Stars of Orion
- Game provider
- ELK Studios
- Name
- Stars of Orion
- Feature Buy
- Yes
- Released
- 2021-12-07
- Game type
- Video Slots
- Mobile version
- Yes
- Grid slot
- Yes
- Wilds
- Yes
- Reels
- 6
- Sticky wilds
- No
- Rows
- 8
- Scatters
- No
- Paylines
- 0
- Free spins
- Yes
- Payout/RTP
- 95,00
- Bonus game
- No
- Volatility
- High
- Progressive jackpot
- No
- Min. bet
- 0,20
- Random Feature
- Yes
- Max. bet
- 100,00
- Autoplay
- Yes
- Maximum win
- 10000
- Last update
- November 3, 2021
Review
Reach for the celestial wonders of the night sky on the video slot from Elk Studios. Stars of Orion avalanches and slides cluster wins with wild substitutions, symbol swaps, super clusters, and a magic meter, for arrangements of wild overlays with win multipliers shaped as the most prominent constellation in the heavens above. Brightly light your way into a bonus round with a persistent magic meter or a super bonus with added super clusters for galactic wins of up to 10,000x your stake.
Recommended Casinos to play Stars of Orion
Slot Details
Stars of Orion is a 6×8 symbol grid slot with hexagonal cluster pays. The number of ways to win starts at 4,096 as default and can increase to a maximum of 262,144. Wins are awarded for matching clusters of five or more touching symbols. You can spin among the stars from 0.20 credits to 100 credits per spin. This game is highly volatile and comes in a single RTP version of 95%.
The constellation of Orion is one of the most prominent formations of stars in Astronomy, named after a hunter by the Greeks. The collection shapes his body, club, shield and belt. Cleverly, Elk Studios laid wild symbols, triggered by collecting wins, to map each group, with three in a row for Orions Belt to match. The setting resembles a Druids place of worship that leads focus to the formation. Stars of Orion has industry-leading graphics and composition, with dramatic music, to complete a game that must be admired, if only for the sheer effort behind its creation, evident in the result.
The pay symbols start at the low end with purple, green, blue and red spheres which will pay 2.5x to 4x your bet for clusters of 15+ symbols. A green bird, blue wolf and red elk appear next and will pay 35x to 45x for 15+ symbols in a cluster. Lucky 7s are the top paying symbol, which award 200x your stake for 15+ symbols in a cluster.
Gold W’s represent the Wild symbol, which substitutes for all others except for the Bonus scatters. Wilds will pay the same as 7s when forming a cluster. Symbols appearing with an electric blue surround are Super symbols, which will merge with others to form larger winning clusters when activated. Bonus symbols are the letter ‘B’ in gold or red and will trigger a free spins bonus or super bonus for landing three or more, anywhere in the play area.
Stars of Orion Slot Features
As game developers go, Elk Studios are recognised by both players and casinos for delivering beautifully polished high-end slots. Stars of Orion continues a series of games with a unique cascading design, first seen on Cygnus, followed by IO, and then Bompers. Let’s see what constellation of innovation the premier game studio bring us with Stars of Orion.
Elk Studios is using again the Avalanche and Gravity Slide mechanics as seen on the others in the series but this time in combination with a grid slot format and cluster pays. The game area is fixed in a 6×8 size with 48 symbols dropping onto the grid at the start of every spin sequence. Any cluster of five or more matching symbols constitutes a winner and is removed once the payout has been made. All other matching symbols in view that were not part of a winning cluster are also removed before the Gravity Slide mechanic activates.
The remaining symbols fall downwards before sliding to the left then right repeatedly until they come to rest in a position where they are unable to move any further, mimicking the natural laws of gravity. Hit another winning cluster and the entire process is repeated. Only once no more wins occur, will new symbols avalanche from the top into the empty spaces and potentially create more winners. A sequence ends when no more symbols connect in clusters and the sum of all wins is paid.
At the same time, the Magic Meter to the right is filled with each cluster win during a spin. The meter has a range of levels with win multipliers of x2, x4, x8, x16, x32 and x64 as well as five Magic Features indicated by coloured gems. The order and type of the gems is randomised for each spin sequence. Upon completion of each stage, the win multiplier or Magic Feature is awarded. Win multipliers are applied immediately while Magic Features are stored in a queue and activated when no more wins occur. Any bonus scatters in view remain on the grid throughout the Magic Features, which ca be one of the following:
- Purple Gem | Symbol Swap: Any two adjacent symbols will be switched if it creates or improves a winning cluster. Symbols already part of a winning cluster will not swap and should no swaps be possible, one or two wild symbols will be randomly placed to compensate.
- Green Gem | Orions Belt: Activates a free drop of symbols with 3 wild symbols in fixed positions to form Orions Belt.
- Blue Gem | Orions Club: A free drop with 6 wild symbosl forming the shape of Orions Club.
- Red Gem | Orions Shield: A free drop with 8 wild symbosl in the shape of Orions Sheild.
- Gold Gem | Orion: A free drop with 13 wilds forming the full constellation of Orion.
And there is more. Any regular pay symbol can appear as a Super Symbol, easily recognized by its electric blue frame. When part of a winning cluster, any adjacent winning clusters with different symbols will be merged into one large cluster and all symbols will transform into the highest paying symbol from all clusters that are contributing to the Super Cluster. Symbols of the same type that are adjacent to the new cluster due to the transformation will also be merged.
Stars of Orion comes with two types of bonus round, a Free Drops Bonus and a Super Bonus. Landing three gold bonus symbols will award the standard free drops round, during which, the Magic Meter does not reset between spins. Three red bonus symbols will activate the Super Bonus, during which, the Magic Meter does not reset and there is a much higher frequency of Super Symbols. Both rounds consist of 10 free drops, which cannot be retriggered.
Elk Studios’ X-iter feature offers a choice of Bonus Buy or Win Spin Scenarios for a fixed increase in stake size. X-iter options come tailored for each game as feature triggers, batches of win spins, super bonuses and more. The Star of Orion X-iter Feature gives players a choice of five scenarios:
- Guranteed Win Spin | 5x Bet: Activates a standard drop with a guranteed win.
- Super Symbol Free Drop | 10x Bet: A free drop crowded with Super Symbols.
- 3x Symbol Swap | 50x Bet: A free drop with three Symbol Swap features which are activated when no more wins occur. This mode keeps the Magic Meter stage throughout.
- Free Drops Bonus | 100x Bet: A standard 10 drop bonus.
- Super Bonus | 500x Bet: A Super Bonus with 10 free drops.
Final Verdict
The constellation of Orion could be described as breath-taking, captivating and beautifully arranged; superlatives that describe Elk Studios efforts with Stars of Orion. The series, and studio, go from strength to strength and this title is one of their best yet. Cygnus, IO and Bompers pay from left to right, whereas Stars of Orion’s marriage of cluster pays with the mesmerising avalanche and slide mechanic creates a different beast altogether.
Super symbols, symbol swaps, and the magic meter wild formations create patterns and sequences that seem to improve this games hit rate and action compared to its siblings. Ok, so the industry shift towards lower RTP dulls the sparkle somewhat with a 95% return to player, but still, very few games burn as bright as this one.
Stars of Orion – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 1. Can more than one Gold Orion Magic Feature be activated on a single spin of Stars of Orion by Elk Studios?
- 2. How many games are in the Gravity Series from Elk Studios?
- 3. Does Stars of Orion come in different RTP versions?