Wings of Riches (NetEnt): Overview

During the research for this review, we ran into a surprising number of fairy-themed slots. It seems there’s a fairly small but energetic audience for this kind of game. Big, grand mythology slots are clearly a staple, yet there’s also room for the softer, more whimsical side of fantasy. NetEnt is the latest studio to sprout wings and join the action with Wings of Riches. Here, the focus is on fairies, insects, and plant life — and that description will either spark instant enthusiasm or make you recoil. With Wings of Riches, there’s rarely much in-between.

In typical NetEnt fashion, the visuals are polished, and the scene is packed with colour and movement. The vibe is like a magical midsummer strawberry ready to burst and dust everything in glitter. The see-through reels are scaled down and positioned at fairy level among huge blades of grass. The game runs on a 5-reel, 3-row setup with 20 fixed paylines, and the betting range is broad, starting at 20 c/p and climbing as high as $/€400 per spin. Volatility details weren’t available when this was written, though in play it comes across as a medium variance slot. Paired with an RTP of 96.5%, that usually translates to wins that land often but tend to be on the smaller side. Overall, the mechanics suit the game’s light, breezy theme perfectly.

Matching the lush green backdrop is a set of bright symbols designed specifically for the concept. At the lower end are three different flowers, while the mid-tier features three different bugs. The top-paying symbols are, as you’d expect, fairies — purple, green, gold, and pink. The final fairy pays up to 75 times the stake for five of a kind.

Wings of Riches (NetEnt): Features

Wings of Riches includes a couple of extra mechanics aimed at boosting the hit rate, and they’re heavily tied into the theme. The wild symbol, for instance, shows a pair of dandelion flowers. Yes, that’s exactly what it is. You may remember picking them as a kid and blowing to send the seeds drifting away. In the base game, the Dandelion Wilds create a similar kind of spread effect: they appear only on the three middle reels, and when they land, they expand to turn 2 – 4 nearby symbols into wilds too.

The scatter is the purple dragonfly, and landing 3 or more in the base game triggers 10 Free Spins. In free spins (which runs on a different reel set), a multiplier symbol is introduced. It shows up on the 5th reel and resembles a rising ladder made of falling flower bulbs. Every time the multiplier symbol lands, it increases the win multiplier by 1x, up to a maximum of 5x. Once the 5x multiplier is reached, the multiplier symbol is removed, and all remaining spins continue with the 5x multiplier boost.

The bonus round can be lengthened by hitting additional scatter symbols. If 2 Scatters land, 5 more free spins are added to the remaining total. If 3 Scatters land, the total is increased by 10 additional free spins.

Wings of Riches (NetEnt): Verdict

Every so often you find something so divisive that it tends to inspire either strong affection or instant dislike. Wings of Riches belongs in that group — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s part of what makes players’ preferences so varied. This slot sits squarely in the love-it-or-hate-it camp. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys titles like Butterfly Staxx 2 and Wild Pixies, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to like here too.

If the theme doesn’t appeal, though, it’s hard to point to a compelling reason to choose Wings of Riches. For the most part, payouts are modest, the visuals are fine but not especially striking, and the maths doesn’t generate much tension. The main path to a bigger result is reaching the 5x multiplier, but even then the max win in a single spin will be around 400x. With a few re-triggers on top, it can still produce some decent returns.

Even aiming for a balanced take — setting the theme aside and judging it purely on mechanics — Wings of Riches still doesn’t do much to raise the pulse. Casual players who enjoy the gentler, more playful end of fantasy can strap in and have fun. But anyone hunting for a high volatility, high potential monster of a slot won’t find it in this garden of fairies and flowers.