Vampires (Merkur): Review

When most people picture vampires, they tend to imagine the savage, snarling, pale, fang-filled monsters seen across films and TV shows. One of those does appear on the reels of this Merkur slot, but he isn’t really the main focus of how the game plays. Instead, Vampires seems to follow a girl who has become lost deep in a forest, wandering until she reaches an ancient palace. Inside, she comes across assorted trinkets and gothic curiosities before finally encountering the vampire himself. It’s a fairly simple storyline and one that’s been used many times before, but it suits the game well enough.

Vampires runs on a standard video slot setup of 5 reels, 3 rows and 5 paylines. The paylines are fixed, so there’s no option to adjust them in any way. Rather than changing lines, you simply alter your stake per spin using the control in the bottom-left of the screen. This lets you pick bets ranging from 0.10 and €/$10 per spin.

As is typical for Merkur, the presentation leans into a retro style reminiscent of classic land-based casino machines. Even so, the visuals still pop, with a thorny, overgrown forest shown in the background. On the reels you’ll find the lower-value 10 to A royals, alongside a gothic goblet and a blue-jewelled dagger. The palace lit by night also appears as a symbol in Vampires. However, the top-paying regular symbol is the girl travelling through the forest and into the palace. If 5 of her land on a winning pay line, she can boost your bet by up to 1,000 times your stake.

Vampires (Merkur): Features

The first feature included in Vampires is the Scattered Wild Symbol. This role is taken by the vampire himself, and as a wild he can substitute for all other symbols in the slot. Since he also functions as a Scatter Symbol, he can land anywhere on the reels and still pay out. For instance, if 5 vampire wilds appear across the reels, you’ll receive a payout worth 200x your bet.

The vampire symbol is also responsible for triggering the slot’s Free Spins bonus round. Whenever 3 or more of it land in any positions, you’ll be awarded 15 Free Spins. During this feature, the Scattered Wild gains an extra benefit. It will not only substitute for standard symbols, but also transform them as well. The nine base symbols will turn into Wild Symbols whenever they create a winning combination, leading to bigger payout potential throughout Free Spins.

The final special feature in Vampires that deserves mention is the Gamble Rounds. These start automatically whenever you land a winning combination in the base game. Provided the win does not include a wild symbol, you can choose to play one of the gamble options. The first is the card game, where a face-down card is shown and you must guess whether it will be red or black when revealed. If you guess correctly, the win from the triggering spin is doubled. The other option is the ladder gamble round. Here, a ladder with different values is displayed, and you try to stop the flashing light on a higher value to increase your win amount.

Vampires (Merkur): Verdict

It’s fair to say that Vampires by Merkur uses a well-worn slot theme and doesn’t do a great deal to expand on it. While that’s partly accurate, the game still has a distinct charm that helps it stand out. Since launching in May 2017, it has become a classic Merkur release and one of the provider’s most popular titles, likely thanks to its retro visuals, easy-to-follow gameplay, high volatility and, above all, the entertaining free spins feature which, on every spin, raises the possibility of hitting huge wins.

If you enjoy retro slots and have somehow overlooked Vampires, it’s worth giving it a spin. Like many Merkur games, it can feel a little choppy and plain at first, but once you trigger your first free spins round, you’ll see why it has such a following.