Play Ice World for Free

Before getting started, you’ll need to make a few decisions, namely on how many paylines you wish to play, what you wish to stake per line and whether you want to activate the Autoplay mode. The minimum you can wager per line is 0.03, while the maximum is 3, meaning this is very much a game beginners and low rollers can enjoy. Regarding the Autoplay function, you can set the reels to spin 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 or 100 times without any player input. The controls are in Settings; just click on the gearwheel tab in the upper left-hand corner. This is also where you can find the mute button.

A word on the audio is necessary, here. As you play, you’ll hear the sound of a great wind blowing through the Arctic: it’s rather eerie, but definitely creates an immersive atmosphere. And, for my money at least, it’s better than the happy-go-lucky-yet-paradoxically-maddening soundtrack of most casino games.

When you spin the reels, the audio simulates falling chinks of icicles. Anyway, you know where the mute button is.

The reel grid appears against a snowbound backdrop. There’s also an abominable snowman stood sentry next to the reels, looking rather forlorn. Each square in the reel grid appears as a frozen block of ice, inside which is a symbol with its very own pay value. Below, you’ll find separate blocks which record your win amount, bet amount and also your running balance. Below them, there are controls to regulate Max Bet and Autoplay; there’s also a Gamble button.

Symbols populating the ice-bound 5x3 grid include an ice pick, a wooden lantern, a frozen fish, a coil of rope, a red notebook, a jug (of anti-freeze, presumably!) and a compass. We were a little disappointed not to find the abominable snowman or woolly mammoth taking up their rightful place on the grid. Anyway, the symbols are well-paying on the whole.

As ever, the real money lies in finding five in a line. For five notebooks, we’re talking about a pay-out of 300, while for five jugs it’s 450. Five ice picks yields 1,500, while five rope icons grants 6,000. The rope icon, incidentally, acts as the scatter and pays in any configuration. It also grants an allocation of free spins: just land three symbols or more to win some freebies.

The wild icon, which is able to replace all others in the game except for the scatter, is the wide-eyed frozen fish. It pays 6,000 for five, 2,100 for four, 150 for three and 18 for two. Note, all figures quoted are if you bet the maximum of three credits per line.

Ice World includes an expanded Wild Reel, which is reel four. Reel four is wild throughout the game, meaning all symbols in it are wilds, except for one possible scatter. Wilds can, of course, appear on the other four reels.

Gamblers, we are happy to report the presence of a Double or Nothing round in Ice World. It’s available after every win, and you can keep gambling for up to ten times or until your winnings equal 10,000. You can also stop at any time by hitting Collect.

As far as 5-reel, non-progressive slots go, Ice World is as solid as a block of ice. The game features fun icons, smooth gameplay, a wild reel and a terrific pay-table. Give it a go: just be careful not to slide on the ice.