There are stories that simply cannot fade away – no matter how many times they are interpreted or how old they may be, the fear they invoke never loses its intensity. Which is exactly why people can’t get enough of goth classics such as Modern Prometheus or exotic Vampires of noble origin. Due to their everlasting popularity and timeless character, the most blood chilling horror myths soon found their way to the gaming industry. For this article, we are looking back at our favourite horror slots editions, being a mockish interpretation of the genre or a having a real-deal eerie Gothic approach.
Jekyll and Hyde
One of the most popular and widely known stories about the duality of human nature inspired a number of developers to launch their slot version of the story, but the Playtech release earned its place on our list for several reasons. This 5 reels and 25 paylines video slot has a payout potential of 1000x your line bet and comes as close as it gets to the original narrative and its characters. Even the background audio will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up – especially when you hear the sinister Hyde’s laughter. You will however be less intimidated by the Free Game bonus that comes in two modes: Jekyll and Hyde Spins. The bets range from $0.25 to $2,500, but by activating Feature Button, the max bet amount can be increased to $5,000. Particularly nice touch are the Potion Bottle Scatters, one normal and one powered up that transforms the Jekyll into his evil alter ego, exposing all faults and profanities of the humanity.
Dracula
Deliberately ignoring all recent sagas and sparkling vampire abominations, we are focusing entirely on the cinematic and literal classics references. Thus, NetEnt’s 3D Dracula Slot, with divinely chilling intro of a horrified maiden running down a desolate street, followed by a flock of bets and brutally attacked by an unknown perpetrator, was a perverse little treat for every Vampire horror fan. Grant you, this NetEnt release does introduce a rather chiseled Count, but we don’t really mind as long as he is not covered in glitter. The slot offers free spins, stacked Wild symbol and Bat feature triggered at random during the main game. Once activated, the cluster of bets will cover the screen and transform into one particular symbol increasing the winning odds. The bet starts at $0.20 and is limited to $200, with 80,000 coins max payout. A word of advise – prepare yourself mentally for the Dracula attack every time a winning combo is formed.
Frankenstein
Released by NetEnt, Frankenstein is a 5 reel and 20 paylines video slot based on the 1931 classic movie adaptation, which we find particularly endearing. The introduction video brings back the iconic grave robbing scenes, where the doctor and his assistant make the ultimate cursed act of defiling the final resting place and stealing a body. Apart from being a great tribute to the movie, the slot features Linked Wilds, Multipliers and Burning Mills Free Spins. These are retriggerable and additional spins can be won during the feature. Linked Wilds are divided into two categories: Lightning Wilds and Fire Wild. As you can see, every single feature has an obvious movie reference – a detail that will not go unnoticed by the fans of classic SF horror genre. Slot lovers will be no less impressed by the possibility of 170,000 coins payout with $0.20 to $100 bet range.
Werewolf Wild Slot
Aristocrat’s release, Werewolf Wild slot made our final pick despite of the naivety of its traditional animation style, or, to be perfectly honest, precisely because of it. The reels are leaning against the image of night covered London, a favourite spot for any self-respecting werewolf; for where else to prowl if not on the foggy streets of London? The slot has 5 reels and 25 fixed lines, with the minimum bet of $0.01 per line and $250 total bet. More importantly, the slot does not lack in bonus features – it has The Werewolf Touch Bonus With Contagious Wilds that transform other characters into werewolves, Mystery Coin Feature and Claw Swipe feature. Playing with the maximum stake can result in a total payout of $250,000 – HOWL exciting is that?
Ghosts of Christmas
No list would be complete without a supernatural entity watching you from behind the curtains, wrapped in a white bed sheet. Although the original story is technically more of a Christian allegory than a straightforward horror story, it is nevertheless scary and the slot centres on the paranormal elements and the Grim Reaper. Playtech continues with the tradition of beautifully executed intro videos which are small pieces of art in their own rights. This 5 reels and 20 adjustable paylines slot comes with Marley’s Free Games and Ghost of Christmas Bonus picking game, 10,000 coins jackpot and a bet range from $0.01 to $1,000. Oh, and wins in free games are tripled.
Free the Mummy
It would simply not feel right to exclude such horror classic as the Mummy, yet, sadly disappointing truth is that there are no slots based on the black and white movie adaptation from the 30s – or, more precisely, there are, but these slots include other movie monsters as well and are not based solely on the Mummy character. Which is why we decided to include another Playtech release on our list. Based on the popular 1999 movie, the slot is literally packed with bonuses – Lost City Adventure Bonus with cash rewards and additional features, Free Games with Super Spin feature and Mummy Hunt Bonus. Played on 5 reels and 25 fixed paylines, The Mummy starts with $1.25 bet and has the stake limit of $25. The highest value symbol is worth 10,000 coins and the wins can be increased up to 9x with Mummy Power Multiplier.
Zombies
There is no Apocalypse dearer to our hearts than a Zombie Apocalypse. NetEnt has truly captured the essence of every A and B list zombie movie, with gruesome atmosphere, chainsaws, gauged eyeballs and disturbing audio effects. Make no mistakes about it, Zombies release is one of those slots where you will be seriously tempted to turn off the sound, as it is truly frightening. The game has 10 levels with the minimum bet of $0.20, maximum bet of $200 and 100,000 coins max payout. Every slaughtered zombie awards an extra coin amount which will depend on the selected level. Other extra features include Free Spins, Stacked Wild, Random Wild feature and up to 10x multiplier. And you get to keep your brain and not have it eaten by a zombie. Where I come from, that’s called a pretty good deal.
