Dark King: Forbidden Riches: Overview

Developer NetEnt delves into a darker corner of its catalogue with the richly moody Dark King: Forbidden Riches, a slot drenched in doom and gloom and driven by a math model that tends to grind you down with lots of smaller hits rather than delivering a single dramatic decapitation. That may not sound inviting, yet it works well for lighter play inside a seriously shadowy setting, with sticky wilds, multipliers, and free spins providing the main hooks.

NetEnt does a strong job of giving the game a genuine creep factor. Much of that comes from the Dark King himself, who looks strikingly Sauron-like, clad in plate armour and glowing ominously through a narrow eye slit. The downside is that there isn’t much extra material to support the theme, so NetEnt leaves the slot to do most of the storytelling. It would have been great to see more narrative, added suspense, or a clearer sense of purpose. As it is, you’re dropped straight into the lair of an evil force known as the Dark King. That’s essentially the setup, so we’ll do the rest.

The action unfolds in the King’s lair on a 5-reel, 20-payline grid that resembles the Frey’s hall room in Game of Thrones. The one where the infamous Red Wedding went down before Arya dealt with the backstabbers. Thankfully, Dark King: Forbidden Riches doesn’t sink to those levels of depravity, but it still has plenty of personality. Candles everywhere, eerie heads beneath the reels, and the soundtrack all combine to build a vivid scene. Fantasy fans should feel right at home.

Dark King: Forbidden Riches runs smoothly on any device and offers a broad betting range. You can spin the waxy old reels from as low as 20 p/c and as high $/€400 a pop. Gameplay is set at medium to high volatility, which can help players stretch their time in the lair. You may need it, because free spins don’t show up especially often, although the RTP of 96.06% delivers an above-average return.

At the lower end, the paytable features 10 to Ace card royals styled in a chunky gothic font. Hit five on a payline and you’ll collect 2.5 to 5 times your stake. Above them sit four minions you definitely wouldn’t want to meet on a dark, stormy hilltop, along with their master, the Dark King. Each looks like a final boss in their own right, and they pay 12.5 to 25 times the bet.

The swirling aqua orb matches the King’s value, while also substituting for any symbol except the scatter. The wild connects directly to both features, so we’ll cover everything you need to know next.

Dark King: Forbidden Riches: Features

Sticky wilds and multipliers are what this game is all about—best case, you’ll see them both in play together. In the base game, whenever 2 or more wilds land in view, a multiplier switches on. The multiplier value equals the number of wilds you can see, up to x5 maximum. Wins are then calculated and boosted by that multiplier.

Keep an eye out for the red gem scatter symbols landing anywhere on the reels. Landing 3, 4 or 5 triggers 10, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. Free spins start by placing a hot spot pattern over the reels. This is a fixed cross-shaped area positioned across reels 2, 3 and 4.

While the feature is running, any wild that lands inside the cross-shaped hot spot turns into a sticky wild. On top of that, each new sticky wild adds +1 free spin to the total and stays locked in place until the feature ends. Multipliers can still occur, and they’re worked out using both regular wilds and sticky wilds on the reels. The top multiplier remains x5.

Dark King: Forbidden Riches: Verdict

NetEnt leans hard into the darkness here, or as they put it, ‘Something wicked this way comes‘. While that line is also the title of Ray Bradbury’s thriller about a warped travelling circus, it fits the mood perfectly. Dark King: Forbidden Riches doesn’t have the same sheen as Yggdrasil’s tour de force Hades Gigablox, and it isn’t laced with humour either, but it does carry a sense of mystery. Alongside the grimy visuals, the audio does a lot of heavy lifting, shifting from secrecy and curiosity to discovery and then into an almost religious crescendo. It feels cinematic, and it’s a strong showing from NetEnt’s sound team.

Most of the time, the gameplay is fairly straightforward. The base game gets a lift from the wild multiplier mechanic, which occasionally drops a pleasing win to keep things moving. Naturally, the real target is the free spins round, where Sticky Wilds and multipliers combine. If fortune favours you, wins of up to 2,000 times your stake per spin are theoretically on the table. That said, outcomes are often on the smaller side, and realistically you’ll be doing well to walk away with around 100x-200x during free spins. Ultimately, Dark King: Forbidden Riches feels like one of those ‘egg-timer’ slots, steadily draining your balance while giving the impression that a turnaround is unlikely.

Still, if you’re looking for a fantasy-themed slot, Dark King: Forbidden Riches has plenty going for it. The visuals and sound are clear highlights, but there’s also something more subtle that makes Dark King stand out. There’s an underlying menace, or a deeper idea that NetEnt hints at without fully revealing. Whatever the intent, Dark King: Forbidden Riches is an enjoyable enough slot. It won’t break records or become essential viewing, but the bonus game is entertaining, and overall it’s worth braving the Dark King’s lair for a sinister spin or two. Just don’t linger too long while chasing wins.