Fairytale Legends: Hansel & Gretel Slots
Of all the fairytales that have been told throughout the centuries, few have endured in our collective consciousness as well as the story of Hansel and Gretel. The famous story of two children who have been left in the forest by their parents, only to come across an amazing candy cabin that isn’t quite what it seems has been passed down through the generations. Who out there isn’t familiar with the plan to use breadcrumbs to retrace one’s path, or the dramatic shoving of the witch into her own oven?
Moments like these are the kinds of memories that NetEnt is trying to evoke with the creation of Fairytale Legends: Hansel & Gretel. While this game may seem to offer little in the way of gameplay on the surface, first appearances can be deceiving, and this title is a lot more than just a gorgeous display of artistry. With several special bonus features and a payout system that makes it easier than you’d expect to score wins, this is a title that might be appealing to you even if you’re not interested in the theme.
Lost in the Forest
Fairytale Legends: Hansel & Gretel is a five-reel, 10-payline slot machine that was released in 2017 by NetEnt. The object of the game is rather straightforward: you’ll want to match identical symbols across your lines. Players must play all 10 lines, but have a wide range of coin values available, and can bet anywhere from 1 to 10 coins per line, making this a game that can appeal to both budget-conscious players and high rollers.
One of the interesting things at play here is the fact that you don’t have to start your winning combinations from the first reel in order to earn prizes. Any three-in-a-row or longer combination will do, regardless of where it starts on a payline; having the same symbols consecutively is the only thing that matters. That means that there are a lot more ways to make three and four symbol wins than on a normal machine.
The symbols themselves are a mix of thematic icons from the story this title is based on. For little wins, you can match four different kinds of hard candies in different colors. Hansel and Gretel are each available for bigger wins, and the machine’s logo offers the largest payouts of all, promising up to 400x your line bet.
Enjoy the Sugar Rush
While there aren’t many paylines or standard symbols, there are a lot of added features and bonuses on this game, which make this a slot with plenty of gameplay variety. For instance, you can find stacked wilds on the screen that can potentially cover an entire reel. When they do, you’ll not only get paid for any wins these substitutes help complete, but you’ll also get another free re-spin with that wild column locked into place.
There are also three special random effects that can occur during spins, each of which is brought to life by a helpful fairy that can float across the screen. In the Wonder Spin, you’ll see anywhere from five to nine of the highly valuable game logo symbols added to the screen in a single cluster, guaranteeing some solid wins. In the Fairy Surprise, a losing spin will turn into a winning one as symbols will change in order to turn into matching icons. Finally, the Wild Spin will result in two fully stacked wild reels being added to the screen, with players enjoying another re-spin after the initial results are tallied.
There’s also a treasure chest symbol that triggers some additional features. Hit three of these icons at once, and you’ll be asked to pick your treasure in order to unlock one of three bonuses. You might get the Candy House Bonus, in which you’ll choose three of 15 candies, then choose to take the average of the hidden prizes or pick one and claim whatever is revealed. You could also find yourself in a free spins round where you’ll get to sit back and enjoy 10 free plays, or get an instant Coin Win worth 15x your current total bet.
A Fantastic Slots Adventure
Our playtesting of Fairytale Legends: Hansel & Gretel left us highly impressed with NetEnt’s new creation. One of the things that we haven’t touched on yet is the incredible production work that went into this machine. The artwork is not only highly-detailed, but it is also deeply thematic, featuring the two main characters on a moonlit night in the middle of a creepy forest. The foggy lock, eerie afterglow, and blend of blues and greens definitely add to the fantasy ambiance. Even the music and sound design fits the setting extremely well, providing for an immersive experience few other slots can match.
But even if you don’t care about the presentation or the theme at all, you still might want to consider giving this game a look. While ten paylines and seven prize-earning symbols may seem extremely basic, all of the added features turn what could have been a dull, forgettable machine into one that will keep you constantly coming back for more. Loaded with different ways to win and lots of random bonuses, we think this game will quickly become a player favorite in the NetEnt collection.
