When pirates are depicted in Hollywood and pop culture, their lifestyle is packed with adventures and riches beyond comprehension. The reality of the pirate life was very different. As you were sailing the seas hunting for treasure, you were more likely to die of scurvy, typhus, dysentery, syphilis, malaria, smallpox, or cholera than you were to get rich.

Hang up your eye patch, renounce the pirate’s life and enjoy the next best thing when you play Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot from Yggdrasil.

Hoist the colors and load the cannons

It may be that the very colorful Captain Jack Sparrow and the endless Pirates of the Caribbean sequels have given us a distorted view of what to expect from the pirate genre. It could be that, or it could be that Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot makes very little effort to actually embrace its theme.

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The slot is set on the deck of a pirate ship, with a pirate crab flanking the reels. The crab interacts with the action and acts as a companion on this rather dull journey. The reels themselves are populated with gems, rum, pistols, and a very forgettable cast of pirates.

We’re hunting treasure today, you scallywags

Where the graphics are a letdown, the gameplay is a triumph. Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot takes an unconventional approach that is so unorthodox that Captain Jack would be proud.

During gameplay, there are no paylines. To win, you’ll need to land at least six of the same symbols adjacent to one another. Once you plundered your first win, all other symbols on the reels will disappear, with the winning symbols dropping down. New symbols then fall from above, and if any match the original symbols, they’re added to the tally. This process continues again and again until no new symbols are added. Your total winnings are then tallied.

How to win is only the beginning, though. As you fill up the rows with winning symbols, you’ll begin to grab multipliers. Fill up two rows, and you’ll receive 2x your winnings. Your multipliers will continue to grow until you fill up all six rows to receive 10x your winnings for a huge payday.

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If you’re looking for the real treasure, however, you’re going to need three or more treasure maps to unlock a round of seven free spins. Once you do, you’ll be presented with a choice of three different destinations, each with its own unique free spins feature.

• Win Fall – Two additional winning symbols are added to each winning combination.
• High Seas – Low paying symbols disappear following each dropdown.
• Multiplier Madness – The win multiplier is not reset after each dropdown.

If you play your cards right and set sail in the right destination, you could be in for the score your crew has been waiting for.

Is Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot shipshape?

Pirates are most often depicted as larger-than-life characters who take what they want and give nothing back. As a result, with a name like Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot, you have certain expectations. The slot, however, fails to meet a single one. It’s all but devoid of pirates in favor of a single crab with a hook for pincher. It’s all a little disappointing.

Despite the lackluster theme, the underlying slot is solid. With a 96.3% RTP rating, low to medium volatility, and a €49,720, Pirates: Smugglers Paradise slot is definitely worth a spin or two.

If you’re looking for your next crew of scallywags, we recommend giving Books of Skulls, Queen of Bounty, and Age of Pirates a try.