Sails of Fortune: Slot Overview

Developer Relax Gaming sets sail for the open ocean with a pirate-themed release called Sails of Fortune. On the surface it appears fairly classic, yet as you’d expect from Relax, the free spins round introduces some clever twists—mystery symbol stacks and boosted ways to win. Those elements are central to unlocking the larger prizes on offer, which can be substantial. Pirate slots are a crowded genre, so it’s time to see what kind of magic Relax Gaming has used to help this one stand apart.

Running on 5 reels with 243 ways to win, the layout sits on top of what must be the tidiest pirate ship ever to cross the seven seas. Either the crew “borrowed” a pristine vessel, or the captain insists on spotless decks at all times. Whatever the story, it’s so polished it almost feels a touch plain. Some studios go gritty with pirate themes; Relax, on the other hand, seems to take “Jolly Roger” at face value. The finishing touch is an upbeat soundtrack that gives the whole thing more of a holiday party-boat vibe than a menacing cannon-lined galleon packed with ruthless looters. The mood improves once free spins arrive and the sun sets—then it leans into a darker Monkey Island-style atmosphere.

With Highly volatile gameplay, Sails of Fortune depends on multiple features working together to deliver the biggest wins. Before diving into those, note that the RTP is offered in two versions: a default of 96.17%, plus a higher 96.65% when the bonus buy is enabled – more on that below. Bets range from 10 p/c to $/€50 per spin, and the game is playable on any device for anyone ready to chase treasure.

Looking at the paytable, there are 9 standard symbols used to form wins. Payouts land when at least 2 captains or 3 of any other symbol connect left to right, starting from reel one. At the lower end are 4 card suits carved into wooden planks, followed by higher-value fish bones, messages in bottles, harpoons, a lady, and a gentleman pirate. If 5 premium symbols hit in a line, they pay 1.5 to 8 times the stake. Sails of Fortune also continues the no-wild approach, instead leaning on mystery symbols to raise the win potential.

Sails of Fortune: Slot Features

The feature set in Sails of Fortune includes Mystery Map Respins, which can trigger at any time, and Treasure Hunt Free Spins. The free spins round is where the game can dramatically increase reel height and the number of ways to win.

Question marks represent the Mystery Map symbols, and landing 1 or more on any reel triggers a Mystery Map Respin. During each respin, the mystery symbols transform into the same paying symbol, then shift one reel to the left until they drop off the first reel. Respins keep going for as long as a Mystery Map Symbol remains visible on the reels.

Even though Mystery Map Respins can appear in the base game, Sails of Fortune is largely focused on its bonus round. Called Treasure Hunt Free Spins, it begins when 3 or more skeleton key scatters land anywhere, awarding 8 free spins (+1 extra spin for every additional key).

Along with awarding Respins and moving left as explained above, mystery symbols that land during the bonus gain an extra perk: they expand to fill the whole reel they appear on. Also watch for Treasure chest coin symbols that can show up on reel 5. Every 3 coins collected upgrades the mystery symbol, adding an extra position up to a maximum height of 6 symbols. If mystery symbols appear on every reel, 7,776 ways to win become available. Each time the mystery symbol expansion is upgraded, +1 free spin is added.

A feature buy may also be offered where permitted. Paying 70x the total stake sends players straight into Treasure Hunt Free Spins. Entering the bonus this way also means it runs at a slightly higher RTP of 96.56%.

Sails of Fortune: Slot Verdict

On balance, the strengths beat the weaknesses, though Sails of Fortune can leave a slightly unsatisfied feeling after a session. One drawback is that the base game isn’t especially engaging. It could be the heavy use of wooden visuals and low-value symbols, paired with a background that doesn’t do much. Or it may be that Mystery Symbols stay at a 1×1 size in the base game, so they rarely contribute much without expansion. Either way, the main game can feel like a slog, which makes the bonus buy particularly tempting—as is often the case with a Relax title.

When free spins kick in, everything steps up a level. It really is a night-and-day change, and even the scenery becomes more appealing. Just remember that Mystery Symbol stacks are still mystery symbols rather than wilds, so they need a good dose of luck to create something exceptional. With more than one active, unless they land next to each other, they’re not always great at generating huge wins. Put simply, it’s a highly volatile mechanic that tends to reserve its best moments for the biggest hits.

The win-all-ways format helps, rather than relying on a small set of fixed paylines. It’s also possible in theory for all 5 reels during free spins to show mystery symbols, though testing only produced a maximum of 3. If the perfect setup happens and 5 fully expanded mystery stacks reveal the top-paying captain symbols, a massive haul of 25,000x the bet is on the table. Of course, a lot needs to align perfectly for that outcome.

Ultimately, Sails of Fortune does bring something a bit different for pirate-slot fans. It’s missing that extra spark that would make it truly top-tier—perhaps the base game is simply too clean—but the free spins round can deliver some excellent moments.