Court of Hearts is a slot machine centered on the Queen of Hearts and her court, which is based on Lewis Carroll’s wacky Wonderland. Even though both games take place in Alice’s world, the only actual connection between Rabbit Hole Riches and Court of Hearts is the setting. The maximum win has been increased and other mathematical adjustments have been made, all of which add up to make Court of Hearts a more intricate slot machine than before.
To get things rolling in a no-nonsense fashion, the playing field consists of a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines. Compared to the 3×3 gameplay of Rabbit Hole Riches, this is a significant expansion. The game’s unique flavor was the result of some creative license being taken with the game’s backstory. It would appear that the Jack of Hearts is on trial for a foul crime he did not commit, yet when the Queen is in a bad mood, neither guilt nor innocence matters much. Regardless, Jack’s predicament injects some much-needed vibrancy into an otherwise visually pleasing game, of the kind we’ve come to anticipate from Play’n GO.
Any computer, tablet, or smartphone will do to get Jack out of this jam. Players wishing to stretch their dollar may start with a lesser 10 p/c minimum bet, while high rollers can wager as much as £/€100 every spin. Court of Hearts, with its rating of 9, is a risky business with variable returns on investment (RTPs). The highest-yielding variant theoretically returns 96.27%.
While Alice may have encountered many strange and fascinating obstacles in Wonderland, the Court of Hearts features none of them. For instance, a win occurs when three or more identical tiles appear in a row, beginning on the leftmost reel. You’ll see the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and a blue Jack of Hearts on the reels, while the lower-paying symbols are represented by the standard playing card suits. The Queen of Hearts is, understandably, the most sought-after icon. For one, she awards 20 times the wager for a full house, and she becomes wild during free spins. The Queen’s sceptre also acts as a wild, replacing standard pay symbols and increasing their value to the same level as the Queen herself.
Slot Characteristics, Hearts Court
In addition to the three random reel modifiers, the free spins, and the progressive multiplier, Court of Hearts also has a cascade system, which may come as a surprise to some players.
Each victory in any part of the game will set off a cascade. This mechanism eliminates the winning combination off the reels, making room for fresh icons. It is possible to win many times in a row until no fresh winning combinations appear.
Any appearance of the Rabbit Hole icon triggers one of the three modifiers and grants the corresponding benefit:
Wild Cheshire Cats cover all slots on their reel and set off a cascade. If more wins are being generated, the full reel wild will shift to a new place.
Here, the Caterpillar character substitutes for anything from three to seven other symbols.
Dormouse – A gigantic wild symbol is added to the board, with a size that can range from 2×2 squares to 4×3 squares at random.
Three scatters anywhere in view triggers 9 free games and a payoff multiplier of 5. To aid in this pursuit, the Rabbit Reward function may add two scatters to the grid at random before a spin. The high-paying Queen of Hearts goes wild during free spins, replacing all symbols except scatters (which reward an additional free spin if they appear). Furthermore, the win multiplier in free spins rises by an unlimited amount for each line win.
Judgment of the Slot Court
Play’n GO has delivered another high-quality slot that is enjoyable to play but nothing special. To begin, the subject isn’t very original—after all, anyone can produce an Alice in Wonderland video game—but the developers have executed the idea so tastefully that it’s easy to look over. Court of Hearts has polished graphics and amusingly fitting sound effects in a convenient Play’n GO format.
Court of Hearts is a great addition to the small but growing library of Alice slots. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the last game, Rabbit Hole Riches. It’s a much riskier, high-stakes endeavor overall. Which one is better to play depends entirely on the player, as they both have their own unique advantages. The cascading effects of Court of Riches make it the more dangerous option. However, Rabbit Hole Riches stands out with its innovative gameplay and fast-paced 3×3 grid. If you truly can’t decide which one to turn on, a coin flip could be in order. Potentially higher rewards of 8,500 times the wager in Court of Hearts make it the better choice over its 5,000x counterpart.
In conclusion, Court of Hearts may not be very innovative due to its generic setting, features, and mechanics. But it does it elegantly, with no catches that would prevent one from delving headfirst into its rabbit hole.