Turning Totems

Thunderkick’s quirky 2016 release borrows from the mysterious Mayan culture of Mesoamerica. The tried and tested theme has inspired countless top titles by some of the industry’s leading developers in recent years, but the Swedish game provider’s version stands apart predominantly for its unconventional gameplay centred around a quintet of totem poles that form the game’s main playing setup.

So get ready to set off for another far-flung adventure in the pursuit of Mayan riches with this eye-catching ‘Win-both-ways’ video slot offering 11 paylines.

Design

Being a relatively recent release, Turning Totems benefits from some start of the art design work, boasting vivid illustrations rendered in brilliant 3D graphics. The 5 totem poles, substituting the more familiar reel setup, sit among desert plains, with a cactus found to the right while a miniature Native American keeps watch on the opposite side of the playing area.

A cute, woodwind-driven tune provides a soothing soundtrack to the game and reinforces the overall impression of the Mayans being a very peaceful people at heart.

Scanning the totem poles carved of wood, we find symbols comprising a variety of exaggerated faces in various colours that give off a frightful, yet equally calming air. Each symbol carries their own degree of profitability, with the pink iteration serving up the tastiest rewards.

Gameplay

Turning Totems marks a shift away from most modern video slots by adopting its turning totem poles mechanism outlined above, housing various iconic face symbols. Catching the same symbol at least 6 times during a spin guarantees a win.

In any spin the same symbol often appears more than once upon the same pole, and in fact all 15 slot positions are capable of being filled entirely by the one same symbol - spelling the bigger rewards on offer.

Achieve this with the pink symbol, and you’ll be looking at a win worth a considerable 1,204x your wager. Next up is Mr. Orange, who’ll buffer your coffers with a 254x multiplier win, while the red-faced symbol comes with a top payout of 72x. You’ll want to avoid the slightly less intricately designed brown faces, as these can’t form part of winning combos and as a result are, well, pretty much useless!

The online slot benefits from the ‘Win-both-ways’ engine that allows wins to made from both left-to-right and vice versa - effectively doubling your earning potential with each spin.

Turning Totems Wilds

Look out for the lucrative Sleeping Totem, which substitutes for all other symbols except the Thunder Snake to ramp up your win potential further.

This serpent, incidentally, represents the game’s bonus symbol. Get ready to start the game’s centrepiece feature whenever it shows up in groups of six during a spin.

Turning Totem Bonus Feature

After the feature is activated, you’re granted 12 instant spins, but you can increase your haul for every additional bonus symbol that shows up. This earns you an extra 2 spins at a time, up to the maximum of 30, and can fast-track you to even greater riches.

There are some potentially huge wins in the offing with every re-spin bumping up the multiplier value, up to 5x, while the round finishes by giving you one last ‘winfinity’ spin which relaunches the feature until a win is banked. The winfinity spin represents a welcome second chance, a nice addition thrown into the mix by Thunderkick.

High Volatility

Turning Totems occupies the mid-range regarding volatility, and should hand players of all wallet sizes with a regular succession of wins in return for some concerted spinning. There are also sizeable payouts in the offing, too, climbing up to 1,024x your bet for 15 pink symbols collectively showing up in any one spin.

Turning Totems on Mobile

Players on all modern gaming devices can get the same rich experience with Turning Totems. Whether you’re an iOS die-hard or Android loyalist, the slot is available to play whenever and wherever the time fits.

The Verdict

We commend Thunderkick for pushing the envelope with this original and visually pleasing creation, thanks to the innovative turning totem poles mechanism in place of the regular reel setup found at most video slots.

While the medium volatility rating won’t draw the higher roller crowd in their droves, Turning Totems nonetheless remains is a highly appealing game that makes use of attractive graphics and novel gameplay - played beautifully on pretty much every gaming platform.

Turning Totems at Wildz Casino

Turning Totems, plus hundreds of other popular casino games, are available to play today at Wildz Casino. You can even try out your favourite games in free play mode before wagering any real money to decide which game is right for you.

FAQs

How does the 'Win-both-ways' mechanism function?

Win-both-ways allows winning combinations to made from left to right, and vice versa - effectively doubling your win opportunities on every spin.

How do you score a win playing Turning Totems?

The video slot adopts unconventional gameplay that requires a minimum of 6 matching symbols to show up anywhere across the reels during a spin.

Does Turning Totems offer free spins?

Yes, and these are earned by catching six Thunder Snake symbols in the same spin. Starting with 12 free spins, increase your haul by 1 extra spin for every bonus symbol that appears - up the maximum of 30.