Introduction to Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes
If you’ve ever wondered what the Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom teams do when they’re not creating online slots, you might picture them enjoying classic board games with friendly competition. While that scenario remains speculative, the release of Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes marks the second installment in their Snakes & Ladders series, prompting curiosity.
The Origins of Snakes & Ladders
The game draws inspiration from a tradition dating back centuries, with early origins traced to Moksha Patam, an ancient Indian game that illustrated concepts like Moksha and Karma. For those unfamiliar, Moksha signifies liberation from the cycle of birth and death, aiming for spiritual bliss—an unexpectedly profound origin for what’s now viewed as a straightforward race to the finish line.
The Theme and Aesthetic of Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes
Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes, however, leans more toward the earthly realm, integrating the familiar board game into its bonus round while maintaining action on a 5×3 grid with 10 paylines during regular play. Like its predecessor, the game is set against a backdrop of a waterfall, now featuring smoother graphics thanks to enhanced pixel resolution, though retaining a slightly retro aesthetic.
Gameplay Mechanics and Symbols
During standard gameplay, players earn wins by aligning at least three matching symbols across consecutive reels on a payline, starting from the leftmost reel. The game features nine pay symbols: card royals from 10 to Ace, along with thematic symbols such as eyes in baskets, snakes, bananas, and gorillas. Wins range from 5 to 10 times the bet for card icons, while premiums like the gorilla offer payouts of 15 to 50 times the stake for a full line.
The Role of Wild Dice
Wild Dice symbols appear on all reels, substituting for any regular pay symbol. These symbols display 1, 2, or 3 dots, indicating multipliers of x1, x2, or x3, applied to the total spin win when part of a winning combination. Additionally, a five-of-a-kind win with Wild Dice pays out 50 times the bet. This is a feature that adds excitement, keeping players at swerte99 entertained with every spin.
Snakes & Ladders Board Bonus
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers the Snakes & Ladders Board Bonus, offering 12, 14, or 16 dice rolls respectively. If triggered by 4 or 5 scatters, there’s a chance one symbol transforms into a Snake Bonus symbol, granting an additional 2 dice rolls. The bonus round unfolds on a large 12×12 board with 144 squares, where players embark from square number one represented by a monkey token.
Bonus Features and Progression
At the beginning of the game, various items are randomly placed across the grid, including bet multipliers ranging from 4x to 100x, total win multipliers, ladders, snakes, and bananas. Each turn involves rolling 2 dice, with players progressing accordingly around the board, earning additional rolls if they roll a double 1 (1-1).
Upon landing on specific squares:
- Money squares add the displayed bet multiplier to the total win.
- Multiplier squares increase the total win collected so far.
- Ladder squares transport players to the square at the ladder’s top.
- Snake squares send players back to the tail end of the snake.
- Banana squares add random monetary values and remove other bananas.
- The final square awards a massive 1,000x the bet.
- Occasionally, a hidden rope charmer may move the monkey to a higher random square.
The bonus concludes when all dice rolls are expended or when the monkey reaches square 144. At this point, the accumulated total is paid out. Importantly, the bonus guarantees a minimum win of 20x the bet; falling short triggers Rage Mode.
Rage Mode and Retriggering the Bonus
In Rage Mode, the monkey swiftly progresses to square 144, collecting all values and multipliers en route. The sum of all multipliers is then applied to the final prize. In Rage Mode, ladders, snakes, bananas, and rope charmers are ignored. If the monkey reaches square 144, there’s a chance to retrigger the bonus by rolling a double with two dice.
Any double rolled during the round fills a section of the snake above the reels; completing all four sections awards one bonus retrigger with the same number of initial rolls. This feature adds an extra layer of thrill to the gameplay, enticing players to try their luck on swerte99.
Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes: Final Verdict
It’s anyone’s guess why Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom decided to create Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes. Perhaps they aimed for a more distinct departure from the original game, but instead, we find ourselves with a sequel that retains much of its predecessor’s essence.
One could speculate that feedback on Snakes & Ladders Megadice influenced this follow-up, resulting in slight rule tweaks and a refreshed appearance. Was the original so beloved that it warranted this lightly revised sequel? It’s a question that might baffle, but here we are.
There isn’t much new to add beyond what was covered in the previous Snakes & Ladders review. The graphics have been updated, shedding the chunky 8-bit aesthetic for a more polished look typical of Pragmatic Play/Reel Kingdom collaborations. Additionally, the mechanism where wild dice fill snake segments to trigger the bonus round has been integrated directly into the bonus gameplay.
Conclusion
While Snakes & Ladders Snake Eyes might have been less perplexing had the developers introduced more overtly fresh elements during its creation, the improved graphics and familiar gameplay offer a solid experience for fans. For those who enjoyed the original or are new to the series, this sequel provides an engaging experience, particularly for players on swerte99 who appreciate a touch of nostalgia mixed with modern visuals.
