What Your Experts Say about Imperial Riches

This review will take you through everything you need to know about NetEnt’s Imperial Riches jackpot slot. From its appearance and interface to breaking down the more technical details behind the game, come the end of this review you will feel like an expert on the game. 

Also included in this review will be a detailed yet concise step by step guide on how to play Imperial Riches. This will talk you through the aim of the game, offer a description of the symbols on display, and there will be an explanation of the different mini-game features which are part of the gameplay. 

Theme and branding of Imperial Riches jackpot slot 

Released only as recently as September 2019, Imperial Riches has bright, refreshing and eye-catching imagery presented in high quality graphics right from the moment the game loads. When designing this game, NetEnt have very cleverly used a mixture of natural colours with brighter, more vibrant colours to create a distinctly classical Japanese feeling, which is exactly what the theme of the game is based on. 

The most captivating visual effect in Imperial Riches can be found in its beautiful background. Two traditional Japanese tea houses stand on each side of the background above a pond which is full of colourful Japanese water lilies. 

Atop the game’s reels sit five red banners, each with a monetary value in the middle pertaining to one of the five jackpots available. There are two traditional red lanterns floating either side of these banners. The colour red is widely considered to be a symbol of good luck in Japanese culture, so it is very clever of NetEnt to include the colour subtly yet so distinctively. 

If you turn on the audio, you will hear very traditional and soothing Japanese music which is a blend of string and wind instruments that instantly make you feel relaxed and at peace. The quality of the audio is very clear, which gives you a feel of authenticity. 

Step by step guide of how to play Imperial Riches jackpot slot 

Getting started - deposits and first spins

In order to play Imperial Riches, you will first need to choose the online casino with which you are going to play. Some popular platforms include BetSafe and Casino Gods, but if you wish to it is possible to take into account the size of the jackpots with each individual online casino before deciding who to play with - there will be more information on the jackpots later in the review. 

If players wish to play for free, whether that be just for fun or to get used to how the game works, then most online casinos allow you to ‘try’ games without playing for real money. However if you wish to play for real then you will need to make a deposit prior to launching Imperial Riches. 

Once the game is launched players are presented with a very clean and easy to understand game - the reels are clearly defined and the jackpot amounts are always displayed just above the reels. 

It is made quite clear how to adjust stake levels if players so wish, and as part of the menu (available to the bottom right hand side of the reels) players can read through a lot of helpful information about the game.

Aim of the game

The central aim of the game when playing Imperial Riches is to spin the reels and land winning combinations on active bet lines therefore getting a return, ideally one that is larger than the stake made per spin. 

However with there only being 15 possible bet lines in Imperial Riches, the ultimate aim of the game (beyond winning money spin-by-spin) is to get to the Jackpot Game and land one of the various jackpots on offer. 

Possible stakes and bet combinations 

The lowest possible stake per spin when playing Imperial Riches is €0.15, and this rises to a maximum stake per spin of €30. Players therefore have a respectable degree of flexibility when it comes to how much they wish to wager per spin. 

It is very easy to change your stake between spins in Imperial Riches, so you can keep changing the amount of money you are playing for if you so wish. 

Like a lot of jackpot slots, Imperial Riches players can alter their stakes in two different ways. Both the bet level and coin value combine to determine the level of the player’s stake. 

The minimum bet level is 1 and rises to a maximum level of 10, and the minimum coin value is 0.01 and rises to 0.20 via increments of 0.02, 0.05, and 0.10. With 10 bet levels and 5 different coin values, this means you are able choose between 50 different stakes in total per spin when playing Imperial Riches.        

Imperial Riches in-game symbols

There are seven core symbols in Imperial Riches and two special symbols. When players match three or more of a special symbol it activates a feature game separate from the main game. More information will be available on the special features later in this section of the review.

The core symbols are as follows:

• The letter ‘Q’ in a square, Japanese-style font. The letter is sky blue with a golden outline. 
• The letter ‘K’ again in a Japanese-style font, with the letter being emerald green and a golden outline.
• The letter ‘A’ in an unconventional square style, the letter being scarlet red with a golden outline.
• A set of green bamboo plants in a square golden plant pot
• Three gold coins tied together with red ribbon
• Two gold ingots in the shape of an ovular bowl, one in front of the other, with a red circle on the front which has Japanese writing on it. 
• A shiny golden fish 

The special symbols are as follows:

• WILD: This symbol is a round golden gong with a matching hammer. The word ‘WILD’ is branded in bold black font across the top of the gong
• SCATTER: This symbol is a classical red Japanese lantern with the word ‘SCATTER’ spread across the front of the symbol. 
                                 

Imperial Riches Lucky Pond Bonus Game 

The bonus round can only be activated through the mini-game ‘Free Falls’. The Lucky Pond Bonus Game is activated if any jewels have been collected during the Free Falls feature, and it will commence once the Free Falls feature finishes. 

Jewels collected in Free Falls fall down into a pond in which six fish are swimming (although in the Lucky Pond Bonus Game these fish are stationary), and the falling jewels can be eaten by one of the Bonus Fish or the Coin Fish. 

Jewels eaten by the Coin Fish award either 5, 10 or 15 coins and the coin win is then multiplied by the bet level. 

If the Bonus Fish have eaten three jewels during the Bonus Game, then the Jackpot Game is activated. 

Imperial Riches Jackpot Game

The Jackpot Game can be activated only during the Lucky Pond Bonus Game. In the Jackpot Game it is possible to win coins and/or one of the five different jackpots on offer. Imperial Riches is quite unique in that it offers so many different jackpots. 

Jewels eaten by the coin fish award 20 or 40 coins and then this figure is multiplied by the bet level. 

A maximum of one jackpot can be won in the Jackpot Game. The Jackpot Game has three progressive jackpots and two fixed jackpots. 

Each jackpot fish has an indicator directly beneath the respective jackpot counter, which increases with every eaten jewel. If three jewels are eaten by the same fish, then the relevant jackpot is won. 

The two fixed jackpots are called Rapid (€100) and Mini (€500) and they are represented in the Jackpot Game by a turquoise and a blue fish respectively. 

The three progressive jackpots are Midi (green fish), Major (purple fish) and Mega (red fish). Due to the nature of these jackpots they do not pay out a fixed amount - they keep building with every spin until the jackpots drop. 

Imperial Riches wilds

Wild symbols can appear at random in both the main game and in Free Falls mode. It is worth remembering, however, that wilds can only appear on the second, third and fourth reels. 

Wild symbols substitute for all symbols except the scatter symbol. It is also worth noting that wild symbols will always substitute for the highest possible winning combination on a bet line. 

Free spins in Imperial Riches

In Imperial Riches, what is commonly referred to in slot games as ‘free spins’ is actually called ‘Free Falls’. Free Falls mode is activated by three or more scatter symbols appearing anywhere on the reels in the main game.

Three scatter symbols award 10 Free Falls, four scatter symbols award 15 Free Falls and five scatter symbols award 20 Free Falls. 

Free Falls start when all winning bet lines have been settled and the Avalanche feature ends. See the ‘Payouts and possible combinations section’ for more information on how the Avalanche feature works. 

In Free Falls all winning symbols on winning bet lines are counted as jewels, so this gives you quite a high likelihood of activating the Lucky Pond Bonus Game whenever you are playing the Free Falls feature.

Technical details of Imperial Riches jackpot slot 

RTP of Imperial Riches jackpot slot

The return to player (RTP) in Imperial Riches is 96.8%, which can be regarded as quite a good RTP within the context of the gaming industry. This figure means that across all players, for every €100 staked, a total of €96.80 will be returned in winnings. 

It is worth keeping in mind however that the RTP figure is subject to the law of averages. This means that one player staking €100 in a single playing session does not necessarily mean they will receive a return of specifically €96.80 because the RTP is 96.8%. The figure applies to average returns across the entire game, not to an individual player.
 

Slot volatility of Imperial Riches

Imperial Riches has a low-medium slot volatility. This means that payouts are moderately frequent; they do not happen all the time but they are by no means a rare sight in the game. 

A positive you can take away from Imperial Riches having a low-medium slot volatility is that it makes enjoyment of the game sustainable and you tend to be able to play for longer than slot games which have a high volatility, because Imperial Riches tends to pay out a moderate return at a respectable frequency.  

Payouts and possible combinations 

It is worth noting that in Imperial Riches payouts operate only from left to right, the reels do not pay both ways. There are a total of 15 bet lines when playing Imperial Riches.

Something that is definitely worthy of note is that when players match a winning combination in Imperial Riches, all of the symbols on winning bet lines disappear and new symbols fall into place - the new symbols which appear are randomised just like any other spin of the reels. This aspect of Imperial Riches is referred to as the ‘Avalanche feature’ and it means that on winning spins, players get another chance to win again! 

Based on the lowest possible stake of €0.20, the payouts on winning lines in Imperial Riches are as follows, using the example of ‘symbol’: ‘amount of symbols on win line’ = ‘win amount’. The payout value is given in ‘coins’ and translates to €0.01 per coin.

When playing Imperial Riches it is advisable that you familiarise yourself with the formation of the 15 bet lines, and this is available in the game info. This is because in order for symbols to be a winning combination, the correct amount of symbols must align with any one bet line.
 

Random Number Generator

Similar to nearly all slot games, Imperial Riches uses a random number generator (henceforth RNG) which powers the game. RNGs are micro computers that are constantly generating numbers. This is normally between one and several billion, and they are able to do this every second, so it is virtually impossible to predict any particular sequence of numbers generated by the RNG.

The use of an RNG serves several purposes. First and foremost the random numbers generated by the RNG determines which symbols appear on the reels. 

This means that neither the player nor the house (online casino) can exert control over the result of any one particular spin. The game is therefore randomised and because of this it ensures fairness to the player, but it also serves to safeguard against players that may want to gain an unfair advantage over the game. 

An RNG randomises the frequency and size of payouts (keeping in line with the slot volatility and RTP). This keeps the slot unpredictable as players do not know when they will get a payout or how big that payout may be, therefore ensuring the game is fun, spontaneous and fair for all players.

Type of jackpots available in Imperial Riches 

As mentioned earlier there are a total of five jackpots on offer when playing Imperial Riches. There are two basic jackpots, the Rapid and the Mini jackpots, both of which have a fixed payout. These payouts are €100 for the Rapid jackpot and €500 for the Mini jackpot.

There are three more lucrative jackpots available at Imperial Riches and these are localised progressive jackpots. The smallest of these three is the Midi jackpot, then the Major jackpot is larger and the largest of all is the Mega jackpot. 

With the progressive jackpots being localised, this means that the respective jackpot amounts for Imperial Riches increase depending on the amount of people playing the game at that particular online casino, as opposed to the jackpot increasing with every spin on the game worldwide, regardless of the online casinos being used. 

Because of this, the competition for jackpots is a lot lower than a slot where you have players all across the globe playing for the same jackpot. 

Because Imperial Riches offers a localised progressive jackpot, something players can take note of is the amount which the progressive jackpot stands at with different casinos and if you so wish, you can alter the online casino they play with depending on which one has the largest Imperial Riches progressive jackpot. 

Biggest wins on Imperial Riches jackpot slot 

Unfortunately there is very little public information when it comes to those who have been lucky enough to win the mega jackpot at Imperial Riches. This could perhaps be at least partly a result of the slot only having been released by NetEnt in September 2019. 

The mega jackpot - depending on which online casino you look at - does seem to reach at least the mid-ranging five-figure range, so there remains the potential to win a life-changing amount of money when playing Imperial Riches. 

Final thoughts 

Imperial Riches is an immersive and entertaining jackpot slot which keeps you engaged with every spin. A wide range of features and a three-tiered bonus mode not only means there is the potential to win big, but to also have a lot of fun in doing so.

The Japanese theme is executed well, with fabulous graphics and an authentic range of audio complementing each other to make the user experience first class.

When you combine the incorporation of the Avalanche feature, the extensive bonus game and the fact that there are five jackpots on offer, the possibilities with Imperial Jackpots are almost endless. 

Pros 

• Brilliant graphics and audio 
• Bonus game - even if you do not win a jackpot you tend to collect a lot of coins along the way resulting in decent wins
• Low to medium slot volatility combined with a high RTP makes it easier to enjoy playing the game for longer
• Avalanche feature means that just one winning combination on one bet line can result in a sizeable win
• Getting to the Free Falls feature all-but guarantees you progression to the Lucky Pond Bonus Game 
   

Cons

• There are only 15 possible bet lines, lower than a lot of other online jackpot slots. However the RTP is 96.8% so this ensures there is still a very generous return to player on average and this can counteract there only being 15 bet lines

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