Phoenix Forge

Rise from the ashes with Phoenix Forge, the online slot from Pragmatic Play. With a strong fantasy theme, you can draw on the famous regenerative powers of the mythical bird to walk away with real cash prizes. With a top payout of x5000, it’s not the goose that lays the golden egg, but the fiery bird that delivers a hot prize!

Phoenixes feature in many different cultures; from Ancient Egypt and Greece through to Chinese legends and mythology, their influence is seen everywhere. Harry Potter fans will be familiar with the role of the phoenix, as Fawkes plays a pivotal role (not to give away any plot spoilers!) The bird is famous for its unusual life cycle: birth, fiery death and then the rebirth from the ashes. Fantasy is a popular theme for slots, and the phoenix has its own sub-genre. Titles from other studios include Tiger Turtle Dragon Phoenix, Rise of the Phoenix, Phoenix Coins and Phoenix Rises, to name just a few! 

This phoenix rises on a grid which is set up as a 5x3, with 20 fixed paylines. Betting starts at 0.20 and rises to a max of 100.00, so there's plenty to please all types of players. It's worth bearing in mind that volatility is high, so you could be waiting a while to see those sweet prizes rolling in.

Although the game is dedicated to the legendary bird, the theme initially appears more to be about wealth than mythology. With piles of golden coins in the background, treasures chests and a setting that appears to be a vault, it's not instantly apparent that this slot is about the phoenix.

There is an abundance of coloured jewels on the reels in various colours and shapes, which make up both the low and high pays. The red gem is the highest value, paying x50 for matching a full line of five.  

The wild is a golden phoenix egg, helping you to make more wins - hopefully! - by substituting for any of the regular symbols. The wild can appear on any of the reels from 2-4.

Every time you get a winning line, the symbols you've matched will disappear from the reels. This feature is known as tumbling reels in this game, but you may know them from other slots as cascading reels. New symbols drop into the spaces from above, and there's the chance to check for more wins. This phoenix-like cycle of wins and renewing of the symbols continues until there are no more visible wins.  

After every tumble, the symbols that were involved are highlighted with a +1 multiplier. The position stays highlighted, and any subsequent wins which use that position are multiplied. For subsequent tumbles, the multiplier will increase by +1 but will reset once the current cycle of tumbles finishes.  

There are also scatters on the reels, and if you land three or more, you'll win free spins. Three scatters gives you ten free spins, four scatters gives you 15 and five scatters rewards you with 20 free spins. You can retrigger the feature and collect five more free spins by landing a further three scatters on a single turn during the bonus.  

You'll receive multipliers during tumbles during the bonus rounds, but they will be sticky and won't reset between tumbles. This means you have more opportunities to collect higher prizes!

Phoenix Forge from Pragmatic Play isn't the most expansive slot that you'll find, as the bonus features are pretty limited. However, it's a well-designed game that looks visually striking and offers smooth and easy play. Although it's high volatility, the top prize is relatively not that much, maxing out at x5000. For these reasons, it's unlikely to appeal to hardcore gamers but will be a fun addition for newbies or casual players.