24 Stars Dream

24 Stars Dream: Slot Overview

Thanks in part to games like 9 Masks of Fire and later on progressive jackpot versions such 9 Pots of Gold King Millions, scatter prize style games are hot property. They can be quite samey at times, though, since they revolve around a fairly basic action, namely, hit scatters and win a prize. However, showing that software developers are up to the task of expanding on a simple concept and making it relatively fresh is Swedish provider Fantasma Games with the online slot 24 Stars Dream.

Players familiar with Fantasma Game's work may be taken aback after a first glance at 24 Stars Dream. It just doesn't look like the sort of stuff the software provider usually turns out. Not that Fantasma Games has a set look or anything, but even so, 24 Stars Dream feels out of character. How to describe 24 Stars Dream? The game has a very pink, purple, blue funky appearance, a smidge of anime, and is fronted by a hip, pink-haired lady. While 24 Stars Dream contains a fair share of classic slot iconography, it manages to pull it together into a modern if somewhat plainly backgrounded game.

The screen is laid out with a 6x4 game grid in the middle, a Star Level Meter to the left, and four jackpot values displayed on the right. Clicking the + and – button down below is how players may choose a stake of 20 c to $/€40 per spin, while the bonus buy button provides direct access to the feature. Users should be prepared for a highly volatile experience and an RTP of 96% whether buying the bonus round or not. Another thing to note is marked positions, the Star Level Meter and the Star Ladder Jackpot Level are linked to the bet.

A ways to win pay system is used to evaluate regular symbol combinations, and there are 4,096 of them. Eleven pay symbols, too, which are 9-A casino chip low pays, then a four leaf clover, a horseshoe, a bell, a 7, and a lady character as the high pays. Hitting a 6 low pay winning way awards 2 to 2.5 times the bet, while a 6 high pay winning way is worth 4 to 6 times the bet. 24 Stars Dream doesn't have a wild symbol, but there are a few other special symbols to be aware of.

24 Stars Dream: Slot Features

Features time, and here we meet the Star Level Meter, the Big Spin, the Star Ladder Jackpot, and the Buy Star Ladder Jackpot.

Star Level Meter

Every time a Coin symbol hits, 1 point is added to the Star Level Meter. When reaching 100 points, the meter is full, and the Star Ladder Jackpot Level increases by +1. After an upgrade, the meter returns to 0 points. If the ladder reaches level 12, no more points are added till the Star Ladder Jackpot is triggered. At the end of the Star Ladder Jackpot feature, the ladder level is reset to 1.

Big Spin

Also, when Coin symbols hit, they mark the position of the reels if it is not already marked. Marked positions are persistent until a Big Spin is activated. When all 16 positions on reels 2-5 are marked, a Big Spin is awarded. The Big Spin activates after the base game spin and is played on a 4x4 sized game grid, spinning as one reel. Only Big Coins, Jackpot, Grand, or blank symbols land on a Big Spin.

• Big Coin – splits into individual Coin symbols with values of 0.25 to 20x each, which are awarded.
• Jackpot symbol – landing 1, 2, 3, or 4 rows of this symbol awards the 20x Mini Jackpot, 50x Minor, 200x Major, or the 1,000x Mega, respectively.
• Grand – hitting this symbol awards the 5,000x the bet Grand Jackpot.

Step Ladder Jackpot

Landing 4 scatter symbols on reels 2-5 in the base game activities, the Star Ladder Jackpot where 3 spins are awarded with only blanks or Stars in play. If new Stars land, they are locked and reset the number of spins. When no more spins remain, or the grid is full, a prize is awarded depending on the number of Star symbols locked to the reels. Prize values depend on the level of the Star Ladder Jackpot - maxing out at 5,000x the bet.

Buy Feature

Buying the Star Ladder Jackpot costs 100x the bet and starts the round at a random Star Ladder Jackpot level, up to level 12.

24 Stars Dream: Slot Verdict

Kudos to Fantasma Games for stepping out of its comfort zone and designing something that looks a little out of character. Although, 24 Stars Dream has a relative in the form of Fortune Llama, due to the colouration and the 'hip' nature of the thing. Also, both games offer similar features in the gameplay department. However, 24 Stars Dream differs from a lot of slots that award scatter prizes or jackpots like this in some ways. One of the main aims is to land as many Star symbols as possible to ride up the Step Ladder Jackpot prize list, but this task is theoretically helped along by the Star Level Meter progression, and the Big Spin feature adds an extra helping of entertainment to the mix.

The Big Spin can be a tease as the reel slows down before coming to a stop - will it be a Big Coin, will it be a Jackpot symbol, maybe a partial Jackpot symbol… or the Grand? Oh, it's blank, bummer. So went the first Big Spin trigger, but never mind, slots can swing either way, and The Big Spin is a simple yet clever feature. A side feature in some ways, though one still capable of delivering 24 Stars Dream's max 5,000x the bet win. The same amount is possible to achieve in the Step Ladder Jackpot round, and the way you can level up to shorten the steps on the ladder to the top prize is interesting. Bonus buy players don't necessarily miss out either, either, since they can instantly get up to 12 levels up from a buy. Levelling up doesn't guarantee a stellar return, but it's a creative way of making 24 Stars Dream stand out from the pack of scatter prize-winning slots.

That pretty much sums 24 Stars Dream up. It might not be the sort of game which revolutionises the genre it nestles in, but there are enough innovations to help set it apart from much of the competition.