Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas Demo
Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas Slot Review
Dive into the ‘swashbucklin’ excitement of PearFiction Studios‘ latest release, Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas!
Prepare for a hauntingly good time aboard Captain Skull’s ship, which, if you hadn’t already guessed from its title, falls under the inspirational Pirate theme. If setting sail, battling enemy ships, and hunting for treasure is your thing, PearFiction Studios has you covered.
In Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas, you’ll find a montage of thrilling features, including the Squishy and Suctioncup functions, as well as a nifty Tentacle Collect and Free Spins mode.
As seen previously in Betbarian Bounty and Bunny Loot (among others), this game delivers a wave of crisp, clear aesthetics, bursts of colour, and engaging animations. The backdrop displays the green glow of the night sea, anchored ships, and the occasional zap of lightning.
The grid reveals a 5×3 format, 4 unique Jackpot Prizes, and the deadly glare of Captain Skull himself, almost bare-chested to the left of the main reel set. With a fixed RTP of 96.01% and a high volatility score, this game has the potential to award up to 5,100x your bet.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the dangerous, and potentially rewarding, adventure of Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas!
Base Game & Features
Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas is a highly volatile 5-reel, 3-row Video Slot containing 20 fixed pay lines. Winning combinations are rewarded when 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols land on adjacent reels, starting from reel 1.
The 8 available paytable symbols include treasure chests, maps, compasses, shovels, and A, K, Q, & J card suits. Depending on the winning symbol, payouts between 0.1x and 20x your bet apply, where applicable.
In addition, Wild symbols appear on all reels and substitute for all symbols except coins, jackpot coins, and tentacle collect icons. Wild symbols that are part of a win will create the highest-paying combination possible.
Tentacle Collect
In the middle of the third reel is a marked position that can trigger the Tentacle Collect feature, awarded when an Octopus symbol drops in. Once active, the Octopus symbol can perform multiple actions from the following Modifiers:
- Transform a number of non-winning symbols into Coins
- Improve the value of all Coin Prizes in view by a random amount before collection
- Adds donuts to 1 or both jars above the reels
Coin symbols appear with a random value between 1x and 100x your bet. The value of each collected coin is added together and then applied to your total win for the round.
Captain Skull
The appearance of Captain Skull is not only for cosmetic purposes, but also as part of the Captain Skull Feature. In the base game, Captain Skull may award one of the following Modifiers:
- Add a number of random Coin Prizes onto the reels
- Reveal a number of Wild symbols to create additional wins
- Collect TNT sticks in his jar during the Free Spins mode
- Create a Krakentastic Zone with a collected TNT stick
Jar Features
Above the main reel set are 2 Red & Green Octopus Jars, referred to as Squishy and SuctionCup. In the base game, each Octopus may randomly trigger and award their respective Modifier – these include:
- Squishy: Positions itself on a random reel, creating a stack of Coin Prizes
- SuctionCup: Positions itself on the reels and generates a trail of Coin Prizes
Jackpot Coins
In addition to regular Coin Prizes, the game hosts up to 4 progressive Jackpot Prizes, which increase by x1 your bet for each corresponding Jackpot Prize to land on the reels.
- Mini: Between 10x and 50x your bet
- Minor: Between 75x and 200x your bet
- Major: Between 250x and 750x your bet
- Mega: Between 2,000x and 5,000x your bet
When a Jackpot Prize is awarded, it will guarantee the current fixed Prize, after which it resets to its original starting value.
Bonus Buy
Players within permissible regions can purchase a variety of Bonus Buy options as follows:
- Squishy Free Spins: Guaranteed entry to this feature for 50x your bet (RTP 96.02%)
- SuctionCup Free Spins: Instantly triggers this feature for 100x your bet (RTP 96.04%)
- Combined Free Spins: Awards both features for 150x your bet (RTP 96.01%)
The maximum win potential for Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas is 5,100x your bet. If this figure is reached during a game round, the current mode will end, and the player will return to the base game with the full amount.
Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas Free Spins
Each donut that is added to the Red & Green Jars has an increased chance of triggering the Free Spins mode. Alternatively, both Jars can be triggered together to award a mixed variation of both Free Spins modes.
During Free Spins, the Tentacle Collect feature is always active within the middle position of reel 3. Furthermore, both Octopus characters reveal a random Coin Prize, which changes with each spin, where applicable.
Squishy Free Spins
Once active, the feature awards 6 Free Spins with Squishy appearing on reels 1, 2, 4, or 5 throughout spins.
When Squishy appears on a reel, it will nudge down by 1 position with each spin. When it reaches the bottom reel position, Squishy will disappear, and potentially reappear during future spins.
SuctionCup Free Spins
Once active, the feature awards 6 Free Spins with SuctionCup guaranteed on the reels. During this time, SuctionCup can move up to 3 times on the reels.
Upon reaching its final resting place, it will disappear from view, with the possibility of reappearing during future spins. If only 1 jar feature is triggered to begin, there is a chance to accumulate additional Donut symbols to trigger the other Free Spins mode alongside it.
Krakentastic Zone
During a Free Spins mode, the Captain Skull feature may create a Krakentastic Zone, which persists throughout spins.
Each time a Coin Prize lands within the Krakentastic Zone, it is multiplied by the current Multiplier, between x2 and x300. This includes the progressive Jackpot Coins (excluding Mega).
Bomb Collection
Bomb symbols are collected below each of the 5 reels during the base game. When all 5 Bomb symbols are collected, both Free Spins modes are triggered at the same time.
Our Honest Verdict
There’s a lot on the agenda of Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas, with so much scenery and gameplay for players to take in. The game’s overwhelming contents are considered the ‘norm’ for PearFiction Studios, with a natural ability to pack as many features into one release.
The variety of features makes it hard to distinguish which is the better offering of them all. In the base game, your main focus is landing the Octopus within the middle position of reel 3 to trigger the Tentacle Collect feature.
This feature guarantees the collection of all available Coin and Jackpot Coin Prizes, as well as initiating its own set of Modifiers when it fancies. Furthermore, Captain Skull is not just present for his good looks and charms, but to reward a series of functions that engage in higher payouts.
Another important aspect of the base game is collecting Donut symbols from the reels. The collection of Red & Green donuts determines the outcome of the triggering Free Spins mode, or both if you’re lucky.
It’s during Free Spins that a Krakentastic Zone becomes apparent on the reels. When this feature is active, your chances of achieving the max win potential of 5,100x your bet are significantly higher, thanks to the addition of Multipliers between x2 and x300.
All in all, Captain Skull & the Squidly Seas is a promising addition to PearFiction’s portfolio, and one that allows players to dabble in a variety of features and mechanics, while benefiting from a 5,100x your bet max win potential.
*The images found in this slot review are currently from Demo Play. On average, our reviews are written prior to the initial release date and before real play is available.
