Dark King: Forbidden Riches Overview
Dark King: Forbidden Riches is a dark fantasy slot from NetEnt running on a standard 5x3 grid with 20 paylines. Picture something like a Dark Souls vibe but on slot reels; gloomy gothic chambers, skulls, armoured knights and an imposing king standing beside the grid casting spells when bonus features kick in. Medium-high volatility with an RTP of 96.06%.
Honestly, my first impression was proper impressive on the visual side. The atmosphere is genuinely immersive and the orchestral soundtrack nails the mood. But I did find myself wondering pretty quickly whether the features would match the looks. Spoiler: they're decent but not spectacular.
Symbols and Paytable
Premium symbols are five dark fantasy characters. The Dark King himself pays 25x your stake for five of a kind. Below him you've got a horned knight at 20x, a whip-wielding minion at 17.5x, a green lantern figure at 15x, and a skeletal warrior at 12.5x. Low pays are your usual 10 through A royals, ranging from 2.5x to 5x for five matches. They've been styled with a fantasy font though, so they don't look completely out of place.
The Wild is a glowing blue orb that substitutes for everything except the scatter. It also carries the same payout value as the Dark King symbol, which is a nice touch. The scatter is a red gem in a gold setting. You need at least three matching symbols on a payline to score a win, starting from the left reel.
Symbol Payouts
Bonus Features and Free Spins
Wilds are the centrepiece here. Whenever two or more land on the reels during a single spin, you get a multiplier equal to the number of wilds. So three wilds means a 3x multiplier on your win. It caps at 5x, which isn't massive but it does apply in both the base game and Free Spins.
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters triggers 10, 12, or 15 free spins respectively. During the bonus round, a cross-shaped hotspot zone appears in the centre of the reels. Any wild that lands inside this zone becomes a Sticky Wild for the rest of the feature and adds 1 extra free spin. The multiplier still caps at 5x though, which feels a bit limiting.
No Bonus Buy option here either. If you're someone who likes skipping straight to the action, you'll have to wait it out. I found the base game can drag a bit between features, so patience is required.
Bonus Buy Options
Landing 2 or more wilds on the reels triggers a multiplier equal to the number of wilds, up to 5x. Works in both base game and free spins.
3, 4, or 5 red gem scatters trigger 10, 12, or 15 free spins. A cross-shaped hotspot appears in the centre of the reels where wilds become sticky and add 1 extra free spin each.
RTP, Volatility and Max Win
RTP sits at 96.06%, which is bang on average for online slots. Volatility is medium-to-high, meaning you won't get showered with small wins. You'll need to manage your bankroll carefully because dry spells happen. Bets range from 0.20 up to 400 per spin, so there's plenty of flexibility for casual players and high-rollers alike.
Max win is 2,000x your stake. For a medium-high volatility slot, that's honestly a bit disappointing. At the highest bet of 400, that translates to 800,000 in potential winnings, which sounds great on paper. But compared to other slots in this volatility bracket, the ceiling feels low. Not everyone will mind, but if you're chasing massive payouts, this probably isn't your game.
