Empire Fortune (Yggdrasil Gaming): Overview

Empire Fortune is a lavish slot from Yggdrasil Gaming that launched in 2016, and it comes with jackpots that suit its larger-than-life style. The whole theme revolves around luxury, overflowing with gold, gems, and treasure. It feels like walking into a dazzling Venetian masquerade—or at least a Vegas-style version of one. That said, it’s not just about looks. Empire Fortune packs in a wide range of features, many of which are implemented in fairly original ways. Still, the headline attraction is the global progressive jackpot, which can climb into the millions and will draw players in regardless of anything else. Beyond that, Empire Fortune has a few notable twists worth exploring.

Yggdrasil leans hard into the flashy aesthetic here. The 5 reel, 3 row gameplay is set in what looks like a grand court or ballroom filled with extravagant decor. The reels are heavily ornamented, and even the control panel where you set your wager is styled to match. Bets run from 10 p/c to $/€100 per spin, with 5.5% allocated to funding the jackpots. The symbols also fit the high-end theme. Lower-value icons are card suits—diamonds, clubs, hearts, and spades—designed to resemble gemstones. The four premium symbols are even more jewel-like, brighter, and framed in gold. They come in blue, green purple and red, with the red paying the most at 125 times the stake for five of a kind.

The return to player figure matches its sister title Joker Millions at 94.3%. That’s not especially high, but it’s also fairly typical for a slot tied to a progressive jackpot. Volatility is set to medium/high, and the hit frequency sits at 23.3%. In theory, the Jackpot Wheel feature should appear about once every 81 spins. That’s more than twice as frequent as the expected free spins trigger rate of 1/199, which is helpful since the Jackpot Wheel is where the biggest win opportunities are found.

Empire Fortune (Yggdrasil Gaming): Features

Empire Fortune includes a strong selection of features. Some can occur in the base game, while others must be triggered. One base-game option is the Hold feature. If 2 free spins or 2 bonus symbols land, players may pay 3 times the stake to keep those positions locked for the next spin. It essentially offers another shot at activating a feature, though it comes at a cost. If used during free spins, the player receives one extra free spin to use the Hold feature. Hold can only be used once consecutively—except in one scenario. If 2 free spins or bonus symbols land while you’re already holding 2, then all 4 can be held.

You need at least 3 scatter symbols to start the Free Spins round. More scatters improve the setup: 3 award 10 free spins with a x2 multiplier, 4 award 20 free spins with a 4x multiplier, and 5 scatters grant 30 free spins with a 10x multiplier.

As for the bonus symbol, landing 3 or more activates the Jackpot Wheel feature. This over-the-top, wedding cake-style wheel has three tiers. Each tier is covered in prize icons and finished with a large red gem at the top. Players begin by spinning the bottom tier. If it stops on a prize icon, that reward is paid. If it lands on an arrow, you advance to the next tier where the prizes improve. There are plenty of possible outcomes here, including:

• The global progressive Empire Jackpot.
• The local Diamond Jackpot.
• The local Gold Jackpot.
• Coin win of 40 to 2,500 coins.
• Coin win of 20 to 500 coins, plus a respin of the wheel.
• 10 – 30 free spins with a x2 – x10 multiplier.
• Fireworks feature where 3, 6, or 12 rockets are fired off. They land on other prizes, including the jackpots, and the player collects all of them.
• A mystery win of between 250 and 5,000 coins.

Yggdrasil Gaming says players won’t have come across a bonus wheel with this many engaging elements, and that’s a fair claim. The cake-like wheel is packed with prize options, including multiple jackpot possibilities.

Empire Fortune (Yggdrasil Gaming): Verdict

Empire Fortune offers a lot of moving parts, but the progressive jackpot remains the clear centerpiece, with the potential to reach truly life-changing levels. It has a track record as a millionaire-making slot. For example, at the end of 2018, a Swedish player landed the jackpot after it had grown to massive heights. The win wasn’t quite as big as the one taken 13 days earlier by another Swede, but the €2.25 million payout would still be an incredible early Christmas present for anyone.

The other game involved in that story was Joker Millions –another Yggdrasil tittle. Even compared to Joker Millions, Empire Fortune’s non-jackpot win potential is relatively limited. The maximum payout is €400,000 or 1,300 times the stake. That feels a bit unexpected considering how feature-heavy the game is. With a x10 multiplier available during the 30 free spins, you might expect stronger returns.

Even so, modest base-game potential won’t deter players who are chasing the jackpot. And with the possibility of wins exceeding €2 million, Empire Fortune remains a compelling option. It may not be the most famous title out there, but it can still deliver the kind of dream win many gamblers hope for.