Shortly before Halloween in 2020, provider Kalamba Games has released a themed pokie called Joker Lanterns. But it's not scary at all, on the contrary, it's profitable: if you're lucky, you can get a payout of up to x15672 of the amount you've wagered. In the pursuit of a big score will help jackpots of several types, Wild with additional multipliers and free spins. In general, the functionality of the slot is not too diverse, so it should appeal to beginners rather than experienced gamblers.
It's safe to play the Joker Lanterns at good casinos, as they don't cheat gamblers or steal their personal details. But the problem is that there are Kalamba Games pokies at bad casinos too. On your own, you can search for an honest casino for a very long time, checking each of the found sites. And still there is no guarantee that in the end the choice will be made correctly. In order not to make a mistake, it is better to consider already proven projects from our top.
Demo mode is indispensable for those who carefully choose a pokie: it allows you to study all its details for free. This and the rules, and design, and the convenience of the interface on the right device, and even animation: in some pokies it is intrusive and interferes with the game. Start the demo mode right on this page, so you don't have to go to the casino for the test.
Via the Casinoz list at the end of the review, you can quickly move from free demo play to real money play. We've already added proven casinos from our top, but only those with Joker Lanterns so you don't have to search through dozens of different sites to find the pokie.
The rules of the game in the Joker Lanterns are not complicated: the pokie pays for lines, of which there are 40, the number can not be changed. The size of the field is slightly larger than usual - 6x4, and this is a plus. The game involves 10 simple symbols (4 older and 6 younger), and a few more special ones, including 2 types of Wild. The betting range is from 0.50 to 95, and the win limit is x15672 (but with some bet sizes it will be lower).
Additional functionality in general is not large, it is limited to additional multipliers at Wild, analog jackpots and free spins.
The pokie has been given a considerable set of symbols with additional features. Here's what they are for:
Bonus. Landed on reels 2 through 5 inclusive only in simple spins. If 3+ such symbols fall on any cells - free spins are launched.
Extra Spin. Only participates in freespins and can only fall on reels 2, 4 and 6. Can add spins to the package.
Wild. Will substitute for any of the simple symbols in any payline and position. For example, if this symbol appears on the first reel and the same simple symbols appear on the second and third reels, a winning combination will be formed.
Wild Multiplier. Participates in free spins and simple spins, falls on reels 2 to 5 inclusive. Performs the same function as a simple Wild, but in addition has additional multiplier. Its value depends on the HyperBet level, and can be x1, x3, x5 or x10.
Cashpot. Participates in free spins and simple spins, falls on all reels except the first (left). If enough of these signs fall on any cells - the gambler receives Cashpot.
Bonus functionality in the pokie does not shine with variety. It has:
HyperBet. The gambler can choose some conditions himself: the size of the additional multiplier at Wild (x1, x3, x5, x10) and the number of free spins in the package (5, 8, 10, 12). There are 4 levels in total, which are switched at the bottom right. Along with them, the minimum bet changes as well as the step between bets.
HyperBonus. This is where you can buy freespins. There are 4 packages to choose from with the same conditions as each of the HyperBet levels (5 FS with Multiplier Wild x1, 8 FS with Multiplier Wild x3, 10 FS with Multiplier Wild x5 and 12 FS with Multiplier Wild x10).
Extra Spins. In the free spins, a counter with 3 empty star cells is displayed on the right side. All Extra Spin symbols fall into them. When 3 cells are filled - 3 spins will be added to the freespins, after which the counter resets and starts filling again.
The Free Spins round starts when 3+ Bonus symbols appear on the field. The package includes 5, 8, 10 or 12 FS (depending on the HyperBet level). You can also win extra spins during the round - as part of the Extra Spins feature.
There is no difference between the simple spins and free spins in terms of functionality.
The pokie has a counterpart to progressive jackpots called Cashpots. There are 4 super prizes: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Their sizes depend on the bet, and can range from x10 (bronze) to x5000 (platinum). Each jackpot increases in size slightly with each bet placed in the simple spins.
Any of them is awarded if enough Cashpot symbols appear on the field: for bronze - 7, silver - 9, gold - 12 and platinum - 14.
There are 2 characteristics by which you can quickly and relatively accurately understand whether you should expect a good payout from the pokie:
RTP - at Joker Lanterns it can be from 91% to 96% or higher. And in the purchased pokie, the return percentage will be higher than in simple spins, by about 1.3%.
Volatility - on the official page of the Joker Lanterns at the provider it is listed as 10/10. High-volatility pokies rash tight: very often, and therefore maintain excitement. But the sizes of the base payouts are small. In practice, big payouts are worth waiting for if you are lucky enough to catch lines with Multiplier Wild.
The most important thing to form a strategy is the player's ability to influence the gameplay. It is available in many sports and games. The principle of influence can be different: somewhere it allows the gambler to win if he thinks logically (for example, for naval combat), or to train and build up a skill (for example, in computer games for passing you can memorize the actions of enemies), or to develop some characteristics (for example, for athletics, endurance and speed can be built up). In pokies there is no way to influence the result: everything is decided by a single factor - the factor of chance. When you start the drums in the work of the program, which randomly selects a ready-made set of symbols from the database.
The conclusion is this: strategies do not work, so you can not beat the pokie on purpose.
The Joker Lanterns has been given a flashy but generally user-friendly interface. The field is very large, the drawing of symbols is varied: you won't have to get confused in them. Above the field, the jackpot sizes are always displayed, growing with simple spins. There is a large HyperBet block on the right, where the selected conditions are displayed, and there are arrows to switch levels. More HyperBet can be toggled right in the bet selection block (bottom right). Manual and automatic pokie launches are also on the bottom right. And the menu and HyperBonus are in the left corner. There is no option to set the autospins to stop, so you will only have to stop the autoplay manually. A quick tour of the interface for beginners:
Look at the RTP size of the pokie on the selected site. This is shown in the Game Rules. You can open the desired section from the menu.
Evaluate the payouts in Paytable for each of the symbols, and the patterns of paying combinations.
Play at least 10-15 minutes in demo mode. During this time, you can understand whether the pokie is visually pleasing, and have time to evaluate its performance. If the work of some functions remained unclear, it is better to continue demo game.
Lower your bet if you're going to play for real money.
Android and iOS mobile devices are suitable for playing Joker Lanterns comfortably. For small screens with touch controls, the pokie is adapted perfectly. The design has been reduced so that the buttons, the field itself and other functional elements are placed on the screen first, and the surrounding background is cropped if necessary. The mobile version will therefore be comfortable on screens of any size - from small phones to large tablets.
Brief impression from Casinoz experts: the pokie is not bad, but it's not super-interesting either. The functionality is generally limited to additional Wild multipliers and the ability to catch additional freespins and jackpots. You can try it, but it's unlikely to keep you hooked for a long time.