Pirate Kingdom Megaways (Iron Dog Studio): Overview

Apologies in advance, but it’s time to crack open the pirate phrasebook and lean into a few well-worn lines. We can thank Iron Dog Studio for this swashbuckling outing, which also happens to be their first slot to use the Megaways engine under license from Big Time Gaming. Pirate slots are everywhere, and so are Megaways titles. So what do you get when you combine two crowd-pleasers like these?

At first glance, it’s a bit underwhelming. Visually, it’s perfectly decent, with the 6 reel layout set against a suitably ‘piratey’ sunset scene on the open sea. The symbols have a bold, chunky, old-school style, and while they look a little odd at first, they do become more appealing over time. Megaways brings its trademark big figures, with up to 7 symbols per reel creating between 64 and 117,649 win ways. There’s also a cascade mechanic where winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in, letting multiple wins chain together from a single spin.

In the paytable, the lower tier is made up of pirate-style 10 – A card royals. Above them come a wheel, chest, male pirate, female pirate, and a weathered captain, paying 25 times the stake for six of a kind on a payline. Bets range from 20 c/p per spin or as high as $/€25. As is typical for Megaways slots, the cascades do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to squeezing value out of the lower-paying symbols.

An above-average RTP of 96.20% is a nice boost, and while the volatility is high, the hit rate helps keep wins coming with reasonable regularity. Pirates may not be known for staying calm, which makes it mildly amusing that Pirate Kingdom Megaways arrives with volatility set to medium. Overall, it feels like Iron Dog Studio has played things safe for their first Megaways release.

Pirate Kingdom Megaways (Iron Dog Studio): Features

The game includes two separate wild types. The first is a regular wild that can land on rows 2-6 and substitutes for any standard symbol. The second behaves the same way, but it also carries a x2 Multiplier. Up to 3 of these can apply at the same time, resulting in a x8 multiplier.

Even though the wilds are a solid addition, the real upside is found in the bonus round. This is the Free Spins feature, and it can be triggered in two different ways. The main (and most welcome) route is simply through luck. Whenever a win hits, an anchor appears in the box above the reels. Collect 4 anchors from consecutive tumbles and you’ll receive 8 free spins. If additional wins keep cascading from that same spin, each one grants a further 2 free spins, up to a maximum of 14.

In the bonus, wins continue to generate anchors. When four anchors are collected from tumbles, 2 extra free spins are awarded. Players also gain 2 spins for every tumble win after that – with no cap on the total that can be added. The key reason the free spins round is both valuable and sought-after is the presence of an increasing win multiplier that begins at x1. This unlimited multiplier is where the slot really comes alive and starts to click.

Called the Locked Reel feature, if 7 symbols land on a reel, that reel becomes locked at 7 symbols high for the rest of the free spins. Each time a reel locks, it also increases the multiplier by 1x, whether or not the spin produced a win. The game also kindly triggers a re-spin if a reel lock happens on what would have been the final free spin.

The progressive multiplier also increases by 1x for every winning tumble. The best part is that it doesn’t reset to x1 on a new spin; it only ever rises. There’s technically no ceiling to how high it can go, so when things are flowing, it can become genuinely thrilling.

The other way to access free spins is by choosing the Bonus Buy option. It can be expensive, but you can adjust the setup and pay less in exchange for fewer free spins:

• 130x the stake gets 10 free spins and 1 locked reel, or 90x to forgo the locked reel.
• 80x the stake gets 8 free spins and 1 locked reel, or 50x to forgo the locked reel.
• 40x the stake gets 6 free spins and 1 locked reel, or 30x to forgo the locked reel.

Pirate Kingdom Megaways (Iron Dog Studio): Verdict

Pirate Kingdom Megaways is a pleasantly restrained addition to an already crowded Megaways landscape. As has often been the case, studios tend to avoid going too far off-script on their first attempt with this engine, and the same applies here. Iron Dog Studio has nailed the fundamentals, which matters most, but it doesn’t push much beyond that.

That said, there are a couple of genuinely appealing highlights. The reel lock mechanic in free spins paired with the unlimited progressive multiplier works well and gives the slot a good reason to try it. Iron Dog Studio clearly understands these features can be a strong draw and has smartly included the buy-in option to lure players in. Is it better to grind it out with regular spins or pay for quicker access? As always, buy-ins can swing either way. Still, the slot offers a solid maximum win of 40,000 times the stake, so you’ll want as many multipliers on your side as you can get.

With this release, Iron Dog Studio seems to be thinking long-term. It’s a competent slot that won’t put players off with too many bold ideas, but it also won’t turn heads for originality. After this careful first Megaways outing, it’ll be interesting to see how they develop the formula next time.

Another Megaways debut title worth checking out if you’re into these kinds of slots is Iron Dog’s second use of Megaways called Megaways Jack or Black Gold Megaways from Stakelogic which uses a more traditional Megaways layout.