Anvil & Ore (Alchemy Gaming) Slot Review

Anvil & Ore: Slot Overview 

Released on August 24, 2023, Anvil & Ore is a mining-themed online slot developed by Alchemy Gaming in partnership with Games Global. It swaps pickaxes and tunnels for a fully-featured 5×5 grid loaded with familiar Alchemy mechanics like Echo Roll, Rolling Reels, Upsizer, and a win multiplier system. The game offers 3,125 ways to win, a 96.26% RTP, and a hit frequency of 22.4%, placing it in the high-volatility category. The max win is capped at 5,000× the bet, which is significantly more modest compared to some of Alchemy Gaming’s previous titles but still enough to entice risk-takers. 

Where earlier Alchemy releases like Aquanauts took players beneath the sea, Anvil & Ore digs into the depths of the Earth, swapping coral reefs for dense rock, glowing lava flows, and molten metal. This subterranean setting is not just cosmetic — it’s the thematic backbone for the features, animations, and pacing. Whether you’re spinning casually or chasing big wins, Anvil & Ore strikes a balance between excitement and sustained gameplay that can appeal to both thrill-seekers and players who prefer more measured volatility.

Design and Graphics 

Visually, Anvil & Ore is unmistakably an Alchemy Gaming creation, with its bold, almost cartoonish style polished to high production standards. The background art drops you deep underground, into a cavern lit by molten gold and glowing lava veins. The machinery of mining is represented through various steampunk-esque contraptions like the Echo Roll cauldron and mechanical Upsizer gauge that flank the reels.The symbols are a mix of stylised metal-forged 10–A royals for the low pays, while the high-paying symbols include a hammer, shield, gemmed rocks, a nugget-filled chest, and a bearded miner character as the top premium. The color palette leans into deep oranges, browns, and metallic silvers, giving the slot a heavy, industrial atmosphere. 

Animations are smooth, with Rolling Reels exploding symbols in showers of sparks and molten shrapnel, and the Echo Roll effect triggering with satisfying bursts. The Upsizer Trail and multipliers are visually well-integrated, making it easy for players to track their progress during bonus features.

Gameplay Mechanics 

At its core, Anvil & Ore uses a 5-reel, 5-row grid with 3,125 ways to win. Wins form when matching symbols land from the leftmost reel to right, and the Rolling Reels mechanic removes winning symbols, dropping new ones into place for chain reactions. 

Here’s how the base gameplay works: 

Rolling Reels: Trigger after every win, creating potential for consecutive payouts in a single spin. 

Symbol Payouts: 

Low pays (10–A): 0.67× to 0.93× the bet for five-of-a-kind. 

High pays (hammer, shield, gemmed rocks, nugget chest, miner): 1.17× to 2.5× the bet for five-of-a-kind. 

Wilds double the payout of the top premium and can substitute for any regular pay symbol. 

Echo Roll: May trigger after any win, awarding another spin where new symbols — either low, high, or wild — fill empty spaces for an extra win chance. 

The mix of features ensures each spin has the potential to extend beyond the initial result, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.

Sound and Music 

Alchemy Gaming has paired Anvil & Ore’s visuals with a suitably weighty soundscape. The soundtrack features deep, industrial percussion, metallic clangs, and low rumbling tones that evoke the sense of being deep underground. During Rolling Reels, cascading explosions are accompanied by clinking metal, while Echo Rolls have a molten, bubbling sound effect that matches the glowing cauldron animation. 

The bonus rounds up the intensity, layering in more urgent beats and metallic accents as multipliers build. While it’s not overly melodic, the audio design works in tandem with the graphics to keep the mining theme immersive without becoming repetitive over long sessions.

Bonus Features 

Anvil & Ore is packed with feature variety, which is one of Alchemy Gaming’s hallmarks. Here’s the breakdown:Echo Roll 

Can trigger after any win. 

Awards an additional win by filling empty spaces with low, high, or wild symbols. 

Great for extending Rolling Reel chains and boosting total payouts in a single spin. 

Upsizer 

Upsizer Coins land randomly in the base game and are collected to progress along the Upsizer Trail. 

Trail modifiers include: 

6–12 free spins 

Max multipliers of ×10, ×20, or ×50 

1 or 2 guaranteed Echo Rolls 

Upsizer Max Coin 

Collecting 5 Upsizer Max Coins awards free spins with the maximum Upsizer Level. 

Upsizer Buy 

Before free spins start, you can purchase upgrades to boost the bonus round with better modifiers. 

Costs are shown before committing, allowing for strategic decisions. 

Free Spins + Free Upsizer Tokens 

Triggered by 3 scatters (6–12 spins based on Upsizer Level). 

Extra scatters during the round add more spins and grant 50 Upsizer Coins. 

A rising win multiplier increases after each Rolling Reel and doesn’t reset between spins (up to the Upsizer Trail cap). 

After free spins, a spin on the Upsizer Wheel can award 10–150 Upsizer Coins. 

Bonus Buy 

Two buy options:Purchase free spins at the current Upsizer Level or Upsizer Max. 

Buy free spins with Upsizer Max directly. 

Collected Upsizer Coins reduce the cost of the buy.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Anvil & Ore offers a wide betting range: 

Min bet: €0.30 / $0.30 

Max bet: €42 / $42 

RTP and Hit Frequency: 

Default RTP: 96.26% (lower RTP models exist, so check before playing) 

Hit frequency: 22.4% — meaning roughly one in every five spins will produce a win. 

Volatility: 

High volatility means wins can be less frequent but larger when they land. 

Max win: 5,000× the bet — significantly lower than some Alchemy Gaming counterparts like Aquanauts, but more attainable for sustained play. 

Example payouts for 5-of-a-kind: 

Low symbols: 0.67× to 0.93× the stake 

High symbols: 1.17× to 2.5× the stake 

Wilds: Double the top premium’s payout 

The combination of Rolling Reels, Echo Rolls, and multipliers means actual win amounts can climb quickly in a good sequence, even from modest symbol values.

Conclusion 

Anvil & Ore is a polished, feature-rich slot that brings together many of Alchemy Gaming’s most recognisable mechanics into a cohesive mining-themed package. While long-time fans may recognise Echo Rolls, Rolling Reels, and the rising multiplier free spins from earlier titles, the inclusion of the Upsizer Trail adds a more strategic layer to the bonus hunt. 

The decision to cap the max win at 5,000× might disappoint players chasing extreme potential, especially compared to Aquanauts’ advertised 50,000×, but it also makes the slot feel more balanced and less “all-or-nothing.” The high volatility is still present, but the design seems tuned for more consistent engagement rather than pure jackpot chasing. 

Graphically, it nails the underground mining vibe with rich, glowing visuals and solid animations. Sound design is equally on point, with industrial effects and deep percussion complementing the theme. The gameplay loop benefits from frequent small-to-medium wins thanks to Rolling Reels and Echo Rolls, while the Upsizer system rewards persistence and gives players a reason to keep spinning even when the bonus round is elusive. 

Overall, Anvil & Ore should appeal to: 

Players who enjoy feature-packed, high-volatility slots. 

Fans of Alchemy Gaming’s signature mechanics looking for a fresh presentation. 

Those who like strategic progression elements in their gameplay. 

It might not swing for record-breaking multipliers, but when the picks, hammers, and molten gold align, Anvil & Ore can still deliver thrilling bursts of underground fortune.