Skeleton Key

A skeleton isn't just for Halloween - at least not if you play this online slot from IGT. If you dare to brave the ethereal world of Skeleton Key, you can unlock expanding reels to collect more prizes - but you'll need to face the creeping fog. Step into the spookiness, and you could be rewarded for your courage as there's a top prize of x83,333 that you could win.

The name of this game has a double meaning because you'll be searching for skeleton keys that can unlock any reel. However, the skeleton keys are also decorated with skeletons, and you'll be playing in a distinctly unnerving setting! This slot also has expanding reels, something that IGT has used before in titles such as Cosmic Riches and Hexbreaker. It's an exciting way to increase your chances of winning without spending more of your cash! 

The base game takes place on a 5x3 board, but this can be a little confusing at first as - unlike many other slots - the expanded positions are clearly visible. The grid can increase to a maximum of 5x6, but you'll need to clear the swirling mist from the expanded tiles first. You can win a prize by matching symbols in neighbouring reels from left to right with 243 ways to win. This increases to 7776 ways to win if all the tiles are in play. 

With a medium to high volatility, this is a slot that may initially appeal to intermediate and social players, but the betting range of 0.10 to 300.00 may entice the big-prize hunters to join in too.

IGT have clearly spent a great deal of time creating an atmospheric setting that instantly plunges players into the unknown. A creepy, abandoned cave with abandoned treasure and an eerie, green fog - it's perfectly safe, right? Right…?? 

There are 11 regular symbols, including four royals for the low pays. The premium symbols are made up of three different coloured jewels, an ornate cup, a golden book and a treasure chest. And if you weren’t feeling unsettled enough, these latter three symbols are all decorated with skulls.

There is a wild on the board, and this can substitute for any of the regular pays to help you line up more matches. 

The expanding reels are one of the most intriguing parts of this game, and it’s a mechanism that’s easy to unlock. When a skeleton key lands, the same reel will expand to its full height. With every subsequent turn, the fog will return by one position until it reaches the original height once more. Only the reel where the skeleton key lands is expanded; all the other reels remain unchanged.  

This means you will often be playing with reels of differing heights. And just to make things more complicated, you can see through the green fog, so you need to remember to ignore any of the symbols which aren’t completely clear! 

The mystery symbol can transform into any of the other regular symbols. If more than one mystery symbol lands on a single turn, they will all turn into the same symbol.  

But it's not just about expanding reels; the lock symbol is the scatter and can award you free spins. Land three, and you'll receive ten free spins; you'll receive an extra ten free spins for any additional scatters. This feature can be retriggered by landing two or more scatters during the free spins.  

If all of that wasn't enough, the key would act as a multiplier during the free spins, increasing by +1 for every time it appears. 

Put on your brave pants and prepare to play Skeleton Key from IGT at Bwin, and you could collect some serious cash. The medium to high volatility means this online slot isn't shy of paying out the larger prizes, but you might have to wait a while before you see any decent returns. But with a top prize of x83,333 and some very entertaining play in the meantime, it might be worth sticking it out - if you can handle the spookiness of the gameplay!