Ogre Empire from Betsoft Gaming: Slot Review - to smash or not to smash?

Visit a land of magical enchantment where kingdoms are home to Kings, Queens, Jokers, and a fearsome Ogre in this new release from software studio Betsoft Gaming. The Ogre in this game is most definitely not related to Shrek in any form whatsoever apart from sharing the same green skin as he lays waste to a magical kingdom. The good thing for the villagers of this kingdom is that he only terrorizes the place during the day and then proceeds to get some shuteye at night. This is when the villages come out to play and when the night time hits in this online slot then get ready to receive a whole host of magical rewards!

Ogre Empire is a 5 reel slot with 25 paylines that includes Spreading Wilds, Spreads Anywhere, Random Cascades, and a Double Up Bonus Game.

Special Features

The first feature to discuss is the Wild symbol and this symbol is represented by an image of the word “WILD” in front of a plant. Similar to most Wild symbols, the main function of this symbol is to substitute for all other symbols except for the Special Wilds, Sun, and Moon symbols.

The main attraction of this game is that it features a highly innovative day and night system where you can claim different rewards depending on what cycle you are in. The Day Mode is triggered when the large Sun symbol rises completely on the reels and Night will turn into day. In Day Mode, players benefit from a unique symbol which is a Sun Bloom Wild Flower which grows onto nearby symbols and spreads to turn 3 additional symbols into Wild symbols. During Day Mode, the Ogre is awake and he might also raise his club and smash the reels in a fit of rage. When this happens, stone symbols will be crushed to be replaced by new ones to provide players with even more opportunities to create new wins.

The Night Mode is activated when you land the Large Moon symbol fully on the reels. In Night Mode, the townsfolk come out to play as the Ogre sleeps. What this means for players is that the A/Q/K symbols are removed from the reels to be replaced by much higher paying symbols that feature a Joker, a King, and a Queen. The Joker symbol is of particular importance as it is a 2X Wild symbol that lands only on reels 2, 3, and 4. Land 3 of these symbols on the reels and you will bag yourself a nice 8X multiplier prize. The Night Mode also features a flower symbol called the Night Bloom Wild Flower. These flowers glow in the dark and can expand anywhere on reels to turn up to 3 other symbols Wild!

The last feature to discuss is the Double Up mode which is an optional bonus game which triggers whenever you land a win on the reels. In this risky mini-game, you get to gamble 50% or all your winnings on the flip of a coin by choosing Heads or Tails. Guess correctly and you will double your stake but be warned if you choose the wrong side of the coin then you will lose all your current winnings and be taken back to the main game.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

This game features fantastic 3-D rendered graphics as the game takes place in a magical kingdom with a clear blue sky overhead and a huge menacing Ogre standing right beside the reels. Symbols are superbly designed and feature a Mushroom, a Diamond, an Ogre, a King, a Queen, a Joker, a Club, Coins, Gems, as well as the standard A – K icons. The animations are excellent as symbols enlarge, rotate, and shine brightly when part of a winning combination. A special mention for when the Ogre smashes the reels with his club, it’s a real visual treat watching all the symbols crumble and disappear to be replaced by new ones.

The music is of a playful and charming affair. It ties in nicely with the fantasy theme of the slot.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game has 25 paylines, a decent RTP of 95.23%, and a maximum payout worth 1,000X your initial wager.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.25, 0.50, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00, 10.00, 15.00, 20.00, 25.00

Based on a bet of 0.25:

• King Symbol (Night): 1.00 for 3X, 2.50 for 4X, 10.00 for 5X
• Queen Symbol (Night): 1.00 for 3X, 2.50 for 4X, 7.50 for 5X
• Blue Diamond Symbol: 0.75 for 3X, 2.00 for 4X, 4.00 for 5X
• Ogre Symbol: 0.50 for 3X, 1.50 for 4X, 3.00 for 5X
• Gems Symbol: 0.25 for 3X, 1.00 for 4X, 2.00 for 5X
• Coins Symbol: 0.25 for 3X, 1.00 for 4X, 2.00 for 5X
• Club Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• Mushroom Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• A Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.75 for 5X
• K Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.75 for 5X
• Q Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X
• J Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X

Our Verdict on Ogre Empire

Betsoft Gaming produced this exciting fantasy-based online slot. It’s extremely fun to play, features amazing graphics as well as special night and day modes to keep the excitement levels up as you spin the reels. Both modes offer their own rewards but I really enjoyed the Night mode since it offers a Joker Wild symbol which nicely doubles your payout when part of a winning payline. I also enjoyed playing the Double Up bonus game but be sure to hit that Collect button when you are on a hot streak! The only downside of this online slot is that unfortunately it does not feature any Free Spins. I found Ogre Empire to be of Medium variance so it won’t take you that long to land a nice cash payout on the reels. For slots with a similar fantasy theme, check out Fire & Steel and Wins of Fortune.

Smash your way to a magical fortune when you play Ogre Empire!