The Wombat says: Well well well, look at the Steam Tower slot! It’s a steam-punk inspired game complete with a one-armed hero, a fiery dragon and a helpless damsel.
It’s also a multi-level game with a tiered playing structure which means the further up the tower you go, the more bonuses, multipliers and cash you’ll win. This game was designed by NetEnt, those Swedish chaps behind the blockbuster Starburst Slot machine.
‘So what’s this Steampunk business all about then?’ I hear you ask. Well Wombat Fans let me reach for the blackboard, and I’ll tell you… Although the word was actually added to The Oxford English Dictionary in 2015, the first ever steampunk convention took place in 2006 and is: ‘…a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology…’
Well that’s as clear as mud! Basically the term originated from sci-fi geeks and is all about mixing modern-day tech with the style and philosophy of the Victorian age. Think Around The World In 80 Days and you’re not far off..
So, climb the tower, save the princess from the nasty dragon and win big while you’re at it. Ok, the game is far more complicated than that, but we’ll get to the slot mechanics later on…
Look and Feel
NetEnt’s Steam Tower slot offers some really stylish graphics that are perfectly in keeping with the industrial steampunk theme. The reels are set against a backdrop of smoking chimneys and ye olde industrial England, while the symbols themselves spin on a rusty steam-spewing tower. You’ll see that there are 16 floors, each of which has different rewards and bonuses. There’s a ‘Floor Meter’ just below the reels and a ‘Tower Meter’ to the side to let you know how you’re doing – these are also nicely designed with Victorian-style levers. It’s a long way fro some of our classically designed games like Play’n GO’s Rise of Olympus slot.
Then there’s the soundtrack. The background music sounds like the theme tune to a Sherlock Holmes or Jack The Ripper BBC series, giving the slot a slightly sinister vibe. During the Free Spin Bonus, the graphics come alive as Mr Steampunk Dude uses his grappling hook arm to shoot up and climb the tower. As he’s climbing, we’re also treated to a flash of the fearsome dragon who swoops across the screen every time you reach a new level.
Steam Tower Slot Game Play
This is a 5 reel, 3 row and 15 payline game, which keeps things nice and simple. Your low value card symbols are all decorated with gears and cogs, which is a nice Steampunk touch, while the one-armed Steampunk Dude, the Damsel, the creepy Red Dragon’s Eye, the Tower and the Grapple Hook are the high paying symbols. Keep your eyes peeled for the The Red Dragon’s Eye as it’s the biggest payer on the reels, scooping you 2000 coins for 5 in a row.
The wild symbol in this game is the green Grapple Hook. Land 1 or more of these Wilds on the reels during the Free Spins round and x2 additional spins are awarded to you. You’ll progress to the next floor up, until you’ve reached the 16th floor – where you’ll resuce the damsel in distress.
Steam Tower also uses stacked Wilds on all the reels during the base game, which makes this Wombat happy. The base game acts like your average fruity slot, until you hit the Free Spins feature that is, which is much more interesting. Here you’ll find win multipliers up to x7.
Free Spin Feature
Here’s where it gets complicated… You’ll set off the Free Spins bonus when one or more of the stacked Wild symbols lands on, and covers, a whole reel – and this will get you 10 Free Spins no matter how many Wilds you landed to begin with!
A quick tip: You’ll actually have to click the ‘Start Free Spins’ button on your control panel to activate the Bonus, so if you’ve wandered off to make a cuppa and are in Auto Play mode (not available to UK players), the reels will be waiting to be sent into motion.
During the Spins, the stacked Wilds are replaced with single wild symbols. The first indicator on the dashboard will show which floor you’re on, the next one will show the number of spins left, while the last one will show which win multiplier you’ve reached. Players will always start on floor 1, with 10 Free Spins and a x2 Multiplier.
Level Multipliers
Are you still with me? Ok good. So for each spin that lands 1 or more wild symbols, the floor indicator will increase by +1, and you’ll get x2 extra Free Spins. The multipliers will increase on the 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th and 16th floors, giving you x3, x4, x5, x6 and x7 your win.
Every time a Grappling Hook shows up on the reels, you’ll also get 2 more free spins and climb up an extra floor. And, if you manage to reach the 16th floor, and the scoop the x7 multiplier, you’ll also be given a top floor bonus of 1000 coins! Hang on, we need a little lie down… All remaining (and any new spins) will end with the x7 multiplier. The Free Spins round also ends when no more spins are available. And sadly for us all Slot Fans, there’s no way to re-trigger the feature.
Mobile Ready
The Steam Tower slot is fully powered up for mobiles and tablets- the version for smaller screens is called Steamtower Touch. The designers have done a fantastic job with this- as soon as you spin the reels for the first time it goes full screen. Swipe down to come out of full screen mode and hit the 3 bar menu to change your bet size.
You can play Steam Tower in portrait or landscape mode. We prefer the sideways mode.
Conclusion
The game has the potential to be an absolute cracker of a slot. With its quirky theme, excellent graphics and multi-level game play, this Wombat had very high expectations of Steam Tower slot. The problem is, you’re going to have to trigger, then play, the Free Spin Bonus round many many many times before you’ll make it to the 16th floor and actually save the poor damsel from the dragons clutches.
And, here’s the rub; it’s actually very tricky to get past level 8 in a single bonus round. This means two things: Firstly you won’t be achieving the mega multipliers very often, so the big wins aren’t that prolific, and secondly, by time you reach the damsel in distress at the top of the tower she’ll almost definitely be an octogenarian. Either that, or the dragon will have munched her.
Still, the slot is worth a spin for its unique mechanics – and we do love the Steampunk Dude and his mechanical bonus arm!