Devour The Weak

Devour the Weak: Slot Overview

As the 5th-century Greek historian and general Thucydides said, '…the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.' This time though, we're not talking about the Peloponnesian War but a scenario a bit further south than that. Way down south, actually, in a sort of bowels of the earth-type place where its denizens torment unfortunate visitors for, like, eternity. The game is Devour the Weak and comes from veteran software provider Yggdrasil Gaming. As well as a horde of demonic folk, Devour the Weak delivers its thrills via features like dropdown wins, Hexed Symbols, a rising multiplier, and a free spins bonus round.

Be sure to pack some SPF 1 billion sunscreen if popping in to take on Devour the Weak. The game is held in a rather heated domain, where lava twinkles between cracks, and jagged rocks fade away into the horizon. It bears some resemblance to Quickspin's online slot Book of Inferno, but fair dues, games set in this realm are probably going to share one or two common visual cues. Possessing a decent graphical standard, Devour the Weak should tick the right boxes for players looking to play a game that looks like a death metal LP cover.

It also ticks the right boxes for players looking for a highly volatile online slot. In fact, Devour the Weak's makers have classed its math model as 'Super High' in terms of volatility, which might not be to all tastes. More universal is a default RTP value of 96% which appears to apply when playing the game regularly, betting 10 p/c to $/€100 per spin, or when buying free spins or activating the Golden Bet. Switching the Golden Bet on increases the stake by 50%, thereby adding +1 to the free spins counter and increasing the amount of hexed symbols on the reels.

On the topic of reels, Devour the Weak is set up with 5 of them, each reel holding 3 symbols. Shunning paylines in favour of a 243 ways system, wins are created when at least 3 matching symbols land on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost side. Low pays include J-A card ranks, worth 0.3 to 1 times the bet for 5 OAK, while the high pays are four characters paying 1.5 to 2.5 times the stake for a 5-of-a-kind win. The wild symbol has the same value as the highest-paying premium and substitutes for any regular pay symbol.

Devour the Weak: Slot Features

The dropdown wins mechanic plays a central role in Devour the Weak's gameplay. When winning symbols hit, they are removed from the reels and replaced by symbols dropping in from above. If a new winning way appears following a symbol drop, the dropdown win mechanic triggers again. A common feature, but what makes it special in Devour the Weak, is that winning symbols are removed, as well as all symbols of equal to or lesser value.

Multiplier

Not a DoubleMax slot, yet the multiplier trail next to the reel is reminiscent of one. How this one works is that each winning symbol and each devoured symbol adds 1 point to the multiplier counter. For every 6 points, the multiplier increases. The multiplier can go as high as x666 and resets before each spin. In the base game, this is x1.

Hexed Symbols

Pay symbols may land with an orb on them; these are called hexed symbols. When a winning hexed symbol is removed, it transforms into a wild symbol and contributes to the free spins meter.

Free Spins

It takes 6 collected winning hexed symbols on a single spin sequence to fill the free spins meter, and when it is full, 10 free spins are awarded. Each extra point beyond 6 adds +1 additional free spin. During free spins, all hexed symbols on the three central reels instantly convert to wilds when they land. On the first and last reels, winning hexed symbols continue to turn into wilds. In addition, the multiplier resets to x6 between free spins rather than x1, and landing a free spin symbol on the last reel awards an extra free spin.

Buy Bonus

Rather than battle through the base game, players may buy access to the bonus round. Paying 100x the bet buys 10-13 free spins with an x6 multiplier, while 666x the bet buys 14-17 free spins with a multiplier that starts and resets to x33.

Devour the Weak: Slot Verdict

The underworld might not be everyone's cup of tea, but the Yggdrasil Gaming team seem to find themselves returning back here again and again. They might have tried to clear the slate with Elysian Jackpots, yet games like Hades Gigablox, Champion of the Underworld, Vikings Go To Hell, and Devour the Weak are testaments to the tendency. The positive thing is when the studio bases a game in one of these netherworlds, they're generally quite good, and Devour the Weak is another strong example. For starters, it has a great look if you're into this sort of thing, and it appears like a lot of players must be given the number of underworld-based slots available now. Other related/loosely semi-related slots which came out around the same time include Nolimit City's Blood & Shadow, as well as Hacksaw Gaming's Stormforged, well, the Surtur's Vengeance Bonus feature part, at least.

The point being Underworld slots are clearly hot (pun intended), and Devour the Weak is another scorcher. As mentioned, it's not a DoubleMax game, but Devour the Weak's bonus round did have a similar vibe going on. That is, one where the multiplier has the ability to go wild and crazy when it's let off the chain, and is able to potentially crank out a few juicy wins. Unlike DoubleMax, the multiplier resets during free spins, and it's a bit more fiddly than simply doubling after each win. More moving parts have to converge so that the game can really pop, yet pop it can, up to 10,000 times the bet. A figure which could have been higher, perhaps, considering what is possible in similar slots from Yggdrasil Gaming, yet a hearty total all the same, and after the way the review played out, a wholly believable one to boot. Other highlights include the devouring lower and equal symbols aspect, providing an intriguing twist to the popular cascading win mechanic.

It's not hard to envisage certain players getting a kick out of Devour the Weak. The game is 'Super High' volatile, though, so the kick could easily go either way. However, for a sophisticated slot, which twists common features while possessing a dense atmosphere and thrilling gameplay, Devour the Weak has the goods to dial up some serious heat.