Depths of Fortune Slot Review
When AvatarUX stepped away from their signature PopWins mechanic to develop Depths of Fortune, we weren’t sure what to expect. The result? A game that proves this provider has serious talents beyond their most recognised innovation. Released in July 2024, Depths of Fortune combines a distinctive Loaded Reel feature with the increasingly popular Hold & Win bonus mechanic, wrapped in a visually stunning underwater adventure aesthetic. Our team has put this slot through its paces, and we’re here to share what we discovered about this creative departure from AvatarUX’s typical portfolio.
Base Game & Features
Depths of Fortune operates on a 5-reel grid that starts at 5×4, expandable all the way to 5×7, delivering up to 16,807 ways to win when fully expanded. Bet £0.10 to £100 per spin, with a medium volatility profile that delivers a balanced mix of wins. The 96% RTP is genuinely competitive in today’s market, and you’ll also find alternative RTP settings at 94% and 90.5% available at some casinos.
The star of the base game is the Loaded Reel feature positioned on the left-hand reel. Unlike traditional reels, this Loaded Reel comes equipped with a Trigger Zone that activates with each cascade. When rewards land in this zone, they cascade upward and deliver modifiers to the main reels, including grid expansions (stretching the play area by up to 3 positions), symbol upgrades that increase their values, multipliers reaching up to 25x, and wild symbols to complete winning combinations. It’s a genuinely innovative approach that sets Depths of Fortune apart from other games in AvatarUX’s catalogue.
Supporting these features are cascading reels that remove winning symbols and drop new ones into place, along with classic wild symbols that substitute in winning combinations. The grid expansion mechanic works brilliantly with the cascades, allowing chains of wins to multiply across more rows and positions. When everything aligns properly, you’re looking at genuinely impressive base game wins. However, we’ll be honest: the base game has a significant pacing issue. Win frequency can feel low, and when wins do land, they’re often modest. The Loaded Reel is inconsistent in delivering value, creating stretches where the game feels tedious. This is something you’ll want to understand going in, particularly if you prefer extended base game sessions.
Bonus Features & Hold & Win Mechanic
The Hold & Win bonus is triggered when you land 5 or more Coin Symbols anywhere on the main reels. Once activated, the game transforms into a sticky-symbol bonus round with only Coins and blank spaces visible. The bonus grid remains at the size you triggered it from, but this is where things get genuinely exciting. Regular Coins range from 1x to 100x your bet, whilst the rare Colossal Coins deliver an impressive 500x to 5000x per coin. You’ll start with 3 lives, and here’s the clever bit: whenever a new Coin lands, it sticks in place and your life counter resets to 3. If you complete a respin without landing a new Coin, you lose one life. Lose all three, and the bonus ends, but by that point you’ve accumulated some serious coin values to collect.
What makes the Hold & Win bonus truly special is the integration with the Loaded Reel feature. During this mode, the Loaded Reel delivers bonus-specific rewards: Coin Upgrades that increase visible coin values, Extra Lives (up to +3 additional lives), a Collect feature that gathers all visible coins immediately, and the premium Collect & Multiply that collects coins and applies a multiplier up to 25x to the total. Our team found this bonus round genuinely engaging. It transforms the game from passive spinning into active decision-making, with each respin feeling significant because you’re playing against the clock (your lives). It’s exactly the type of interactive gameplay that’s become increasingly popular with players seeking more involvement than traditional bonus rounds.
Xpress Feature Bonus Buy Options
For players who prefer shortcuts, AvatarUX has included five Xpress Feature bonus buy options (though note these aren’t available in all jurisdictions, including the UK). You can purchase direct access to enhanced gameplay at various price points:
- Fully Loaded (5x bet) ensures the Loaded Reel is blank-free for each spin in base game play
- Bonus (60x bet) launches Hold & Win with 5 Coins on a 5×4 grid
- Bonus Plus (120x bet) launches Hold & Win with 6 Coins on a 5×5 grid
- Bonus Premium (240x bet) launches Hold & Win with 7 Coins on a 5×6 grid
- Bonus Max (500x bet) launches Hold & Win with 8 Coins on the largest 5×7 grid for maximum payline potential
Depths of Fortune Pros & Cons
Pros
- Innovative Loaded Reel with Trigger Zone unlocks multiple modifiers and multipliers up to 25x
- Generous maximum win potential of 20,000x your bet through combined features
- Excellent Hold & Win bonus implementation with engaging interactive gameplay
- Colossal Coins worth up to 5,000x per coin in bonus rounds
- Competitive 96% RTP with medium volatility for predictable gameplay
- Visually stunning cartoonish underwater theme with Jules Vernian steampunk atmosphere
- Demonstrates AvatarUX’s versatility beyond their signature PopWins mechanic
- Flexible betting range from £0.10 to £100 suits all player types
- Five Xpress Feature bonus buy options provide shortcuts for bonus-focused players
Cons
- Base game suffers from significant pacing issues with low win frequency
- Extended base game sessions can feel tedious without bonus triggers
- Loaded Reel feature is inconsistent in delivering value consistently
- Medium volatility limits exciting big wins, resulting in modest payouts outside bonuses
- Hold & Win bonus may not appeal to players who prefer pure base game grinding
- Advertised 20,000x maximum win is theoretically possible but extremely rare in practice
- Bonus buy features not available in all jurisdictions, including the UK
- Game requires patience to appreciate; not ideal for players seeking constant action
Game Theme & Visual Design
Visually, Depths of Fortune is genuinely impressive. The game features a cartoonish underwater adventure theme with a Jules Vernian steampunk atmosphere that’s absolutely immersive. Every element, from the character design to the background artwork, is executed with clear care and attention to detail. It’s one of those rare games where the visual presentation alone becomes a significant draw. The dark underwater setting is unique compared to the usual bright underwater themes you see elsewhere, and it creates a genuinely distinctive aesthetic that stands out in AvatarUX’s portfolio. Whether you’re sitting at your desk or playing on mobile, the visuals maintain their appeal and help make longer play sessions feel less like grinding.
Community Verdict & Our Assessment
Depths of Fortune Verdict: 7.5/10
Depths of Fortune is a solid, creative departure from AvatarUX’s typical output that demonstrates genuine versatility beyond PopWins mechanics. The feature combination is innovative, the Hold & Win bonus is genuinely engaging, and the visual design is excellent. However, let’s be candid about what we found: the base game pacing issue is real and will frustrate some players. The game is best appreciated by players who actively enjoy Hold & Win mechanics, can tolerate medium volatility, and don’t mind periods between bonuses. For players seeking an action-packed base game experience, this game will feel tedious.
Our testing aligned with community feedback: this game divides players between those who appreciate the innovative features and visual presentation, and those who find the base game uninspiring. The maximum win of 20,000x is theoretically achievable but represents an astronomically rare outcome. More realistic bonus wins will come from the Colossal Coins (500x-5000x) combined with moderate multipliers. If you love Hold & Win mechanics, visual design is important to you, and you’ve got patience for medium volatility gaming, Depths of Fortune is worth trying. If you prefer consistent base game action and high-frequency wins, you might find this game frustrating despite its strong feature set.
Final Thoughts
Depths of Fortune is a well-crafted game that successfully demonstrates AvatarUX’s versatility beyond PopWins mechanics. For Hold & Win enthusiasts and players who appreciate exceptional visual design, this is absolutely worth trying. The feature innovation is genuine, and when the Loaded Reel delivers its rewards, the gameplay can feel quite satisfying. The Hold & Win bonus round offers engaging interactive gameplay that stands out positively in the current market.
However, it’s important to go in with realistic expectations. The base game pacing problem is real, and the medium volatility means wins outside the bonus round will be modest. Community consensus sits at around 6.5-7.5 out of 10, which aligns with our assessment: it’s a solid, innovative slot with clear strengths and legitimate weaknesses. If you love Hold & Win mechanics, can appreciate medium volatility, and don’t mind periods between bonus triggers, you’ll likely enjoy Depths of Fortune. If you’re seeking constant base game action and high-frequency wins, this probably isn’t the game for you. Either way, AvatarUX deserves credit for stepping away from their comfort zone and creating something genuinely different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depths of Fortune features a base RTP of 96%, with alternative configurations available at 94% and 90.5%. This competitive return-to-player percentage applies across multiple volatility settings in the medium volatility slot category.
The maximum win potential in Depths of Fortune is 20,000x your bet. This substantial win is achievable through the combination of Colossal Coin symbols (which range from 500x to 5000x per coin) and multipliers (up to 25x) available in the Hold & Win bonus round and through the Loaded Reel feature.
Depths of Fortune features a distinctive Loaded Reel on the left side with a Trigger Zone that unlocks rewards and modifiers, cascading reels that remove winning sequences and drop symbols to fill gaps, Wild Symbols for substitutions, expanding grids that reach up to 16,807 ways to win, a Hold & Win bonus triggered by landing 5 or more Coin Symbols, and multiple Xpress Feature bonus buy options ranging from 5x to 500x bet.
The Loaded Reel is a distinctive feature positioned on the leftmost reel with a Trigger Zone at the top that activates with each cascade. It delivers rewards that cascade upward and activate modifiers for the main reels, including: grid expansions (expanding reels up to 3 positions), symbol upgrades, up to 25x multipliers, and wild symbols. These modifiers can expand the grid to 5×7 for maximum paylines of 16,807, and in Hold & Win mode, include Coin upgrades, extra lives (up to +3), Collect features, and Collect & Multiply (multiplying collected values up to 25x).
The Hold & Win bonus is triggered by landing 5 or more Coin Symbols on the reels during base game play. Players enter a bonus mode where only Coin Symbols and blank spaces appear on a sticky-symbol grid. Regular Coins display values from 1x to 100x the bet, whilst Colossal Coins (rarer) range from 500x to 5000x the bet. Players start with 3 lives represented by a life counter. When a new Coin Symbol lands, it becomes sticky and the life counter resets to 3. Without new coins landing, the life counter decreases by 1 per respin. Additional Loaded Reel rewards in bonus mode include Coin Upgrades (increasing visible coin values), Extra Lives (up to +3), Collect (treasure chest collecting all visible coins), and Collect & Multiply (collecting coins and multiplying by up to 25x).
Depths of Fortune allows betting from £0.10 (or equivalent in other currencies like EUR or USD) to £100 per spin, providing flexible betting options for both casual players and high-stakes gamblers. The game is compatible with multiple currency options depending on player location.
Depths of Fortune has been classified as a medium volatility slot (rated 3 out of 5 on AvatarUX’s volatility scale), meaning it offers a balanced mix of regular smaller wins and occasional larger payouts. Despite medium volatility, the game offers substantial win potential with a 20,000x max win multiplier, providing both consistency and opportunity for significant payouts through features like the Hold & Win bonus and Loaded Reel.
Depths of Fortune offers five Xpress Feature bonus buy options, providing players with flexible ways to access enhanced gameplay: Fully Loaded (5x bet) ensures the Loaded Reel is blank-free for each spin; Bonus (60x bet) enters Hold & Win with 5 Coins on a 5×4 grid; Bonus Plus (120x bet) enters Hold & Win with 6 Coins on a 5×5 grid; Bonus Premium (240x bet) enters Hold & Win with 7 Coins on a 5×6 grid; and Bonus Max (500x bet) enters Hold & Win with 8 Coins on the largest 5×7 grid for maximum win potential. Note: Bonus buy features are not available in all jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom.
