Dark King: Forbidden Riches (NetEnt) Slot Review

Dark King: Forbidden Riches – Slot Overview 

Launched by industry heavyweight NetEnt on October 8, 2020, Dark King: Forbidden Riches is an atmospheric and eerie 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 paylines, steeped in a dark fantasy world. This ominously titled game takes players into the lair of the mysterious and malevolent Dark King. It features a medium to high volatility profile, a theoretical RTP of 96.06%, and a maximum win potential of 2,500x your bet. 

Although the setup is fairly standard, the combination of sticky wilds, win multipliers, and free spins turns this ominous realm into an alluring challenge. While its math model leans toward punishing volatility — even likened to “a thousand cuts rather than beheadings” — this gothic-themed slot has the potential to reward players who survive long enough in the shadowy lair.

Design and Graphics 

From the very first spin, Dark King: Forbidden Riches casts a dark spell through its art direction. The slot is visually steeped in gloom, inspired by high fantasy realms, with clear nods to Sauron-esque villains and medieval horror. The titular Dark King looms beside the reels, clad in menacing plate armor, glaring through a glowing eye slit. He doesn’t just stand guard — he dominates the screen.The color palette is rich in midnight blues, shadowy greys, and flickers of spectral light. Symbols include 10 to Ace card values designed in a rugged, gothic font, and premium icons such as spectral warriors and sinister helms, all rendered with an exquisite level of detail. The animated orb symbol and flaming effects of the sticky wilds inject life into the gloom. 

NetEnt’s visual storytelling is subtle but effective. There may not be a fully fleshed-out backstory, but the visuals alone immerse you in a haunted world of cursed kings and forbidden magic.

Gameplay Mechanics 

Gameplay unfolds on a classic 5×3 grid with 20 fixed paylines. Wins are formed by landing matching symbols from left to right, starting from reel one. The action begins with modest wins — card values award up to 5x the bet for five of a kind, while the Dark King symbol offers between 12.5x to 25x your stake for top combinations. 

The slot’s medium/high volatility and 37.77% hit frequency ensure that while wins occur regularly enough, many will be small, requiring persistence or timely triggering of the bonus features for bigger paydays. Free spins come along every 304 spins on average, so patience is required to unlock the slot’s real power. 

What sets this game apart are the sticky wilds and progressive multipliers that elevate both base game and free spin play. Each wild in view contributes to the multiplier meter — from x1 up to x5 — boosting payout potential significantly.

Sound and Music 

NetEnt excels in sound design, and Dark King: Forbidden Riches is no exception. The audio elements work hand-in-glove with the game’s sinister theme. Deep, ominous tones underpin every spin, punctuated by spectral whispers and metallic clicks. The reel stops and win jingles are subtle but unsettling — exactly what you’d expect from a cursed lair. 

The free spins mode is accompanied by a more intense soundtrack, thick with tension and mystical overtones. This musical progression elevates the experience, adding cinematic weight and enhancing immersion. Whether you’re casually spinning or deep into a bonus round, the soundtrack ensures you remain fully immersed in the Dark King’s shadowy domain. 

Bonus Features 

The heart of the game lies in its free spins feature and the layered mechanics of sticky wilds and multipliers:Sticky Wilds & Multipliers 

During both base and bonus rounds, whenever 2 or more wild symbols land, a multiplier is activated — the more wilds, the higher the multiplier. The maximum achievable multiplier is x5, and this applies to all line wins for that spin. 

Free Spins 

Landing 3, 4, or 5 red gem scatter symbols anywhere on the reels awards 10, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. Once activated, a hot spot zone appears in the form of a cross pattern across reels 2, 3, and 4. 

Whenever a wild lands in this cross-shaped zone, it becomes a sticky wild and stays in place for the duration of the bonus feature. Each sticky wild also awards +1 additional free spin, making it possible to extend the feature beyond its starting count. 

This synergy between wild placement and multiplier accumulation turns free spins into a potentially explosive opportunity. Multipliers also apply in the bonus, and combined with sticky wilds, can create powerful win chains — though again, their appearance is rare due to the slot’s high volatility.

Betting Options and Payouts 

One of the game’s strengths is its flexible betting range, making it accessible to both casual players and high rollers. You can spin from as low as €0.20 to as high as €400 per spin. This wide range ensures that players with different budgets can brave the Dark King’s lair. 

While the maximum win of 2,500x your stake is respectable, it’s not the highest among NetEnt’s portfolio. And the probability of hitting it — 1 in 89 billion spins — is astronomically low, reinforcing the game’s role as a grind rather than a jackpot chase. 

Despite the ominous odds of max wins, regular hits in the 100x–200x range during free spins are achievable with enough wilds and multiplier stacking. This makes the game rewarding over time, even if its top prize is more legend than likelihood.

Conclusion 

Dark King: Forbidden Riches is a brooding, cinematic slot that exemplifies NetEnt’s strengths in design and innovation. It doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel, but it executes its mechanics with polish and flair. Visually captivating, audibly immersive, and bolstered by sticky wild mechanics, the game provides a thrilling experience for fans of fantasy, horror, and darker slots. 

On the downside, its bonus features are hard to trigger and the volatility can deplete your balance before offering a chance for a comeback. The lack of narrative depth and relatively modest max win might deter those chasing epic jackpots. Yet, for players who enjoy richly themed slots with satisfying mechanics and a decent chance of mid-range wins, Dark King: Forbidden Riches is worth a place in the rotation. 

It’s a game best enjoyed in moderation — just don’t lose yourself too long in the shadows, or the Forbidden Riches might remain just that.