Polar Explorerby RealTime Gaming

Polar Explorer is a 5 reel, 25 payline video slots game from RTG released July, 2012. There is one wild symbol in the base game and up to four in the free spins bonus round. There is also a scatter symbol which pays when 3, 4, or 5 appear anywhere on the reels. The scatter however does not trigger any features. The game has a Feature Guarantee built in, so if you have not triggered the feature game in 124 spins you are guaranteed to trigger it on the 125th. The usually lower paying symbols of 9, 10, J, Q and K can trigger the one of three feature games. Each of these “royal” symbols has a part of a snow flake behind it when they appear on reels 2, 3, and 4. When they fall in such a way as to form a perfect snowflake one of the feature games will be triggered. With each spin from 1-125 a percentage of your chance to trigger the feature will be shown. Challenge the game at any time by clicking “Play” in the upper right corner.

The features that can be triggered are the Hidden Treasure feature wherein you are awarded 8 free spins. You will harpoon as many treasure chests as you can before an avalanche occurs. With each successful shot a random symbol (not 9-A) will become an extra wild symbol. In this round three scattered Ships will award an additional 5 spins. In the Discovery feature 8 free game are also awarded and wild symbols can stack up to fill entire reels. Scattered Ships retrigger the feature. And finally, in the Explorer feature you are awarded 5 free spins with the 4th and 5th reels being filled completely with wild symbols. Scatters retrigger the bonus game.

This game is best suited to those who never look at pay tables and simply enjoy a game. It is also a great game for those who prefer to know everything that contributes to increasing their balance – it is ill suited to players who may think a glance behind the curtain is enough to understand what is going on with a complicated slots engine or maths model. The game was rolled out too soon as sometimes, when the Hidden Treasure Feature is won, the game simply locks up and does not allow for free spins nor record a predetermined win when returning to the game (in free play mode). One of the “exploits” available in the Mice Dice Feature Guarantee game, of increasing bet size and reducing line count thus betting an amount equal to the FG stake and hoping to not hit the feature until all spins are exhausted, thus triggering full line bet at all 25 lines, is sadly missing. A thorough study of the game rules and pay tables is needed to fully appreciate the game unless a player simply enjoys spinning blindly. In which case this game may hold some very pleasant surprises!