By Jessica Sommerfield

Red Tiger Gaming has done it again with the recent launch of the Native American-themed slot game that is meticulously designed. Their five reels, 40 pay line game introduces the players to lightning strikes that eliminate low-value symbols, tumbling reel re-spins and an exciting ‘picks’ round with pay-outs as high as 1,000 times their total stake.

Totem Lightning is supported on all devices at between 20p and £500 for each spin. I noticed you could play the games of Indians and cowboys in this slick and highly entertaining game. It features lower value A to 10 playing card symbols enhanced by four animal-style carved totems.

It is possible in this game to win significant amounts of credit with hardly any movement. The game does all the other hard work for you with one lucky spin. I noted that although this slot never technically spins, the symbols are displayed as tiles that mainly cascade onto the reels. I realized that the most rewarding of all these is the bird totem. 

When you land 3, 4, or 5 of the bird totems on a pay line, you will win 88, 388 or 888 coins, just like me. 

How to Play

The 40-pay line, 5-reel slot has a line stake that you can set from 0.20 to 500. I like this game since it has plenty of scope for adjustment to suit your bankroll and playing style. When I first used it in demo mode, I set the slot at the maximum 500 bets and on the second attempt, it recorded a win of at least 3,500.

The large win was achieved with the help of the bonus symbol. What is interesting about the game is that the tiles are replaced with new ones after every win, and the lower-value playing card symbols were struck out of my game. This elimination of lower values notably maximized the size of my next win.

Thus, whenever you play this game, you can enjoy multiple wins of increasing size every time. Moreover, I discovered that the Autoplay could be set to a value of up to 5 million or 100 spins. If you play this game when the maximum bet settings are enabled, always do so manually.

Playing manually with maximum bets enables you to enjoy the dopamine rush that arises when you watch the winning tiles replaced by new ones and the winnings begin to stack up.

Please note that whenever you land at least 3 Bonus symbols on the reels, you are awarded an opportunity to ascend the Mighty Totem Multiplier to get to the astronomical wins of values that range up to 1000 times your original stake. Totem Lightning is played in an unusual game engine. After every winning spin, successful A to 10 symbols are eliminated from the reels, with every occurrence of the particular symbol on all the reels. 

New symbols replace the old winning ones, and the constituent symbols are removed whenever a new winning combination is formed. These removals repeatedly occur until you get a winless spin or each of the lower value symbols is eliminated, leaving you with the high totem values only in play.                  

Qualities

The playing experience is also enhanced since the reels take up the entire screen and they are also perfectly set up on some wooden boards. Clicking on “Total Stake +/-” enables you to set your bets between 0.20 and 500, as I discovered. When you are ready to start playing, press “Play,” which immediately sets the reels in motion after the bet is set.      

When I clicked on “Auto,” a menu opened, allowing me to set the number of spins without interruption and the loss limit. Also, Auto spins the reels without interruptions for your selected number of times. On the right-hand side of the reels is the Symbol Strike Bar. 

Every lightning strike or sometimes low-paying symbols line win will strike the winning symbol from the displayed reels entirely for the respin. When playing the game, I noted that the Symbol Strike Bar displays all the symbols that have been removed. Consecutive strikes or wins can make the low-paying symbols disappear from the reels for a major opportunity of sizeable wins. 

Every time the lightning struck the symbols on the reels, I noted that they became identical, and then the lightning struck again for the respin. Also, when the lightning hits a symbol on the Strike Bar, it blasts it off the reels each time it appears for a respin. You can keep track of all the symbols that get removed using the meter located to the right of the reels.

Additional treats

Totem Lightning game comes with a pair of bonus features. The Lightning Strike Feature has bolts of lightning that can strike the reels on any spin and simultaneously get rid of 1 of the lower value A to 10 symbols. 

The Totem Multiplier feature, as I discovered, is triggered solely by landing 3 Bonus symbols anywhere on the reels occurring on the same spin. You are required to choose 1 of the five pipes that are displayed. For example, I discovered that the puff of smoke shows the number of steps up the totem you progress. 

It would help if you kept picking the pipes until you got a totem that includes a collection. If you are lucky enough and get to the top, you are awarded a prize equalling 1,000 times your stake. Although I was not expecting much of this game, it was a pleasant thriller. 

It combines an excellent design with a drum-heavy backing track and quality imagery that ideally brings out an enjoyable theme. I recommend this game since I won 200 times my total stake at one time after making good progress up the totem pole. 

RTP

I discovered that the Totem Lightning is a medium to high volatility slot. It has an RTP of 95.53%, challenged only by the Fortune Jump by Playtech. The game does not dispense free spins. I was playing at 1 dollar per game or 2.5 cents per line. My total wins went up to 200 times my bet, respectively.

I am accustomed to respins that are uncertain of the winnings. Still, this game awarded me reasonably large prizes since the lower values were struck off with every opportunity I got. 

Final Word

Regardless of the absence of free spins, a secondary bonus game, expanding wilds, or other features, the Totem Lightning game is an entertaining slot to play. The game features cascading reels enhanced by the lightning strike effect. All these features, together with visual and audio effects, augment your wins while simultaneously enabling you to win significant sums just by pushing the spin button only.

This slot is not your ordinary game. You cannot play it for prolonged periods since when you enable the maximum bet settings, you may not be able to afford it. On a brighter note, the totem pole theme is implemented ideally in this game. It makes for an American-Indian game that is as entertaining and clever as I find colorful.