Alchemy Fortunes: Slot Overview

Microgaming partner All41 Studios make their first move into grid slots with the potion-packed Alchemy Fortunes. Medieval alchemists believed that because everything was composed of earth, air, fire and water, one material could be transformed into another. In modern pop culture, that idea usually boils down to turning lead into gold. Their philosophy may have been broader than that, but it’s the promise of sudden wealth that players will be chasing in Alchemy Fortunes.

All41 has built a 7×7 grid for the action, set inside a stone chamber that could sit atop a tower or deep within a castle where no one can observe the “miracles” unfolding. Around the grid, candles dance beside stacks of books, with scattered heaps of coins and gems close by. Alchemy Fortunes doesn’t deliver the immediate cosy feel of a Quickspin grid slot, or the personality of something like Reactoonz. It also lacks a human element, with no characters or real backstory to latch onto. Still, the music has a satisfyingly mystical tone and the visuals are superb. The end result is an absorbing slot with strong atmosphere. Overall, it’s a welcoming setting for some alchemy-themed spinning.

Alchemy Fortunes works its magic on any device, with stakes ranging from 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin. The underlying math model feels well judged and fairly generous, mixing frequent smaller hits to keep things moving while still allowing bigger rewards if you gather enough symbols to advance. The hit frequency is notably strong – 54.83% of spins pay something, so it’s easy to get pulled in. Volatility is high, and the RTP is solid at 96.41%. The maximum win isn’t particularly eye-catching, but the overall rhythm of the game is so smooth that it matters less than you might assume.

Next up is the trademarked Hyperclusters mechanic. To create a Hypercluster, you need at least 5 matching symbols connected horizontally and/or vertically. After that, another Microgaming trademarked feature takes over: Rolling Reels, where the winning cluster is removed and new symbols fall in, repeating until no further wins appear. How this differs from most other grid slots is hard to say. In practice, it doesn’t really.

Each spin drops forty nine symbols into the grid, consisting of 4 low, 4 high and a wild. Low pays are blue, pink, green and orange rocks, while high pays are four flasks filled with blue, pink, green, and orange potions. Premium clusters, or rather Hyperclusters, of 30+ can land, paying between 75x and 500x the bet.

Wilds sit at the heart of the gameplay and are essential for the biggest payouts. They appear frequently during base play, either naturally or through features. Wilds are represented by blue crystal balls, substitute for any symbol, and can contribute to more than one Hypercluster at the same time. Each time a wild lands on the reels, its spot is marked, saved, recorded.

Alchemy Fortunes: Slot Features

If you’ve played titles like Reactoonz 2, the core flow will feel familiar. In Alchemy Fortunes, the aim is to chain together enough consecutive wins to earn free spins. Along the way, modifiers activate at specific milestones to boost payouts, add a bit of excitement, and encourage you to keep pushing forward.

Beside the grid sits a meter that tracks how many winning symbols you’ve collected during a streak. It’s divided into 5 levels, as follows:

• 20 symbols unlock Level 1 awarding the Potion Swap. All high pay symbols on the grid transform into the same matching symbol.
• 40 symbols unlock Level 2 awarding the Summon Wilds feature. Here, 3-6 wilds are added to the grid in random positions.
• 60 symbols unlock Level 3 awarding Gem Crush which removes all low pay symbols from the grid.
• 80 symbols unlock level 4 awarding Alchemy of Wilds. New wilds are added to all recorded/highlighted wild positions previously landed in the sequence.
• 100 symbols unlock Level 5 awarding 5 free spins.

Free spins play much like the base game. The main differences are that Potion Swap always changes symbols to the top high paying symbol, and Summon Wilds always adds 5 wilds when it triggers. The same symbol collection meter stays active too, meaning another 5 free spins are awarded whenever 100 symbols or more are collected, just as before. In theory, free spins arrive once every 270 spins.

Alchemy Fortunes: Slot Verdict

First off, Alchemy Fortunes is a highly enjoyable, well-crafted slot, even before getting into the less impressive points. For example, trademarking such standard mechanics feels like money spent on lawyers rather than innovation. It began with Nobleways, which was a bold move considering it’s essentially just a pay all-ways setup found in countless other games.

That said, Alchemy Fortunes ends up being a genuinely fun grid slot. Modifiers appear at steady intervals, and the hit rate is high enough to keep you invested. You almost need that regular lift, because it can take some time for free spins to arrive. The overall upside isn’t huge, with max wins reaching about 1,100 times the bet on a single spin. Even so, the limited potential doesn’t dull the experience as much as you might expect. All41 have balanced the ingredients with real care, making it very easy to justify pressing spin “just one more time”.

Yes, the Hyperclusters trademarking feels a little unnecessary, and there are a few small drawbacks, but on the whole Alchemy Fortunes stands out as one of All41’s stronger releases. Perhaps grid slots are where the studio shines? Like a rebellious teenager emerging from a muddled Emo phase, this could be All41 figuring out who they are and where they fit.