Ice Run Slots
Ice Run sounds like what you do when the wife tells you ‘we’ve run out of ice’: when the prospect of a mojito sans crushed ice has her shuddering like a tumble dryer and ordering you to drive to the nearest Lidl. For the purposes of our article, though, Ice Run is a video slot from Playtech, one of the big-cheese suppliers of online casino slots.
The frozen Arctic is the setting of this 5-reel title, which tells the story of a loved-up young couple foraging in this most unforgiving of landscapes. Sounds like a raw deal, but the guy and gal in question look only too happy as they smile out from their picture-frames in fur-lined overcoats. In fact, the brutality of the region is not given much focus: this isn’t a David Attenborough documentary, after all.
Ice Run is more like Ice Age: a cheery, cartoonish slot that presents the Arctic as a clean, cool expanse populated by cute animals and good-natured humans. The highly animated, feature-rich slot can be enjoyed at a brace of online casinos, and on an array of devices, including PCs, laptops and smartphones.
Reels and Lines
In Ice Run, there are 5 reels, 3 rows and 25 unfixed paylines. It’s up to the player how many lines are active; indeed, you can play on just a single line if you prefer. The reel grid appears against a backdrop showing the ocean and a snow-white ice floe. The reels are dark blue, contrasting nicely with the lighter blue of the water, and the buttons at the foot of the screen appear on ice-cube like blocks.
You’ll find all the usual controls here, from Auto Play and Bet Max to Info and Spin. The bet-per-spin stretches from 0.1 to 50, meaning you can stake 1,250 per spin if playing at max bet, with all lines in play. The game’s jackpot, meanwhile, is a not inconsiderable 400x, though on the downside, the RTP is a fairly low 93.83%.
You know the drill: the goal is to find matching combinations of three, four or five symbols – the higher, the better. There are a dozen icons in play, including a mix of character symbols and playing cards, from 9 to A. They include the aforementioned male and female hunters, an igloo, a flying fish, a bonfire, a pack of husky dogs and a smiling seal. In the base game, the most lucrative icon is the female hunter, which pays 4,000 for five, 400 for three, 100 for three and five for two.
Bonus Features
The goateed male character is the wild in the game, and though he only appears on the central three reels, he has the potential to put a grin on your face as he substitutes for all regular icons. Not only that, but the wild triggers two separate mini-features. Should you uncover the hunter on the central spot of the middle reel, all subsequent wins are paid in addition to two extra re-spins being awarded, during which the middle reel will be entirely wild. Should the wild land anywhere on reels two, three and four, all wins will be paid out and a single re-spin is awarded, with those three reels being flooded by wilds. Carnage! But in a good way…
The image of the igloo is the scatter, while the pack of huskies is the bonus symbol. Each of these icons triggers extra features. Landing a trio of igloos rewards you with free spins – ten, to be precise. All pay-outs during this bonus feature are subject to a generous 3x multiplier, and further spins can continue to be won by repeatedly landing more igloos.
The husky bonus, meanwhile, is triggered by landing husky dogs on reels one and five, the only columns in which they appear. At this stage, you’ll be shown a screen revealing a hammer and a series of snowmen. Simply select one of the snowmen to be thumped by the hammer. You’ll be given three picks, after which you’ll get to choose one of three igloos for a multiplier.
A Snow-Brainer
Ice Run is an entertaining video slot with an appealing theme and a brace of bonus features. Wilds, scatters, free spins, multipliers and bonus games: what more could you ask for? A warm overcoat, sure, and some galoshes – but as far as gaming goes, most expectations will be satisfied.
