House of Doom (Play'n Go) Slot Review
House of Doom: Slot Overview
Play’n GO, a leading developer in the iGaming industry, brings a dark and eerie experience to the slot world with House of Doom. This 5-reel, 3-row, 10-payline slot is inspired by heavy metal music and gothic horror themes, making it a unique addition to the developer’s portfolio. Unlike their usual lighthearted or fantasy-themed games, House of Doom is intense, sinister, and packed with ominous imagery.
The slot is based on a song by the Swedish metal band Candlemass, and it embraces a heavy rock aesthetic, complete with fiery animations, eerie symbols, and a dark soundtrack. With an RTP of 96.11% and high volatility (7/10), this slot is designed for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. The maximum win is 2,500x the stake, making it a potentially lucrative but challenging game.
Design and Graphics
House of Doom delivers a haunting gothic aesthetic, set against a dark, abandoned fortress with flaming torches, pentagrams, and eerie blue mist. The overall color scheme leans heavily on dark reds, purples, and blacks, reinforcing the ominous tone. The symbol designs further enhance the theme: Premium Symbols:
Ram skulls (highest-paying symbol, offering 70x for five-of-a-kind)
Flaming roses, crosses, and pentagrams
Low-Paying Symbols: Gothic-styled A, K, Q, J, and 10, carved out of stone
Wild Symbol: The House of Doom logo, which can expand on highlighted reels
Scatter Symbol: Skull Abyss Bonus symbol, which triggers the bonus game
Animations are subtle yet effective, with fire effects, glowing symbols, and smooth transitions. Compared to Play’n GO’s cartoonish releases, House of Doom takes a more serious, eerie approach, catering to fans of dark, metal-infused themes.
Gameplay Mechanics
House of Doom is played on a standard 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, meaning players cannot adjust the number of paylines. Wins are awarded for three or more matching symbols from left to right.
Expanding Wilds
In the base game, one reel is randomly highlighted per spin.
If a wild lands on that reel, it expands to cover the entire reel.
Scatter Symbols
Three Skull Abyss Bonus symbols on the middle reels trigger the bonus feature.
Doom Spins
The House of Doom symbol transforms into an expanded wild.
Multiple reels can be highlighted, leading to potentially massive wins.
With high volatility, wins can be rare but substantial. Players looking for consistent small wins may find it challenging, but those chasing big payouts will appreciate the game’s risk-reward nature.
Sound and Music
One of House of Doom’s most distinctive features is its soundtrack. Unlike typical slot machines with generic jingles, this game features an actual heavy metal soundtrack, courtesy of Candlemass.
The music is intense, dark, and full of heavy guitar riffs, perfectly fitting the horror-metal aesthetic. Sound effects such as deep bass drops, echoing screams, and burning flames enhance the atmosphere.
For metal fans, this is one of the few slots where the music is genuinely enjoyable rather than just background noise. However, players who aren’t fans of rock music may find it overwhelming.
Bonus Features
Expanding Wilds
During base game spins, one reel is randomly highlighted. If a wild symbol lands on that reel, it expands, covering the entire reel. This feature increases win potential significantly, especially in free spins mode. Skull Abyss Bonus
Landing three Skull Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 triggers this picking bonus game. Players select skulls one at a time to reveal cash prizes.
While this isn’t the most exciting bonus game, it serves as a nice addition to the main slot mechanics.
Doom Spins (Free Spins Round)
The real magic happens in the free spins round. To trigger it, players must land House of Doom scatter symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5:
Awards 10 free spins.
The House of Doom Scatter transforms into a House of Doom Wild, leading to more wild combinations.
More reels are randomly highlighted, increasing chances for expanding wilds.
If wild symbols land on highlighted reels, they expand and stay in play, creating the potential for massive wins.
The feature can be retriggered indefinitely by landing additional scatter symbols, leading to prolonged free spins sessions.
With the right combination of highlighted reels and expanding wilds, players can potentially land 5 wild reels, resulting in a 2,500x max payout in a single spin.
Betting Options and Payouts
House of Doom offers a wide betting range, making it suitable for casual players and high rollers:
Minimum Bet: €0.10 per spin
Maximum Bet: €100 per spin
Payout Structure:
Ram Skull Symbol: Pays 70x the stake for five-of-a-kind.
Flaming Roses, Crosses, and Pentagrams: Medium-value symbols offering 10x-30x for five-of-a-kind.
Low-Value Symbols (A-10): Pay between 5x-8x for five-of-a-kind.
Wild Symbol: Pays up to 100x the stake for a full line of five wilds.
Max Win Potential:
The maximum win is 2,500x the stake, which can be achieved through a full screen of wilds during Doom Spins.
The max win probability is incredibly low (less than 1.00E-08), meaning it’s rare but possible.
Conclusion
Pros:
✔ Unique and dark heavy metal theme – perfect for fans of gothic horror and rock music. ✔ Expanding wilds and highlighted reels create engaging gameplay. ✔ Doom Spins offer big win potential, with up to 2,500x payouts. ✔ Amazing heavy metal soundtrack by Candlemass. ✔ Free spins can be retriggered indefinitely.
Cons:
❌ High volatility may be frustrating for casual players. ❌ Base game can feel slow without frequent features. ❌ Skull Abyss Bonus is underwhelming compared to Doom Spins.
Final Verdict
House of Doom is a high-volatility slot with a niche appeal. If you love heavy metal, dark aesthetics, and horror themes, this game will be a perfect fit. The Doom Spins feature is where the real excitement lies, with expanded wilds and retriggers offering serious payout potential.
However, casual players may struggle with its volatility. The base game can feel slow without frequent wins, and the Skull Abyss Bonus lacks excitement. But if you’re a risk-taker looking for high rewards, House of Doom is worth a spin. Crank up the volume, embrace the darkness, and see if you can conquer the House of Doom!