Vulcan’s Gold

Review setup

Swedish studio Fantasma Games released the Vulcan’s Gold online slot in November 2024. This is an innovative game, which offers a wealth of special symbols and bonus features. The 5-reel grid is unconventional, as the rows are uneven, resulting in a 3-3-4-4-5 layout.

I was excited to play this game, as I’ve enjoyed previous slots from Fantasma. Fortune Llama is probably the studio’s most famous slot, but Heroes Hunt 2 Megaways, Circle of Sylvan, Alice in Adventureland, and Rich Raptors are all impressive too. Some of the games from Fantasma have weak return to player (RTP) rates, but Vulcan’s Gold clocks in at an above average 96.16%. It offers the chance to win up to 5,760x your bet too, which is attractive for a medium volatility slot.

The Stockholm-based company supplies many leading social casinos, such as Fantasma slots are also available at traditional online casinos, such as BetMGM and DraftKings Casino, so I’m always interested to delve into the studio’s latest releases.

Did Vulcan’s Gold meet my lofty expectations? Find out in my review below. I rated the online slot on presentation, sound, bonus features, and more.

First impressions with Vulcan’s Gold

I was immediately intrigued when I loaded up Vulcan’s Gold. This game features an unusual 3-3-4-4-5 grid, with jackpots displayed at the top of each reel. I was captivated by the strange graphics, the brooding soundtrack, and the atypical layout.

To kick things off, I clicked the “+ -” button, and I could then choose my preferred bet size from a simple grid. I opted to play for $2 per spin and hit the play button. My first spin was unsuccessful, but the jackpot above the third reel increased, which was interesting.

I lost my first four spins before finally winning $0.60. That didn’t exactly represent a flying start to my first session, but I was excited to see how the game would unfold.

Visuals and presentation: 4.5/5

I initially played Vulcan’s Gold on my iMac. The visuals were interesting, and I particularly liked the white and gold pillars set against a starlit sky. The theme is Ancient Rome, as Vulcan was the Roman god of fire. And fire plays a big role in the game, with constant dancing flames and shooting sparks.

The only downside was that the small, uneven grid looked a little lost on my large computer screen. Later that day, I played a second session on my iPhone. I held my device upright, and the grid looked much better in portrait mode. It occupied the middle of my phone screen, and the free spins multiplier was moved to the top of the screen. I thought the game looked great in this format. The only disadvantage was that the majesty of the marble Roman pillars was lost on the smaller screen.

In general, the symbols are well-designed, and I thought the animations were terrific. The reels came to life whenever bonus symbols appeared, and I loved the way the gems flew up to the jackpots at the top of the grid and the coins soared over to the free spins multiplier. Vulcan also made an appearance when the wild symbol helped to deliver a win, and that animation was very slick.

Overall, I was very impressed with the visuals and presentation of this game.

The Role of sound: 5/5

I really enjoyed the soundtrack of Vulcan’s Gold. It’s intense and brooding, which heightened the ethereal nature of the scene. The soundtrack then completely switched whenever I secured a big win, giving way to upbeat rock and roll. I liked that contrast, which kept things fresh.

The sound effects are also great. Coins constantly tinkle and crash as they fly about the grid, and there are lots of whizzes and whooshes when the bonus features come into play.

Gameplay journey: 4.5/5

I struggled in the early stages of my journey with Vulcan’s Gold, but I discovered that this online slot rewards perseverance. Towards the end of my gameplay journey, I started racking up substantial wins, and I ultimately ended up with a substantial profit. Here’s how my trip to the Ancient Rome unfolded:

• I set my bet amount at $2 per spin. That increased the jackpots to $10, $20, $100, $400, and $2,000 respectively. My first four spins were unsuccessful, before I won a token $0.60. That was a disappointing start, but I was pleased to see the jackpots above each reel growing progressively larger.
• I had lost $37 before earning my first decent win of $4. That was disconcerting, but it was nice to see that the jackpots had increased to $12, $22, $107, $402, and $2,002. I was soon down by $71.60, but I then landed my first big win of $31.80, which eased the pain somewhat. Rock and roll began to blare out of my speaker to celebrate my win. The jackpots were still steadily increasing too.
• Over my next 50 spins, my luck improved. I started winning more frequently, and I racked up a few strong wins, so I was treated to more banging tunes. I then triggered the Lucky Wheel for the first time, which was exciting. Unfortunately, I only won the Mini jackpot, but it had increased to $34 by that point.
• That left me down by just $56, and the Mini jackpot was reset to $10. The other jackpots were still higher: $37, $125, $414, and $2,018. After three more spins, I triggered the Lucky Wheel for a second time. Once again, I only won the Mini jackpot, which stood at $12.
• I played for another 35 spins before triggering the Lucky Wheel for a third time. As expected, I won the smallest jackpot, which had hit $18. I still hadn’t won any free spins, and I was disappointed to have missed out on the larger jackpots, but I kept spinning. A few minutes later, I hit the Lucky Wheel again, and I won $16 from the smallest jackpot. By this point, I was down by $105.40, and I ended my first session.
• I returned to the Vulcan’s Gold slot later that evening. Once again, I played for $2 per spin, and I enjoyed watching the jackpots steadily increase. I triggered the Lucky Wheel within a less than a minute of my second session, and I won a $13 prize. A couple of minutes later, I won $23 from the Lucky Wheel. That left me up by $16.40 for that session, and down by $89 overall.
• A couple of minutes later, I landed a $36 “Big Win.” I was also earning lots of smaller wins, so I began to enjoy the risk-reward balance. The free spins multiplier had hit 1.5x, while the jackpots continued to grow. A few minutes later, I earned a $108 “Super Big Win.” I hit the “Collect” feature, which swept up all the coins, plus the Mini jackpot.
• However, I was still down by around $100 overall, so I was really hoping to hit one of the bigger jackpots. My next “Super Big Win” was worth $98.60, including the Mini jackpot again. It came at an opportune moment, as I was down by around $180 at the time. I then triggered the Lucky Wheel. As always, I landed the smallest jackpot, but it was worth $66. That left me up by $35.60 during my second session, but down by $69.80 overall. I then earned a $112 “Super Big Win,” followed swiftly by a $183.30 “Mega Big Win,” which included the Minor jackpot.
• By this point, I was up by more than $300 for my second session, and I had swung to an overall profit. It would have been a good time to walk away, but I still hadn’t triggered the free spins round, so I decided to keep playing.
• A relatively barren spell ensued, followed by a $109.60 “Super Big Win.” That put me up by $283.40, leaving me with an overall profit of $178.
• A few minutes later, I finally triggered the bonus round. I was awarded three free spins, with a 2.5x multiplier in place. I retriggered another free spin during this bonus round, which only featured special symbols on the reels. In total, I won $114. That left me with an overall profit of $279.20 over the two sessions, so I decided that was a great time to quit.

Bonus features through my eyes: 4.5/5

The Vulcan’s Gold slot offers a wealth of bonus features, which ensure that the gameplay remains varied and intriguing. I’ve highlighted the various special symbols and features below, and I’ve also discussed their impact on my gameplay journey.

Balancing risk and reward: 4.5/5

Vulcan’s Gold offers a 96.16% RTP rate, which is only slightly above average. However, I was happy with the overall risk-reward balance on this game. It’s a medium volatility slot, and I earned pretty regular wins while also racking up occasional big wins.

As such, I’d recommend this slot to anyone that enjoys balanced volatility. Vulcan’s Gold also offers the chance to win up to 5,760x your bet, which is attractive for a game with a medium volatility rate. There are five progressive jackpots and lots of bonus features, which maintained my interest over an hour and a half.

However, I wouldn’t recommend playing this game in short bursts. I found that I unlocked more value after playing Vulcan’s Gold for a while. After playing for a while, the jackpots increased, as did the free spins multiplier.

The good and bad of Vulcan’s Gold

Vulcan’s Gold is an excellent online slot, but I also identified a few aspects that could be improved. Here’s my take:

Final thoughts on Vulcan’s Gold

Vulcan’s Gold is an excellent online slot. I always like to see software providers trying out new formats, so I was pleased to find an unconventional 3-3-4-4-5 grid and lots of interesting bonus features. The game looks great, with terrific animations and graphics that could appeal to sci-fi fans. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack.

I’ll definitely play Vulcan’s Gold again. The medium volatility appealed to me, as did the increasing jackpots and the coin collect feature. However, I won’t simply play this game when I have a few spare minutes. I’ll need to set aside a considerable amount of time, as it requires players to grind away for a while until the jackpots and multipliers grow.

Final Score: 4.5/5