time and adhere to it regardless of what is happening with the multiplier.
• Raise your bet amount only if you can afford it when attempting to reach the maximum jackpot potential. The increase in your probability of winning is moderate.
• Read the bonus details (if applicable) prior to utilizing casino free spins or making a deposit and claiming a matching deposit.
• Wagering requirements and game weightings vary significantly across different casinos.

Real money casinos

Games Global carries African Legends in most of its casinos. Some examples include Spin Casino, Jackpot City, All Slots, and LeoVegas. In NJ (New Jersey), you’ll be able to play this game at locations such as BetMGM, Bet365, BetRivers and Borgata. Availability varies based on country and state, so please check local availability. Regardless of where you decide to play, ensure that you are using a reputable casino website that has been properly licensed. Look for the existence of third-party testing organizations such as eCOGRA or GLI, along with reasonable payout times. Although a large welcome bonus may appear appealing, it provides little value if your payouts take weeks to arrive.

At-a-glance Pros and Cons

The good stuff:

• Rolling Reels and multiplier trail make nearly every spin exciting.
• A jackpot prize exceeding $50,000+ with odds that are more realistic compared to other mega-prizes.
• Hit rate of 37.16%, reducing the likelihood of experiencing dull gameplay sessions.
• Multiplied free spins up to 10x.
• Excellent clean and atmospheric design that performs well on all devices.

Not so much:

• RTP of 94.92% falls below the average RTP of other games.
• Only includes the Major WowPot tier.
• The free spins round does not include free spins retriggers.
• No scatter symbol present.
• No bonus buy option available.

Final thoughts – is African Legends worth your time?

After spending countless hours with this game, I continually come back to one thought. African Legends is a slot game for players seeking their “jackpot” dream but also wanting something better than simply boring themselves chasing after it. Cascades and multipliers add quite a bit of character/personality to the base game; the free spins round can offer decent rewards depending on how long the multiplier trail grows; and the WowPot Major serves as a reason to continue playing.

While not perfect, the RTP costs some cash, and I think retriggers in the free spins round would have added a nice element to the overall gaming experience. Overall, however, I believe it to be one of the best and most enjoyable progressive slot machines offered by Games Global, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something new and different than typical “jackpot Slots.”

Now it would be great to hear from you. Are you one of the lucky ones who has experienced a big cascade chain on African Legends? Or perhaps you have hit the Major? Do you prefer African Legends over Mega Moolah? Is only having access to the big top tier sufficient to entice you? Share your thoughts/thoughts about these questions in our comment section below!

FAQs: African Legends

What is the RTP of African Legends?

The RTP of this game is 94.92%. The slight decrease in RTP is due to contributions to the jackpot pool.

How can I activate my free spins?

Activate free spins by landing four or more sequential Rolling Reels wins within one single spin. Each additional rolling reel win results in additional free spins up to 20 total.

Is there a scatter symbol present?

No, there is no scatter symbol present. The activation of free spins occurs solely by achieving consecutive cascade wins.

What is the highest win possible?

Highest win possible = base game max win: 1200x stake + maximum value of WowPot Major jackpot.

Will I be able to win the WowPot mega jackpot?

No, African Legends connects only to the WowPot Major tier.

Will it function on my mobile device?

Yes, on any modern mobile ios/Android device via your web browser.

Am I able to play for free?

Yes, in demo mode. The wow pot jackpot is only available for play with real money.