Arthur’s Gold: Overview

Released in the middle of 2018, Gold Coin Studios debuted with their first slot, Arthur’s Gold, created in partnership with industry heavyweight Microgaming. Headed by a former IGT Vice President, the Reno-based team clearly has plenty of know-how, even if public details remain limited. For now, we’ll focus on their new title inspired by the classic stories of Arthur, his knights, the round table, and—apparently—his stash of gold.

Old chronicles may have skipped this part, but Arthur looks seriously wealthy here, judging by the huge heap of coins on display. Most players probably associate him with the quest for the Holy Grail rather than building a fortune, but that’s fine—this time it’s all about the coins. Gold Coin Studios definitely seems fond of them, so we’ll go along for the ride.

You can also spot some land-based influence from IGT in Arthur’s Gold, giving it a slightly traditional feel. Starting the slot immediately brought Edict’s Dragon’s Treasure to mind. The rest of the scene is an old hall visible around the edges of the 5-reel, 3-row layout. The interface stays nicely unobtrusive, and you can adjust stakes via the +/- buttons for spin costs of 20 p/c to $/€50.

Arthur’s Gold keeps the reels busy with plenty of characters, so it never feels empty. The effect is boosted by double premium symbols—rather than a single Arthur on a tile, you might see two, like a twin or lookalike. Alongside Arthur, the premium lineup includes Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Viviane, while J-A royals make up the lower pays. To win, symbols must land at least three of a kind on one of the 20 paylines.

As noted, premium symbols can appear in doubled form, which can massively change what a win is worth. A standard five-of-a-kind with any premium pays 2.5x the stake. But when doubled into 10 of a kind, payouts jump to 50x – 125x the stake. It’s reminiscent of the approach Just for the Win used in Tweethearts and the clone Double Lucky Line, except in Arthur’s Gold the double symbols can show up anywhere.

The slot also includes two wilds: a regular wild and a special wild that appears only during the bonus. Wilds substitute for any normal pay symbol, and 2, 3, 4, or 5 wilds on a payline pay 2x, 6x, 30x, or 500x the stake. Importantly, when wilds substitute for premium symbols, they count as double symbols.

On the math side, Arthur’s Gold starts with an RTP of 96.19%. The hit rate is fairly strong at 30.21%—just under 1 in 3—so wins show up regularly. You’ll want that frequency, since most standard hits are small unless double symbols come into play. The model is highly volatile, and it can deliver chunky payouts when it heats up, which is most likely to happen during the features.

Arthur’s Gold: Features

The top way to scoop up those coins is by activating the Arthur’s Gold Free Spins Bonus. It triggers when 3, 4, or 5 treasure chest scatters land, awarding 2x, 5x, or 10x the stake plus 10 free spins. In free spins, a new special wild is added, and it can land on reels 2, 3, or 4. When it hits, it expands to fill the entire reel and triggers a respin.

If another special wild appears during a respin, it expands as well and then locks in place for another respin. Up to 3 consecutive respins are technically possible, and they don’t consume any of the free spins. One last condition: Scatters only show up in the base game, so the bonus cannot be extended or retriggered.

Finally, there’s the Double Up feature, where players can predict a coin toss outcome to double (or lose) any base game win or the total collected during free spins. Double Up can be used once per win, provided the current win is no more than $/€5,000.

Arthur’s Gold: Verdict

So, does Arthur’s treasure actually spill over for players he deems deserving? To a degree, yes. Expanding wilds may not be a fresh concept, but here they pair nicely with the double symbols to create bigger-than-usual combinations and pleasing returns. Better still, because wilds count as two premium symbols, they help build not only 5+ symbol lines, but also plenty of 3- and 4-symbol hits that keep the pace up and the bankroll moving.

Looking at the enormous mound of treasure on the screen naturally raises the question: what’s the upside in Arthur’s Gold? With potential of over 4,000 times the stake, strong wins can happen, even if it doesn’t quite match the overflowing gold-pile promise.

Overall, Arthur’s Gold is a respectable first appearance here from Gold Coin Studios. The developer has put work into most parts of the experience without obviously prioritizing one area at the expense of another. The main possible drawback is that some players may not find the win ceiling especially thrilling.

Players who consider themselves ‘high volatility players’—as Gold Coin describes them in the game’s pitch—may hesitate if they view the max win as a bit restrained, even though the volatility swings are certainly present to provide both tension and excitement.