Play Archibald Africa for Free

Before you get to play the reels, you’ll be shown a short intro video which hints at the top-quality graphics in store. The video shows the eponymous Archibald riding an elephant across the plain.

After determining a bet worth anything from a penny up to 100 credits, and selecting the number of lines you wish to play (you can play on 1, 5, 10, 25 or 50) all that’s left to do is spin the reels.

The reel grid, which has 5 columns and 3 rows, appears in front of a backdrop showing an African dessert, with several thatch-roofed huts spaced out on the dirt. A pair of tribal totems flank the grid, alongside the eponymous Archibald, a spindly individual clad in camouflage shorts, a too-tight jacket and a wide-brimmed hat a la Crocodile Dundee. On the right-hand side, you’ll notice several shields, painted tribal style, a few spears and the upper half of a skull. Creepy!

As for the reel grid itself, all manner of native African animals appear. It should be said, though, that the graphics don’t depict the animals themselves but rather tribal representations etched on squares. The illustrations are truly excellent, with a wicked blend of colours brightening the reels. They include frogs, turtles, ostriches, zebras, tigers, elephants and birds. The highest-paying of these is the zebra, which awards handsome sums whether you find three, four or five. You’ll win 100 for three, 200 for four and 1,500 for five. Next best is the ostrich, paying 50 for three, 100 for four and 500 for five.

At the bottom end of the scale, the colourful bird symbol pays two credits for three, 15 for four and 75 for five. The bug icon pays the same, but the image of a human being pays a little better: five for three, 25 for four and 100 for five. On the whole, the pay-outs are very solid.

As far as gameplay is concerned, when you press Spin, all symbols on the reels fall away, giving you a quick panoramic view of the plain before fresh symbols fall into place. When you hit a win, you’ll hear a little jingle and the symbols will spin several times.

Some of the special features available in this slot include the colourful wild icon, which appears on an artistic shield. This one doesn’t supply winnings on its own, though: you need to use it to replace others. The wild can stand in for all regular symbols.

Next up is the free spins scatter, which pays wherever you find it. Land two to win two credits, three to win 5 plus 12 free spins, four to receive 25 credits and 15 free spins or all five to win a massive 100 credits plus – wait for it – 20 free spins. As if that wasn’t generous enough, all winnings during free spins are doubled. Free spins are played on the same number of lines, and with the same bet-per-line, as in the triggering game.

Lastly, if you activate the bonus round with three or more bonus icons, you’ll be rewarded with a go on the mini-feature. You shall get to select from four elephants to ride. The farther along you travel, the more dough you’ll earn…

Archibald Africa is a commendable video slot from a growing software company. The eye-pleasing casino game has a modern look, a strong theme and a number of nifty features. It’s also nice to see a game with so many win lines. One downside is that the RTP is a little lower than some other WorldMatch titles, sitting at 94.37%. If this doesn’t bother you, go ahead and join Archibald in Africa.