Known for his most distinguishing feature, his ferocious black beard, Edward Teach was once the scourge of the Caribbean Sea, and amassed a fortune in his lifetime. His legend of adventure and freedom from rule lives on to this day. Amaya Software, the industry leader in online slot play, has captured some of his spirit in the slot machine that bears his name, and invites players aboard for a nautical experience. Amaya is the world’s largest provider of online slots, holding licences from Activision, Paramount Studios and DC Comics, so they work hard to ensure that each slot is built around a specific theme, and captures the essence of this.
Cast off!
Unlike many other Amaya offerings, Blackbeard’s gold has a constant soundtrack, of creaking timbers, flapping sails and the crying of seagulls, so that even when the reels are not in play, there is no mistaking the sound of a ship under sail. The reels themselves spin to the sound of wooden truckles rolling across a deck, and land with a satisfying thump, adding once more to the atmosphere of the game.
The usual playing card symbols appear, rendered in ornate period detail, as well as higher value symbols: a fierce piratical figure, swords and a skull, and a purple compass. The third most valuable symbol is the “skull and bones” banner, and Blackbeard himself is the second most valuable: the first is naturally the treasure chest, bursting with doubloons, which is also the game’s Wild icon. Land three Blackbeards in a row, however, and these will also transform into treasure chests, giving you even greater winnings. The 5-reel slot machine can be enjoyed on Windows, Mac or Linux units, with no downloads necessary.
Ship Sighted!
The appearance of Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, in the first reel, and the Galleon symbol in the fifth reel, will trigger the Free Spins mode, which will also add more treasure chest Wild symbols to the last four reels. During Free Spin mode, you will need to choose from one of five chests, which determines the number of free spins, between 10 and 20, multipliers worth 2, 3, or 4 times the value, and wild bonuses per reel. Free Spins can also be retriggered while in this mode.
If the Victory symbol appears in the fifth reel with the Revenge in the first, the Victory feature is triggered: expanding Wilds, which cover the whole reel, can appear in reels 2, 3, 4 and 5. Again, you will need to pick a chest to determine the number of wilds and multipliers appearing.
Bets and Values
Like diversity in many PaysafeCard pokies, coin values vary from 0, 01 to 0, 25, with an option of five levels of credits per spin: thus the minimum bet is 0.25, and the maximum is 31.25. This should appeal to low- to mid-stake players.
Caveat
While Blackbeard’s gold promises 243 ways to pay out, this is in fact a misnomer: during the bonus round, a wild reel is counted as 1, rather than 3 symbols. Blackbeard’s Gold has an RTP rate of 90-92%, which is a little lower than average for Amaya slots: nevertheless, it looks great, has some stunning features, and is fun to play.