Slot Zulu King — Game Review
Zulu Gold
Follow ELK Studio’s brave explorer Kane on his next big adventure with Zulu Gold. Zulu Gold slot game is inspired by the Zulu people in Southern Africa, which sets this slot as an enriching and engaging experience where you can win big with the many bonus features on offer. Being set amongst the wild animals from Africa, expect multipliers and wilds aplenty. This exotic gameplay is sure to get you excited, and the bonus game features available will keep you on your toes. Looking for gold? Join Kane now on one more quest for gold with Zulu Gold available to play on Casino442.
Key Features
Zulu’s Treasures
Zulu Gold is a slot game with several unique features that can keep the most seasoned players on their toes. ELK Studio has delivered from the gorgeous graphics, a movie-epic soundtrack, dynamic reels, 4×4 symbol blocks, and multiplier free drops. The studios have been able to add this to their list of uniquely immersive gameplays following their well-respected intrepid explorer, Kane.
The Zulu People are a Nguni ethnic group of 10-12 million situated in South Africa and Lesotho in Africa. This has set it apart from other African themed slots, as the Zulu culture is explored and inspired throughout the gameplay. The reel is situated underground, surrounded by decorated pillars, weapons and treasure covered in dust – as if this area was the resting place of long lost Royalty. You’d be forgiven if you think it has been plucked directly from an Indiana Jones movie! Behind the reels itself is a pile of gold and treasure, enticing you into the expansive wins you could achieve in this slot game.
The theming continues into the soundtrack. The African rhythmic, pulsating music sets the tone and fully brings you into the adventure with Kane. Several games with an African theme tend to have an overpowering soundtrack, but not with Zulu Gold. Zulu Gold’s soundtrack contributes towards the gaming experience rather than takeaway. It’s pulsating and dark – dropping you right into the action.
Symbol
Match 3
Match 4
Match 5
Match 6
How to Play
Zulu Gold is available to be played across all devices. So, whatever you prefer to play on, Zulu Gold is available on Casino442. ELK Studios put their efforts towards mobile user experience, making Zulu Gold best played on mobile devices. You can drop between 0.20 to 100 coins per bet which you can adjust to the left-hand side of the reel. In addition, there is an autoplay function that is entirely customisable to your taste which can be activated by holding on the Spin button or using the Auto Spin button. Zulu Gold is a highly volatile game, which creates some long win streaks and frequent changes to the grid. The maximum win is 10,000x the total bet – up to 262,144 ways to win.
Payouts are created by matching up to 3 to 6 symbols, bet lines are paid from left to right, and only the highest win per active bet is paid out. Symbols further add towards the African theme, with cave/rock paintings 1×1-4×4 and premium symbols such as buffalos, rhinoceros, elephants, and Kane himself.
Tribal theming means that there are numerous wilds to be found in Zulu Gold, and they substitute any of the pay symbols. The bonus features you will come across are regular wilds, Charged Wilds, Wild Walker, Avalanches, Stacks and Multiplier Free Drops – all of which we will go on to speak about in full further in this review.
Bonus Features
Avalanche mechanic is a feature of several ELK Studio games, which many players will be familiar with. It is activated when a winning combination appears, matching symbols are smashed off the reels, and the new ones drop in to replace them. As well as this, a new row is added on, and this can go on for 8 additional rows in total. This continues until there are no more winning combinations, and it reverts back to the standard 4 rows you start off with.
The Wild Walker frequently occur between Avalanches. Wild Walker is a symbol that might appear in any symbol drop. It moves randomly as soon as the symbol drop is completed and leaves a trail of wilds behind, and after that, the potential wins are collected. They remain fixed on the reel and cannot be replaced by 4×4 symbols.
Charged Wilds are activated and persistent between free drops in bonus mode. It is a 1×1 sized wild symbol that gives you extra lives. It does this by consuming lives when it contributes toward one or more winning combinations, eventually turning into a normal wild when only one life remains on the grid.
A Zulu Stack can be activated at any point on the grid. When it appears, you will see anywhere between 2-4 symbols that add extra symbols onto a row and boost the more ways to win. However, they will not replace Wild Walker, Charged Wild and the bonus symbol.
When you land three or more scatter symbols, the Multiplier Free Drops feature will present itself. This is the bonus game feature, which starts at the 4 rows. Once a winning set is achieved, another row is activated:
- 3 bonus symbols: 10 free drops
- 4 bonus symbols: 15 free drops
- 5 bonus symbols: 20 free drops
- 6 bonus symbols: 25 free drops
The multiplier symbol only appears in the bonus game and contains a random multiplier. 3 or more in views sums the multipliers and adds them to the total progressive multiplier. The addition is done before the payout of the current symbol drop, after which the multiplier symbols become inactive. Additional multiplier symbols within the same free drop reactivate all multiplier symbols in view and sum them again. This will end when the maximum number of drops has been reached, or there are no more winning streaks.
Summary
Zulu Gold follows after several successful adventures with Kane the explorer, which may have put it at a disadvantage as these games are held to a high standard. However, Zulu Gold does not disappoint and could be argued to be one of the best games in the ‘Gold’ series. With the generous offering of six bonus features, it is sure to be an action-packed whirlwind for any player. If you want to join Kane on his next quest, play Zulu Gold now on Casino442.
Summary
FAQ
Q. Are you able to play Zulu Gold on your mobile?
A. Yes! Zulu Gold is compatible on all desktop and mobile devices with Casino442. We offer a range of games at Casino442 that are compatible with smartphones across Windows, iOS and Android.
Q. How do I deposit money to play Zulu Gold on Casino442 for real money?
A. There are a variety of options for depositing real money safely and securely. Casino442 will take credit and debit cards, among other online payment methods such as PayPal and Pay via Phone!
Q. What is the Return to Player of Zulu Gold?
A. The RTP is 95% which is relatively standard. There are more opportunities in the bonus features to win big.
Zulu Gold Slot Review
Elk Studios bring you another big and powerful slot game in this Zulu Gold slot with a top win of 10,000x your bet.
Set in the middle of South Africa, you’ve been invited as an intrepid explorer to face the Zulu Warriors and the wild of the continents.
All in all, this is a beautiful slot theme, made all the more beautiful by the fact that any of the symbols can come in blocks from 1x to 5×5, or even as stacks of 2 or 3 symbols high.
4096 ways to win with every win giving you more
5 rows give you 15,625 ways to win. Keep getting wins and you’ll get the maximum of 8 rows with 262,144 ways to win.
That’s why you need those Mega Symbols and those Stacked Wilds; you need to get multiple wins from left to right to make the paytable worth your while.
This is helped by getting 3 wild symbols; a normal wild, a charged wild that stays on screen for up to 3 wins in an avalanche, and the wild walker.
The Wild Walker spreads around randomly for up to 4 symbols all around.
Is the Zulu Gold slot any good?
Elk Studios slots are rarely boring – just take a look at the Tropicool review or the Nitropolis 2 slot game. But what they have been recently is very high variance.
On the downside the wins are hard to find in the base game, coming slowly or at best 10x or 20x your bet. You can find more, but it’s hard.
The bright side is that things get more interesting in the free spins bonus because 3 scatters trigger 10 free spins. Only this time around the number of rows doesn’t reset between spins.
So getting enough wins to open up all 8 rows is not just possible, but very likely. Add that you get multiplier symbols as you spin, and you suddenly see how you get to that top win of 10,000x your bet.
Screenshots
Zulu Gold slot stats
Mobile Slot released | August 2021 |
Slot type | Video Slot |
Software | Elk |
Slot reels / paylines | 5 Reels / 4096 Ways to Win |
House edge / RTP | 5% / 95% |
Slot volatility | High |
Min/Max bet | 0.20 / 100 |
Max win | 10,000x your bet |
Free spins | 10 to 25 Free Spins / Increasing Rows and Increasing Multipliers |
Bonus rounds | Avalanching Wins, Wild, Sticky Wild, Roaming Wild, Multipliers, Scatters, Expanding Reels, Free Spins, Stacked Symbols |
Slot Themes | Adventure & Explorer |
Play hundreds of slots from top slots providers like NetEnt, Microgaming and more and with slot tournaments, rewarding loyalty program and fast cash outs as standard.
Try Rizk Rizk Review
In-game bonus features
Avalanching and Increasing Reels: On any win, the winning symbols will explode, and more will come tumbling from above. You’ll then get an extra row of symbols at the top.
- 4 Rows: 4096 ways to win
- 5 rows: 15,625 ways to win
- 6 rows: 46,656 ways to win
- 7 rows: 117,649 ways to win
- 8 rows: 262,144 ways to win
Mega Symbols and Clearing Reels: All symbols, including the wild, can come either as a 1×1, a 2×2, a 3×3, or a 4×4 size symbol. When any symbol over 2×2 falls, they clear away any 1×1 symbols on their way down to the reels. Any other big symbols, wild walkers, charged wilds, multiplier, bonus, and wild symbols are not affected.
Zulu Stack: This is a stack of 2, 3, or 4 identical payout symbols that can drop on any spin. Basically random stacked symbols.
Wild: The wild symbol will substitute for any other symbols except the wild walker, the charged wild, and the bonus symbols.
Charged Wild: This is a 1×1 sized wild symbol with additional lives. If it contributes to a win, one life is spent. It stays on screen until no more avalanches are available or all its lives are spent. The wild usually has 3 lives.
Wild Walker: The wild walker symbol spins and moves around the screen giving you extra wild symbols — generally around 4. These wilds are sticky wilds for the duration of the avalanching wins.
Bonus and Free Spins: Three or more bonus symbols trigger the free drops or the free spins.
- 3 bonus symbols: 10 free spins
- 4 bonus symbols: 15 free spins
- 5 bonus symbols: 20 free spins
- 6 bonus symbols: 25 free spins
During the free spins, the number of rows after a win does not reset back to 4 rows but stays up to the level you’ve unlocked.
During this Zulu Gold slot bonus, you get multiplier symbols drop and when you get three in view, they are added to the total multiplier for all wins.
You can retrigger the bonus.
Zulu Gold Review Conclusion
It’s a little slow going, but what do you expect from a high variance game? Let’s not forget that Zulu Gold has an RTP of 95% as it calmly waits for the free spins to come along and really make the paytable pop with those multipliers.
A little frustrating at times, but when this slot gets going and you see those reels get bigger and bigger and bigger, it’s as exciting as seeing a jackpot wheel.
Ready To Start Spinning?
Play Zulu Gold Slot at one of our best slot sites
Review by Lucky Mobile Slots , last updated: October 11, 2022 — Rating 4
Zulu Gold
Kane has certainly seen his fair share of the world and the illustrious secret treasure hidden within forgotten temples, and he’s seemingly hungry for even more as an expedition in Lesotho turns into another treasure hunt when he learns of a temple within the infamous KwaZulu-Natal district.
It is said that animals come to the temple to sacrifice gold to their gods. If that doesn’t scream money, then we don’t know what does. Let’s join Kane once more in this Zulu Gold Slot Review and witness this expedition for ourselves!
Zulu Gold Slot Theme
We’ve had a little break from the Gold Series since our last adventure in the Nepalese mountains, but now in all, it’s glory comes Zulu Gold and its incredible design in every aspect.
The graphics of Zulu Gold and the theme it uses does well to get you interested instantly with Zulu Temples, great sounds and the majestic African Animals.
Elk Studios has always done very well in bringing their theme to life in all of the Gold Series slots, and Zulu Gold is no exception.
Zulu Gold: Betting and Symbols
The betting options in Zulu Gold are very extensive, giving everyone the chance to have a crack at becoming an explorer like Kane. The lowest option here is £/0.20 per spin, and the highest option is £/€100. There’s plenty of options in between the two, so everyone should feel catered for here in Zulu Gold.
Zulu Gold is the first Gold Series Slot to utilise Elk’s relatively new X-iter features, which changes the bet size in return for features or bonus buys. More on that below!
When it comes to symbols, it only seems right that our experienced explorer Kane gets the top spot for all of his daring adventures. Following on from him is an Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo symbol. Low paying symbols are tribal cave inscriptions, and there’s a number of special symbols too.
There’s Wilds, Wild Walkers, Charged Wilds, Zulu Stacks and Big Symbols, which bodes well as a sign of an action-packed slot.
Features
Bonus Game | Yes |
---|---|
Free Spins | Yes |
Autoplay | Yes |
Multipliers | Yes |
Wilds | Yes |
---|---|
Jackpots | No |
Megaways | No |
Bonus Buy | Yes |
Zulu Gold: The Base Game and Features
Zulu Gold is a 6 column, 4 row slot with between 4,096 – 262,144 ways to win. To form a win, you’ll need to connect at least 3 of the same symbol from left to right on consecutive reels, starting from the left-most reel.
All symbols that are part of a win will explode, leaving spaces for additional symbols to fall into play via an avalanche.
Each avalanche increases the number of rows in play, up to a maximum of 8 rows.
Rows keep increasing as long as wins keep coming, but on the next spin you’ll start with 4 rows and 4,0965 ways yet again.
The potential of Zulu Gold is pretty good just through the number of ways to win, but to make it even better comes the symbol modifiers.
Special Symbols
Zulu Gold has a number of special symbols to up the potential, including a number of different Wild Symbols
- Wild – Regular Wild, substitutes for any symbol except Bonus, Multiplier, Wild Walker and Charged Wilds
- Wild Walker – The Wild Walker is a special Wild that moves and leaves a trail of Wild Symbols behind. This symbol is persistent between avalanches
- Charged Wild – The Charged Wild is a Wild with extra lives. This symbol only consumes a life when it contributes to a win.
Zulu Gold also has a number of non-wild special symbols
- Zulu Stacks – Zulu Stacks are simply a stack 2, 3 or 4 identical symbols that may land on any drop. These may be any symbol except for the Wild Walker, Charged Wild and Bonus Symbol.
- Big Symbols – Wild Symbols and any low,. mid and high paying symbols exist as standard 1×1 symbols, Super 2×2, Mega 3×3 or epic 4×4 symbols. Big Symbols clear any 1×1 symbols below them, except for Wild Walkers, Charged Wilds, Multiplier or Bonus Symbols
It’s clear to see that Elk Studios has taken some of the best from the previous Gold Slots and integrated them into Zulu Gold. These special symbols are great on their own, but they’ll be especially important within the Free Spins round.
Zulu Gold Free Spins
You’ll need at least 3 bonus symbols to obtain Free Spins in Zulu Gold
The number of ways to win in Zulu Gold starts at 4,096, but there will be a safety level as you win to ensure that you start the next drop on more ways. The safety level will advance one row for every new drop that resulted in a win.
In Free Drops there is a multiplier symbol. 3 or more of these in view will add the sum total of all multipliers to the total multiplier. If only one or two land, then they will persist on subsequent drops until enough are obtained to increment the multiplier. The multiplier will always start at x1, and you’ll really want all of the features to come together in harmony here for potentially massive wins.
Of course, those outside of the UK have a little bit more in terms of options via the X-iter feature.
X-iter Feature
The X-iter feature is unfortunately disabled for UK players, because it’s essentially a bonus buy option with a few added extras. The X-iter feature has been seen a few times in Elk Studios slots now, and each time they utilise it to fit the current slot.
There are 5 different come modes in total to chose from, with each varying in value.
- X-iter 1 – Guarantees a winning spin at the cost of 5x the selected bet
- X-iter 2 – Guarantees 3 symbol drops with at least one Zulu Stack at the cost of 25x the selected bet
- X-iter 3 – Guarantees a standard bonus game at the cost of 100x the selected bet
- X-iter 4 – Guarantees 3 symbol drops with a Wild Walker at the cost of 250x the selected bet
- X-iter 5 – Guarantees a game round with entry to the bonus game with persistent multiplier symbols at the cost of 500x the selected bet
The only thing we’d say here is try to be a bit careful. Selecting one of the features changes the bet, and the spin button instantly activates it. We’re sure this has been triggered accidentally once or twice.
Zulu Gold: Our Verdict
The Gold Series from Elk Studios are very popular for a reason. The features and potential that comes with them is mind-boggling, and the theme and backstory of Kane the explorer tells more than a few tales of an intrepid explorer and his quest for riches.
Zulu Gold has 10,000x win potential which would make anyone scream loud enough to bring down the roof on any ancient temple. Unfortunately the RTP looks a little bit lower than average at 95%, but in the long run this won’t make a huge amount of difference to players, these values are calculated on billions of spins after all.
Zulu Gold is highly volatile, and experience has shown us that quests to the temple are often unsuccessful. When things do go right though, you can expect Zulu Gold to perform brilliantly.
Overall, we think an addition to the Gold Series was long overdue, and Zulu Gold reminds us just how great these slots can be.