In the Zone Demo
In the Zone Slot Review
Spin the reels of ELK Studios’ latest 3-reel endeavour, In the Zone, where Bigways, Nudging Wilds, and so much more await!
From a distance, this brassy 3-reeler could take centre stage on the Vegas strip, but the reel magic lies beneath its shiny exterior – take it for a spin and prepared to be dazzled and amazed! In the Zone is an elegant classic that delivers Bigways, Nudging Wilds, Linked Reels, Multipliers, Respins, and an epic Free Spins mode – all packed into a potential max win cap of 2,500x your bet.
In the Zone is not your typical ELK Studios instalment and it’s easy to make assumptions based on its appearance. With a magnitude of experience and many innovative titles under their belt, we’re confident that In the Zone will offer many unique twists and turns throughout gameplay. If Toro 7s is anything to go by, we’re in for quite a ride!
Base Game & Features
In the Zone is a 3-reel Video Slot with 2-6 rows per reel, Connecting Pay Lines, and varying bet sizes between £.€0.20 and £.€100 per spin. This Mid-High Volatility slot offers an overall RTP of 94% and a fixed max win cap of 2,500x your bet.
Winning combinations are calculated when 3+ identical symbols connect Horizontally or Diagonally across all 3 reels, without gaps between reels or symbols. Classic symbols make up the game’s High and Low-paying symbols, each producing 1x and 25x your bet in payouts. Lastly, Wilds substitute for all symbols except Scatters.
In-Game Features
During gameplay, a number of Special Features can occur on the reels – these include:
- Multiplier: Multipliers can appear above all paytable symbols, excluding Scatters. Each winning pay line that runs through a Multiplier will have its win multiplied by the displayed amount.
- Nudging Wilds: When a Nudging Wild hits, it will cause the reel to nudge down by 1 position, triggering a Respin function on the other reels. This continues until the Nudging Wild is no longer in view.
- Respin: When 2 reels display identical symbols, but the spin does not result in a win, the 2 reels lock into position and a Respin is granted on the 3rd reel. In addition, all present Multipliers will persist at this time.
- Linked Spin: Causes 2 or 3 reels to link together, awarding matching instances of the same high or low-paying symbol.
X-iter
- Bonus Hunt: More than triples your chance of triggering the Bonus Game (3x your bet)
- Multiplier Mania: Awards 1 spin with at least 1 guaranteed Multiplier on each reel (10x your bet)
- Linked Spin: Guarantees 1 spin with the Linked Spin Feature active (25x your bet)
- Bonus: Guaranteed entry into the Bonus Game (100x your bet)
- Super Spin: Guarantees 1 Super Spin where the first and last reel only reveal high-paying (Diamond) symbols (250x your bet)
Bonus Game
Landing 3 Scatters in the base game triggers the Bonus Game, awarding 5 Free Spins and a Global Multiplier Feature.
In Free Spins, the active Global Multiplier begins at x1. Each new spin causes the Global Multiplier to increase by +x1, multiplying all wins that occur throughout the feature. Landing a Scatter symbol awards an additional +1 Free Spin.
Our Verdict
In the Zone offers a classy aesthetic and a simple game design, lined with unique features and mechanics you don’t often see in a 3-reel Video Slot. This game is unlike any other ELK Studios release, which has been stripped bare of staple features found in the Nitropolis and Toro series.
This unusual step back may come as a surprise to players with an affiliation with the complex features ELK Studios is known for, or it may end up being a blessing in disguise. In the Zone still holds many key features and mechanics that are appealing and generous, but if we’re honest, it doesn’t quite touch the sides like its predecessors.
The in-game features are a true representation of ELK Studios’ abilities and creativity, conjuring up Respins, Multipliers, Linked Reels, and Nudging Wilds that enhance the game’s overall appeal and potential. The Super Spin is by far the most rewarding of functions as it enables players the opportunity to create a full screen of identical symbols, leading to big rewards.
In Free Spins, a Global Multiplier increases the potential significantly, causing the smallest of wins to become promising ones in an instant. Our only complaint is that the max win cap has been dulled down to a disappointing 2,500x your bet.
*In the Zone is available to play across UK Slot Sites from the 1st April 2025!