Mega Moolah powered Fortunium Gold slot released to Microgaming casinos

It has been a good few months since we first learned that Microgaming were planning to release a new Mega Moolah slot game at ICE 2020. We knew the game was called Fortunium Gold and after months of speculation, that slot game has finally been released into Microgaming casinos as of today.

Developed by Stormcraft Studios, the game offers something brand new to the network in many ways. It is the first 5x5, 40 pay line Mega Moolah slot game in history. It is also the first to feature the Win Booster option and the Mystery Symbol. Furthermore, as a more medium volatility slot, it also keeps in with the tradition of a game that offers players a chance of a profit, even if they don't land the progressive jackpot bonus game.

Following in the styling of the original Fortunium slot release in 2018, Fortunium Gold takes that steampunk idea and runs with it offering players a wealth of additional features, all of which have been presented quite sumptuously by Stormcraft Studios.

Let's now take a look at how this brand-new Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot shapes up.

Overview

• Game: Fortunium Gold
• Developer: Stormcraft Studios
• Reels: 5x5
• Pay Lines: 40 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.10
• Maximum Bet: 15.00
• Jackpot: 800x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: Yes
• Volatility: Medium

Presentation

If you played the original Fortunium slot game then you will already be familiar with the steampunk feel of the game and it has been replicated very neatly in the Fortunium Gold slot. The backdrop is set in the Victorian/Industrial revolution era, but tweaked to give it a more edgier steampunk look. The 5x5 reel sits in the middle of the screen with the main controls to the right.

A simple tune plays as you play the game and there are a number of nice sound effects that kick in when you hit the spin button or land a win or feature or similar and in truth these effects are a nice addition to the game and help bring it to life.

The four Mega Moolah progressive jackpot prizes are listed to the left of the reels and in a nice addition to the Mega and Major jackpots, the length of time that has elapsed between the last trigger of each of the main jackpot prizes is shown on the screen. This is a very handy feature which gives players clear information on when the jackpot was last won.

Finally, the Win Booster button is at the foot of the screen. Click this and engage Win Boost mode and the value of the Mystery Symbols (which we will explore in the section below) is increased by only allowing the higher value symbols to appear on this feature. However, to engage the Win Booster, it does cost you an extra 50% on top of your bet. So if you are playing in standard mode at 1.00 per spin, with Win Booster engaged it increases to 1.50 per spin.

Stormcraft have done a great job with the Fortunium Gold slot as not only is it clearly part of the Fortunium family of games, it is also clearly part of Mega Moolah slots too and they have matched the production values of the first game, if not surpassed them, for this latest release.

What is on the reels?

There are nine standard symbols on the reels. The first four are the lower value symbols and these are the playing card symbols which in terms of value in the game are the club, diamond, heart and space. Wins range from 0.1x your bet up to 2x your bet with these symbols.

There are also three mid-value symbols, and these are the steampunk items the gun, the airship and the mechanised treasure chest. Wins on these symbols range from 0.4x your bet up to 6x your bet. Both the lower and mid-value symbols are stacked on the reels two symbols high, so it is possible to land them across multiple winning lines.

The two highest value symbols pay out at the same rate and are the Victoria and Maximillian symbols. Wins start at 0.9x your bet and increase up to 8x your bet per line. However, these symbols can be stacked up to five symbols high across the reels, so these are the symbols to land the really big value wins in the base game.

The first symbol on the reel that is non-standard is the Mystery Symbol. This can be stacked up to five high on the reels and when it lands every one of the Mystery Symbols landed will convert into one of the game symbols. In the standard mode, this will be a Wild symbol or any of the standard symbols outlined above.

However, with Win Booster activated the lower value playing card symbols are omitted from the Mystery Symbol which means only Wild, mid value or higher value symbols can be landed in this mode, which of course gives you more of a chance of a better value win when the bonus lands.

The Mystery Symbol is also the key to accessing the Mega Moolah Jackpot Bonus Game in the slot. If the Mystery Symbols land on the reels and the symbols it displays show the Jackpot Bonus Wild, then you will earn a shot at the Jackpot Bonus Wheel. As with all Mega Moolah slots, the higher the value of your bet, the more your chances of triggering the Jackpot Bonus Wheel increase. One nice touch is that you can trigger the Jackpot Bonus Game in both the base game and also during Free Spins.

In addition, the Jackpot Bonus Wild can also be used as a standard Wild to create winning lines on the triggering spin which will be paid before you play your spin of the Jackpot Bonus Wheel.

Wild features

There are two Wilds in the game, the Jackpot Wild, which we have outlined above and which only appears as a Mystery Symbol, pays out in the same way and operates in the same way as a standard symbol except the Jackpot Wild can substitute for all symbols apart from the Scatter.

The Standard Wild cannot substitute for a Jackpot Wild or a Scatter but it too can be stacked on the reels and when landed across the reels on a pay line, Wild symbols also offer a payout from 0.2x your bet up to 20x your bet for five on a pay line. With Wilds being stacked, they can also pay across multiple pay lines but are most often used as substitutes for standard symbols to help create winning lines.

Free Spins features

The Scatter symbol is the rather unusual green orb encased by gold and this can appear across all five reels. When you land two or more of these symbols you will receive a payout of between 1x and 100x your total bet. Furthermore, if you land three or more Scatters, you will also trigger the Free Spins bonus game.

In the bonus round you receive 10 Free Spins and during the bonus game you will have Mystery Reels on one, two or all three of the middle reels. The number of reels that are Mystery Symbols depends on the number of Scatters you landed to trigger the bonus. Land three for one Mystery Reel, Four Scatters sees two Mystery Reels while land all five to trigger the maximum three Mystery Reels.

As you play Free Spins the Mystery Reels will resolve themselves and it is here you could trigger the Jackpot Bonus Game as you can in the base game when the bonus lands. One nice touch is that during Free Spins, every time you land a Scatter symbol on the reel, it will award you an extra Free Spin.

Best feature of the Fortunium Gold slot

Stormcraft Studios have crammed a huge amount into their Fortunium Gold Mega Moolah slot and of course, the fact you can play for the famous progressive jackpot prizes and its massive million plus Mega jackpot is always going to be a massive factor for players looking to play the game. However, Fortunium Gold offers more than just another shot at the Mega Moolah progressive jackpots. The game has been set up to offer players a very different experience to other Mega Moolah games and as a slot game in its own right, it ticks all the right boxes. The Mystery Symbol adds an interesting dimension to the game but for me it is the Free Spins bonus and the fact you can trigger the Jackpot Bonus Game from it, that is the crown jewel of what is a very impressive slot game.

Conclusion

There has been plenty of hype surrounding the impending release of the Fortunium Gold Mega Moolah slot game ever since its release was foreshadowed at ICE 2020 earlier this year. The great news is that for once, the hype has been justified as this is a fantastic slot game in its own right. Add to that the prospect of a shot at the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot prizes and you have a game that is a worthy addition to the ranks for that progressive network and which will offer players something brand new to play when going for that jackpot prize. That said, with its different features, Fortunium Gold is enjoyable enough to play as a standard slot alone and as such, we think it is going to be a smash hit success with slots players following its release.