The Shadow Order (Push Gaming): Review

Other than Immortal Guild, which takes its inspiration from the slot Ice Breakers, Push Gaming hasn’t really delivered a brand-new, original release since summer 2018, when the high-ceiling disco smash Jammin’ Jars landed. It’s easy to imagine the studio was a little swamped by the attention that title attracted, and that the sudden surge in popularity may even have caught them off guard.

In any case, Jammin’ Jars is now widely regarded as one of the finest online slots ever launched, and it has been churning out outrageous wins at a rate we’ve rarely seen elsewhere. If Push Gaming feels the need to match its newer status as a top-tier developer, it’s understandable they’ve chosen to take their time rather than rush.

The team’s newest release spins a tale of enigmas and ciphers, centred on an ancient secret society hidden beneath the everyday world. Powered by Push Gaming, The Shadow Order is a 5×5 cluster slot with cascading symbols, where you win by connecting three or more matching symbols that touch horizontally or vertically. After a win, the winning symbols disappear and fresh ones drop in, continuing the cascade chain for as long as new winning groups keep forming.

It’s loaded with features and can throw a variety of gameplay modifiers your way, such as clearing out low-value symbols, adding extra wilds, and making premium symbols sticky. You’ll also be aided by the four members of the secret order—Molly, Billy, Archie, and Amarillo—each capable of bringing additional boosts. On top of that, there’s a free spins round with a rising multiplier that can lead to huge payouts. The game is available on all devices with stakes ranging from 10 cents and 100€ per spin.

The Shadow Order is impeccably produced, with outstanding detail throughout, and a soundtrack blending tension and intrigue with a hint of the unknown. Set within a hedge-maze garden at a grand mansion, the grid features symbols like coins, chess pieces, cryptex cylinders, Illuminati books, and golden coin rings. The golden coin rings are the top regular symbol, paying 120 times your stake for a 5 of a kind. The wild appears as a gold star with the all-seeing eye and pays 300 times your stake for 5 of a kind.

The Shadow Order (Push Gaming): Features

The Shadow Order is about as packed with mechanics as today’s slots get, so brace yourself as we run through them. Early on, you’ll notice three vibrant Orbs above the grid—build up a cascade streak and these enchanted orbs drop onto the grid, acting as wilds and shifting downward and to the right whenever an empty space allows. If no further wins occur, the orbs leave the grid, though they can also be used to activate the free spins feature.

You’ll also spot three hotspot areas positioned around the grid. When an orb reaches a hotspot, it triggers the corresponding effect:

• Orb of Destruction (Blue) – all lower value symbols are removed and a new symbol cascade is played.
• Orb of Creation (Green) – 3 to 6 wilds are randomly added to the grid.
• Orb of Preservation (Purple) – all of the highest value symbols are held, including orbs, while a series of cascades are played. This continues as long as new matching symbols appear in view.

The Shadow Order revolves around 4 characters, each with a distinct ability you can take advantage of in the base game. This is called the Character feature. You begin with one character active, and you can improve and unlock the remaining three by collecting ring symbols that fill the meter located at the lower right of the grid. These modifiers can trigger at random on any spin, providing the following:

• The Messenger – Molly will fully charge the 1st orb and clear the top row. This will allow the orb to fall in.
• The Gambler – Billy has the power to convert low-value symbols into the premiums that are in view on the grid.
• The Spy – Archie will give you 1 wild symbol on each column.
• The Magister – Amarillo initiates a cascade with high paying symbols only.

Lastly, the Free Spins feature activates once all 3 orbs have been collected by dropping down the grid and reaching the collection tile in the bottom right-hand corner. You begin with 5 spins, and the orb symbols stay fully charged and ready to drop in, turning into sticky wilds when they land. In addition, each time an orb reaches the collection tile, the win multiplier to the right of the grid increases, and if all 3 orbs are collected, 2+ spins are added to your total. Medium variance, the free spins round can produce wins of more than 24,000 times your stake if you manage to build that multiplier.

The Shadow Order (Push Gaming): Verdict

With its layered mechanics, careful artwork, and the brain-bending maths that must sit behind it all, it’s easy to understand why Push Gaming took its time finishing The Shadow Order. This is clearly a complex slot, and you’ll want to consult the paytable if you’d like to fully grasp everything happening. If you can’t be bothered, that’s fine too—despite its depth, The Shadow Order doesn’t ask you to make active choices like whether to gamble a feature, so you can simply spin and let the game do the rest.

After spending a couple of hours with it, we began to pick up some Moon Princess (Play’n GO) vibes, mainly because of how the orbs operate and how you can sometimes sense whether they’re likely to align and trigger the bonus. Even so, The Shadow Order highlights Push Gaming’s creativity at full tilt and feels like a must-play entry in the studio’s increasingly strong catalogue. Some players will inevitably bounce off its modern style, but those who give it a chance may quickly find themselves pulled into this expertly crafted experience.

Don’t Miss

If you want more cluster pays fun from Push Gaming, make sure you also try their two massive hits Jammin’ Jars and the follow-up Jammin’ Jars 2, which features wins of up to 50,000 times your bet.