Lucky Leprechaun Slots
Lucky Leprechaun is a medium-variance video slot with 5 reels and 20 paylines. The visually arresting Irish-themed slot, which is available on both desktop and mobile devices, was released in early 2015 by the Microgaming software suite.
Lucky Leprechaun is an undeniable attempt by the company to tap into the lucrative ‘luck of the Irish’ theme, but it should be said that while the game doesn’t offer the same gigantic jackpot as IGT’s Rainbow Riches, it does supply plenty of excitement for players seeking gold at the end of the rainbow. The HD-quality title features terrific graphics and rewarding features, including stacked wilds, a free spins round and an entertaining Trail O’ Fortune bonus. The reputed return-to-player average, meanwhile, is 95.5%.
Fields of Barley
The Lucky Leprechaun reels appear against a backdrop of rolling green hills and impossibly blue sky. The game title appears above the bright reels and below, you’ll find buttons for Spin and Auto Play. Running tabs also record your bet and win amounts. Players can wager between 0.20 and 20, which means the game should suit all but high rollers.
Symbols on the reels stick fairly closely to the Irish theme, although there’s also room for varicoloured playing cards, which have been inscribed with Celtic style patterns. The playing cards stretch from 10 to A. More relevant icons include a smoking pipe, a Lucky Leprechaun logo, a grinning, bearded leprechaun dressed all in green (naturally), a symbol showing three pints of Guinness (sláinte!), a four-leaf clover, a pot of gold with the word BONUS on it and a gorgeous violin against a blue backdrop. As you play, you’ll be treated to jig-inducing Irish music. Hit mute if that sounds like your idea of hell.
Among the regular symbols, the leprechaun pays best, granting 30 for three, 125 for four and 400 for five. Next best is the violin, paying 15 for three, 100 for four and 300 for five, followed by the pints of Guinness, which supply 10 for three, 75 for four and 250 for five. The smoking pipe pays 7.50 for three, 50 for four and 200 for five. All wins are multiplied by the bet-per-line and must be formed on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel.
Stacked Wilds, Free Spins and the Trail O’ Fortune
The Lucky Leprechaun logo is the game’s wild, and it appears stacked both during the bonus game and the free spins bonus. It is able to stand in for all symbols excluding the pot of gold. Not only that, but the wild grants some nice pay-outs: 50 for three, 250 for four and 500 for five in a line. Sweet!
The Trail O’ Fortune mini game is activated when you unearth three, four or five bonus icons anywhere on the reels. In the ensuing feature, you’ll be given four, five or six rolls of the dice, after which you’ll move along the winding trail by one to five squares. Every place on the trail hides a bonus prize, although the size of the pot at the end of the rainbow depends very much on how many bonus symbols you uncovered to trigger the game. If you found three, the pot is equal to 500x your bet. If you located five, it is a gargantuan 1,000x your bet. What’s more, if you land on an emerald at any point you will be rewarded with an additional spin. It’s also possible to jump several squares by landing on a square which has a rainbow bridge upon it.
The four-leaf clover is the gateway to free spins. Land this icon on the fifth reel and you’ll win five freebies with a 2x multiplier attached to all wins. The wilds will remain stacked, but the leprechaun symbol will also transform into a wild, thereby enhancing your prospects of hitting a win.
Is the Leprechaun Lucky?
While the theme is about as unoriginal as it gets, we enjoyed playing Lucky Leprechaun. The Irish-themed slot doesn’t take itself too seriously, and supplies a range of features to heighten the gaming experience – features such as free spins, multipliers, stacked wilds and a nice bonus game. The animations are also praiseworthy, with movements of the cursor leaving a shimmering trail and Irish music imparting an immersive feel. While the game could be improved with a more generous allocation of free spins, overall Lucky Leprechaun is easy to recommend.
