African Quest (Triple Edge Studios): Overview

Microgaming partners Triple Edge Studio return to take players on a safari adventure with their wildlife-themed slot African Quest. The game never really spells out what the “quest” is—maybe the journey to Africa is the quest? Either way, you’ll find a lineup of classic animals from the plains, with the lion sitting firmly at the top of the pecking order. With so many African wildlife slots already out there, it takes a bit more than familiar scenery to impress seasoned slot fans. Does African Quest deliver?

At first glance, it doesn’t exactly stand out. The visuals are perfectly acceptable, but African Quest resembles plenty of similar titles. The backdrop is a tree-framed savannah washed in that well-worn sunrise-or-sunset glow. Even Kubwa the Lion (yes, he has a name) has a look you may feel you’ve seen before. The 5×4 grid is straightforward and does the job, while the interface follows the usual Triple Edge/Microgaming style. The default bet is 1 credit per spin, though players can drop to 10 p/c or raise it to $/€15 a pop.

African Quest also breaks away a little from the 5×3, 10 paylines format Triple Edge often uses. This time, they’ve expanded the setup with an extra row and boosted the win ways to 1,024. After a brief absence, Hyperspins make a return too. Previously seen in Book of Oz and Break da Bank Again, they work a bit like occasional gamble-style add-ons, but with even simpler choices. After each base game spin, players can choose to re-spin a reel as many times as they want, aiming to land a specific symbol to complete a win. Naturally, there’s a price to pay, and the cost depends on how valuable the possible combinations on the reels could be.

Open the paytable via the menu button in the bottom left to check what’s included. There are 10 base game symbols altogether: the 9 – A royals with an African-inspired design, plus five animal symbols. Interestingly, it’s not the famous Big 5 set, but zebras, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, and of course the lion. As expected, Kubwa pays the highest at 7.5 times the stake, and he can appear stacked in groups of two or three. Overall, the symbol payouts are on the low side, so you’ll want the multipliers to do the heavy lifting if you’re chasing stronger returns.

Behind the curtain, African Quest’s RTP is 96.02%, or 96.52% once respins are included. Volatility is very high, paired with solid win potential—fitting enough for Kubwa’s kind. He may look calm on the loading screen, but thanks to some hefty multipliers, the game is capable of putting together some notably big hits.

African Quest (Triple Edge Studios): Features

African Quest includes a handful of features you’ll need to make the most of its potential. The most frequent is the wild symbol, shown as a sun over the plains. Is it rising or setting? Hard to say. Either way, it lands on reels 2, 3, and 4 and substitutes for any standard paying symbol.

The scatter is an Africa map and awards payouts when 3, 4, or 5 appear anywhere. As expected, it also triggers Free Spins, which are offered in three different styles depending on your preference:

• Option 1 – 5, 10, or 15 free spins with x3 – x4 wild multipliers.
• Option 2 – 8, 15, 20 free spins with x2 – x3 wild multipliers.
• Option 3 – 12, 25, 40 free spins with x1 – x2 wild multipliers.

Whenever a win includes a wild, one of the Multipliers above is applied. If multiple wilds contribute to the same win, their values multiply together. That means a maximum of up x64 can be achieved on a single spin. Scatters can still land during free spins, and two or more will add extra spins to what’s left.

African Quest (Triple Edge Studios): Verdict

African Quest may not be the most inventive slot around, but it does enough to remain a fun choice. It will naturally appeal more to players who enjoy the Hyperspins idea. Hyperspins are still a bit divisive—tempting at first, but after a few costly attempts, the shine can fade. Even so, they bring an extra layer to the gameplay that some players will appreciate more than others, and it’s arguably more engaging than simply picking a card’s suit or colour.

In terms of raw potential, African Quest doesn’t reach the heights of the biggest wilderness-themed slots. Titles like Raging Rhino Megaways and Safari Gold Megaways come to mind, though it still offers a respectable 5,000 times the stake. If you want the best shot at that kind of return, the bolder approach is to choose the low-spin, high-volatility free spins option. That route is the best way to stack up maximum multipliers alongside Kubwa—ideally when he’s stacked. All in all, African Quest is a decent slot that won’t wow most players visually, but it has a few strengths if you can look past the familiar presentation.