Vampires vs Werewolves Slot Machines

Horror and monster movies have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, and the Vampires vs Werewolves slot machine from Amaya is cashing in on that trend. Both types of supernatural creatures arerepresented, and lucky gamblers may get to witness a monstrous slugfest for the ages.

In addition to the visceral thrills attached to the game, players have a chance to receive some big winnings for a modest investment. We’ll discuss these payouts below, as well as game symbols,the bonus round, and even a few cool films featuring werewolves and vampires engaging in battle.

Also known as “RTP,” the return to player is an expression of the percentage of money that the player can expect to get back. In the case of the Vampires vs Werewolves slot machine, the RTP is98%. This is higher than most online slots, and it’s certainly superior to what you’ll find at land-based casinos in Las Vegas and Macau.

Does this mean you’ll get back 98% each time you play? The simple answer to this question is “No.”

In order to explain, I’m going to quote directly from the game’s instructions: “Return-to-Player percentage (RTP) is a theoretical percentage determined by the rules and/or payouts of a game. Indecision-based games like Blackjack and Video Poker, the RTP is based on perfect play. In games that rely more on chance, like Slots, the RTP is based on many thousands of plays.”

The following symbols can be found on the base game of the Vampires vs. Werewolves slot machine:

• Vampire

  These immortal bloodsuckers are usually depicted as suave and sophisticated, although some representations have broken from that tradition. They’re just as dangerous as werewolves, althoughtheir list of weaknesses can be much more significant. This icon functions as the scatter symbol and only appears on the first reel. When paired with the werewolf symbol on the fifth reel, itoffers a random payout (as well as an additional prize for each symbol on the reels with a crucifix icon in the upper right corner). Even if you’re only betting one credit per line, thescatter bonus can result in a win between 50 and 2,200.

• Werewolf

  Also known as a lycanthrope, the werewolf is a terrifying beast that changes shape during the full moon. In this game, its symbol functions as a scatter and only appears on reel five. Whenpaired with a vampire symbol on the first reel, it offers a random payout (plus another prize for each symbol on the reels with a crucifix icon in the upper right corner). You may not be keenon the latter if you’re concerned about the overall rate of play, as the winning segment takes about 15 seconds to resolve itself (about three times longer than usual).

• Vampire vs Werewolf

  For whatever reason, these two supernatural creatures seem destined to fight throughout the ages. This icon symbolizes their eternal struggle, and it also triggers the bonus feature when itsimultaneously appears on reels two, three, and four.

• Female Victim

  The most valuable symbol in the game, this icon depicts a beautiful—and rather unlucky—woman. She functions as the game’s wild symbol, and she substitutes for all symbols except thoseinvolving a vampire or werewolf. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 5 for 2 matches, 200 for 3, 2000 for 4, and 7500 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits iswagered, the player can expect to win one of the following amounts: 25 for 2 matches, 1000 for 3, 10000 for 4, and 37500 for 5. When part of a winning line, the symbol animates to show thecrucifix falling from around her neck, which is followed by a stream of blood (presumably from her jugular vein).

• Clove of Garlic

  The vampire’s dislike for garlic first appeared in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, and it’s since become a common part of the creature’s lore. There’s no reasonable explanation for whyan almost unstoppable killing machine would be driven away by an herb, but that’s the beauty of myths and legends. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 50 for 3matches, 100 for 4, and 500 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits is wagered, the player can expect to win one of the following amounts: 250 for 3 matches, 500 for 4, and 2500 for 5.

• Silver Dagger

  Some cultures view silver as being tied to the moon and/or the human soul, and it’s likely that this is where the werewolf’s vulnerability to the substance originated. Not only can silverkill a lycanthrope, but it also ensures that their dying moments are filled with excruciating pain. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 15 for 3 matches, 75 for4, and 250 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits is wagered, the player can expect to win one of the following amounts: 75 for 3 matches, 375 for 4, and 1250 for 5.

• Bible & Crucifix

  Since vampires are traditionally viewed as creatures who are damned in the eyes of God, they’re often depicted as being vulnerable to holy artifacts. Passages from the Bible can torment lesspowerful bloodsuckers, and even master vampires may be harmed when a crucifix is pressed to their flesh. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 15 for 3 matches, 75for 4, and 250 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits is wagered, the player can expect to win one of the following amounts: 75 for 3 matches, 375 for 4, and 1250 for 5.

• Gun with Silver Bullets

  If you’re smart, you’ll avoid getting anywhere near a werewolf with a silver dagger, as they’re likely to tear you apart before the killing blow can be struck. It’s much safer to stand at adistance and mow them down with a pistol loaded with silver bullets. In modern times, most werewolves wouldn’t last long, especially when pitted against a gun-toting American armed with asemi-automatic rifle. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 10 for 3 matches, 50 for 4, and 125 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits is wagered, the player canexpect to win one of the following amounts: 50 for 3 matches, 250 for 4, and 625 for 5.

• Ace & King

  As with most slots, the values from the game of poker are used to round out the available symbols. A combination of aces and kings doesn’t offer a payout, however. In order to get a prize,you’ll need to get three or more symbols of one type. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 5 for 3 matches, 40 for 4, and 100 for five. When the maximum of 100credits is wagered, the player can expect to win one of the following amounts: 25 for 3 matches, 200 for 4, and 500 for 5.

• Queen & Jack

  The last of the poker symbols used in the game, these are the lowest-paying icons that the player can expect to find. These symbols aren’t interchangeable; you must get all queens or alljacks in order to win. For the lowest wager of 20 credits, the game pays the following: 2 for 3 matches, 15 for 4, and 75 for five. When the maximum of 100 credits is wagered, the player canexpect to win one of the following amounts: 10 for 3 matches, 75 for 4, and 375 for 5.

When the Vampires vs Werewolves icon appears simultaneously on the second, third, and fourth reels, the bonus feature is activated. This causes the screen to transform, and the player is asked tochoose either the vampire or werewolf as their character.

Regardless of the selection, the player is now taken to a game board, where the monster is represented as a game piece. Each space on the board has a symbol, with most of them displaying acertain number of credits.

The player clicks the “Roll” icon to toss a virtual die, and the playing piece is advanced that number of spaces. The objective is to make it all the way across the game board, although you canland on any of the following spaces along the way:

• Credits – This space awards a set number of credits to the player.
• 2x Multiplier – All winnings up to that point are doubled.
• Life Saver Icon – When playing as the werewolf, the symbol looks like garlic. For the vampire, it takes the form of a gun with silver bullets. This icon is placed in your inventory, and itallows the player to survive a single encounter with their arch-enemy.
• Enemy Square – If the player lands on one of these squares without a life saver icon in their inventory, then the round is over. When this occurs, all winnings are added up before the playeris returned to the main game screen.

If you wager the minimum amount, possible winnings during the bonus round range from 75 to 2,375. For the maximum wager of 100 credits per spin, the payouts range from 375 to 11,875.

When you first look at the game, you should notice a number of control options beneath the reels. These provide the basic functions of the slot, and they also provide players with a certain levelof customization. We’ll examine each in this section, so you can hit the ground running when it comes time to play.

• Paylines

  Actually located to the side of the reels instead of underneath, these small boxes are all labeled with the number “one” (I’m not entirely sure why). In other releases from Amaya, pressingone of these icons activates a certain number of paylines for the upcoming spin, but that’s not the way it works on Vampires vs Werewolves. Instead, moving your cursor over one of the symbolssimply shows the presence of one of the lines, but nothing else can be accomplished. Since the payline configuration is also included on the paytable, I’m not sure why this feature is evenincluded.

• Denomination

  This field displays the denomination of the wager per line. By using the increase or decrease buttons, this amount can be altered by the player at any time between spins.

• Increase Denomination

  This button allows the player to raise the value of their denomination. There are a total of seven options to choose from, and the four highest are 0.25, 1.00, 2.00, and 5.00.

• Decrease DenominationBy clicking on this option, the player can choose to lower their overall value of their denomination. The three lowest available choices for the slot include thefollowing: 0.02, 0.05, and 0.10.
• Auto Spin

  Pressing the spin button repeatedly can become a bit monotonous, and this option is designed to make things more convenient on the player. Maybe you’re looking to lean back and rest your eyesfor a minute, or perhaps you need to get up and take care of something in another room of the house. No matter what the case, this feature allows the reels to keep spinning. When pressed, thebutton gives the player the following options: 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. Once a selection has been made, press the button again to initiate the auto spin function. The chosen number of spins isnow carried out, although the gamer can cancel the function at any time.

• Credits

  The number of credits available to the player for the purpose of wagering. This is expressed in credits instead of a specific currency, allowing players of various nations to instantlydetermine their financial standing at the casino without having to work out any complicated conversions.

• Bet

  This field displays the number of credits being wagered during the spin. This amount can be raised or lowered by using the “Credits per Line” option (discussed below).

• Credits per Line

  This section of the game is displayed as five numbered boxes. Each increases the number of credits wagered by 20, so the options include the following: 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100. In order todetermine the overall wager, multiply the denomination by the number of credits. For example, betting 0.02 per payline with 20 credits would result in a wager of 40 credits.

• Balance

  This is similar to the “Credits” section discussed earlier, but the amount available to the player is expressed in their particular form of currency. When this number gets near zero, theplayer usually has to add more money to their account. During this period, expect a decent amount of cursing and hand wringing.

• Wagered

  Expressed in terms of actual currency, this field displays the amount of money wagered by the player during the upcoming spin.

• Spin

  Once you’ve made your selections, click this icon to start the reels spinning. Unlike some slot machines, however, the spin can’t be ended prematurely. Depending on whether or not the spin isa winner, the process normally takes from four to six seconds to complete. Instead of being labeled “Spin,” this icon displays a circular arrow over the image of a vampire and werewolf facingoff.

• Won

  This large red field displays any credits won by the player on the previous spin.

• Results

  Displayed in a field at the bottom of the screen, this feature gives a synopsis of the previous spin. In addition to the amount wagered, it also lists any wins and a look at the net profit orloss for the turn.

Before I play a new slot machine, I like to get psyched up by exposing myself to some of the material that helped inspire the game in the first place. Sometimes this requires reading a novel, butI’ve always found it more convenient to watch a movie (when possible). There aren’t a lot of quality films featuring vampires battling werewolves, but the following are all good enough to keepyour entertained for a few hours.

Kate Beckinsale kicks butt as Selene, an uber-serious vampire who spends her nights hunting down werewolves (aka Lycans). There’s plenty of action and intrigue for everyone, and Bill Nighy is astandout as Viktor, one of the Lycan-hating leaders of the immortal undead coven.

The second film in the series got off track, but this prequel rights the ship by showing the origin of the bad blood between vampires and Lycans. Selene is nowhere to be found in this one, but wedo get to see plenty of the forbidden romance between Lucian (Michael Sheen) and Sonja (Rhona Mitra).

When a nobleman agrees to help a couple of female college students find the tomb of a supposed vampiress, things get complicated. They go from bad to worse when the once-dormant beauty rises fromher grave, but the noble has a secret of his own that might save the day (or kill them all).

Teens and women should love this second installment in the Twilight series, while male viewers are likely to roll their eyes in disgust. After Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) leavesBella Swan (Kristen Stewart) for her own safety, the spunky schoolgirl falls in with a pack of local werewolves (including the hunky Jacob, aka Taylor Lautner).

For as little as 40 credits, the player can take a stab at the winning in the Vampires vs Werewolves slot machine from Amaya. The payouts are impressive at the higher levels, and the top jackpotis superior to many titles from the same designer. The bonus feature provides an additional opportunity to strike it rich, while the game’s graphics and sounds do an adequate job of staying ontheme. If you’re looking for a solid game with a horror flair, this atmospheric release should definitely be on your short list.