3 African Drums Review: African Wildlife, Jackpot Wins, and Bonus-Powered Drums

Review Setup

3 African Drums rolls in with the wild heart of the savanna, and with 3 Oaks behind it, I had a feeling it had a few surprises waiting. They’re known for games that stick to classic mechanics while mixing in interactive features, and this one follows the same playbook.

As it turns out, 3 African Drums did have a few surprises.  But does that make it worth your time?

After playing on the online slot for a few hours, here are my impressions of the game so that you can decide if you want to play it.

First Impressions with 3 African Drums

3 African Drums’ deep orange background instantly gives off a golden-hour savanna vibe. The layout feels clean, with enough breathing room between elements. Even the animal symbols have a bit of a pop that gives them some presence.

I loved that the drums sitting at the top of the reels aren’t just decoration—they play a real role in driving the gameplay. The game doesn’t try to overload you with distractions. It keeps things focused, but the Collect, Double, and Multi modifiers add just enough unpredictability to keep every spin interesting, not to mention the jackpot potential.

The first time I triggered the Double feature and watched my grid split into two boards, I realized this slot had a lot more going on than I expected.

It’s also dialed in for mobile, with controls that feel naturally positioned. Landscape mode is especially comfortable if you’re right-handed.

Visuals and Presentation: 3.8/5

I wouldn’t exactly say the visuals blew me away in of innovation, but the African theme definitely comes through. It actually checks all the key boxes—rich colors, recognizable wildlife, and cultural elements. To start with, there’s this deep orange, warm background stretching across the screen, a tribute to the African savanna when the sky burns gold and the land glows like embers.

It’s the symbols and finer details that further cement the game’s identity. The lion, leopard, zebra, giraffe, and gazelle you’d find roaming the wild, along with the four royal fillers, are drawn in a semi-realistic style, which ultimately gives them more weight on the reels. And then there are the drums that tie into African music and storytelling.

Everything you’ll see on screen is sharp and high quality, from the symbols to the background details and interface elements. I found the layout to be extremely clear, with nothing overlapping. The reels take center stage, and the menu (burger icon for access to the paytable, bet settings, spin button, and autoplay) stays off to the side on desktop versions or at the bottom on smaller screens.

The Role of Sound: 4/5

The sound was exactly what I expected—heavily tied to the African theme with rhythmic drumming. The tempo picks up subtly in the bonus rounds, bringing a more energetic feel than the base game. I really liked how naturally the transition flowed, especially when the lion’s roar cut through. It felt like a clear signal that something big was about to happen.

Since the design leans more toward a classic slot style rather than going all-in on flashy modern effects, symbol landings don’t go over the top either. You just get a soft thud while letting the gameplay carry the impact.

If you want to get into the atmosphere, I’d say keep the sound on. I even threw on my headphones for the full effect.

Gameplay Journey: 4.4/5

3 Oaks sets 3 African Drums on a classic 5×3 grid and 25 fixed paylines, with wins paying from left to right. As for the max win, you’re looking at 4,280x your stake. Betting starts at $0.10 and goes up to $60 per spin, so there’s room for both, whether you’re a casual player or the kind who likes to max it out. The $0.50 bets I stuck with felt like a sweet spot without burning through my balance too fast.

Most of the time, I turned on autoplay so the game would keep spinning without me having to click every time. I could stop it whenever I wanted, but otherwise, it would keep going until my balance got too low. If you’re on a keyboard, pressing Enter or Space spins the reels, and holding either key triggers Turbo Spin for an even faster pace.

Regular wins come through animal symbols, with the lion leading the pack at 10x your bet for five of a kind, followed by the leopard at 8x, and the giraffe, zebra, and gazelle at 5x. Lower-tier symbols like A-K-Q-J don’t hit as hard, maxing out at 2x for a full line, but they keep the reels moving while you wait for something bigger.

I’ll be honest, the features weren’t the easiest to land. It took quite a few spins, but that’s exactly when the real fun starts. The core mechanic is the Hold ‘n’ Win bonus game, which, at this point, feels like 3 Oaks’ signature move. Wilds are here as expected, too, and we’ve also got the three modifiers.

Bonus Features Through My Eyes: 4.4/5

The 3 African Drums slot comes loaded with three bonus features. Here’s a quick breakdown of what they do and the kind of wins they can set up.

* The diamonds or Bonus symbols, otherwise known as scatters, appear on all reels and only pay during the Bonus Game with up to 10x the total bet. They’re the key to triggering the Hold ‘n’ Win feature.

Balancing Risk and Reward: 3.6/5

The 3 African Drums RTP sits at 95.68%, which is a little below the industry average for real money online slots. Although it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, it does mean the game pays back slightly less over time compared to higher-RTP options. The volatility sits between medium and high, so you’ll get a mix of dry spells, steady small wins, and the occasional bigger payout. In this ways, payouts are much like the rhythm of the drums in the background—consistent, with the occasional heavy beat.

That said, just when I’d start feeling a dry spell, the game had a way of pulling me right back in. There were stretches where the reels went completely cold, spinning through 7 straight dead spins, but then out of nowhere, I would hit a 10x paytable win, and a few minutes later, a bonus round landed me a 250x payout. I almost had the whole grid covered in diamonds, but it wasn’t meant to be this time around.

The Good and Bad of 3 African Drums

Final Thoughts on 3 African Drums

After giving 3 African Drums a proper run, I’d say it’s a slot that keeps you on your toes and rewards those willing to wait for the big moments. While it’s not breaking new ground in the Hold ‘n’ Win genre, the base game held up well, with a couple of good wins from the paytable symbols keeping my balance from tanking too quickly.

There’s a lot riding on the bonuses showing up if you want a big win. I loved how the Collect, Double, and Multi features work together and completely change how a round plays out. There are also four jackpots you can claim—Mini, Minor, Major, and the big one, the Grand at 2,000x your bet if you fill the whole grid with Bonus symbols.

Also, considering the medium to high volatility, it likely will feel a bit frustrating at times, especially if you’re not prepared to ride out some cold streaks. Feel free to go with the Bonus Buy option, but keep in mind that you’re still not guaranteed to make your money back. It’s a gamble like any other spin, but it could result in a much bigger payout.

Would I come back to it? Yes, without a doubt, most especially when I’m in the mood for something straightforward with plenty of surprises hidden inside.

Final Score: 4/5