It was only a matter of time before Captain Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series brought back the sea wolves and the popularity of buccaneer tales, providing a setting for slot games by the best software developers in the business. With the release of Pirate’s Charm, a 5-reel, 243-ways-to-win slot that features plenty of gold, the ominous flag, and the open sea—all symbols of a pirate’s reckless and unscrupulous lifestyle—Quickspin has not missed the opportunity to provide their own interpretation of the theme for the more demanding players.
In-Game Icons
The one-eyed Captain of the ship is the most valuable emblem, followed by the feisty redhead and a merciless fellow pirate. The ship’s wheel and a golden skull with crossed swords are both medium-value symbols. In the case of a 3, all icons become redeemable, even the lowly A, K, Q, J, and 10.
The slot’s special symbols include the Bonus Scatter, which activates Pirate’s Charms free games when three appear anywhere on reels 2, 3, and 4, and the Mystery Charm, which can transform into any other icon (except the Scatter) during the base game.
Gameplay
In order to raise or lower a bet, the player must use the and buttons on the command screen. The minimum bet is $0.20, and the maximum is $100. Players who use a flat betting system or who are simply not used to often altering the wagering amount can use the Auto Play feature to automatically start up to a thousand spins. The player has the option of manually stopping the auto spins at any time, or using the more advanced settings to specify a win or loss threshold above which the spins will no longer be automated. Smaller panels at the bottom, left, and right of the total bet tab and the bet level command buttons will show your current balance and any recent wins.
Additional Value
The Mystery Charm Respin Feature is activated when the Mystery Charm symbols appear on reels 1, 2, and 3 during the base game. This feature locks all matching symbols in place and awards a respin. If additional Mystery Charm symbols show on the reels during the re-spin, the feature will be re-triggered and continue until no more matching symbols appear.
The Mystery Spin bonus game can be triggered on any regular game spin. There will be additional Mystery Charm Respin trigger symbols on the reels after this feature is activated.
If you get at least three Ship Scatters anywhere on the reels, you’ll be rewarded with 10 free spins and the chance for Mystery Charms to land and stick to the reels. If these symbols fill an entire reel, you’ll get two more free games.
Payouts
Five of the highest-paying symbols on an active payline (from left to right across adjacent reels) in the base game award the maximum possible payoff of $500. In the event of a tie, all valid combinations across all paylines will be pooled to choose a single winner. If you manage to turn every icon into the highest paying ship Captain symbol during the Mystery Charms Respins, your total bet will be multiplied by 3,861. Pirate’s Charm has a return to player percentage of 96.49%, making it a medium variance slot machine.
Verdict
In terms of special features and winning hit frequency, Pirate’s Charm falls short of competing with certain other releases from the same developer, but only because it has a bit more basic bonus games. Although it has the potential for large payouts, Free Spins do not occur as frequently as one might expect, and a larger bankroll is needed for a longer session of play. However, the game’s aesthetic presentation more than makes up for the dearth of additional features, and Pirate’s Charm is on par with any other Quickspin slot in terms of quality.