Los Cuatro Esqueletos (Relax Gaming) Slot Review

Los Cuatro Esqueletos (Relax Gaming): Slot Overview 

Los Cuatro Esqueletos, meaning “The Four Skeletons,” is Relax Gaming’s vibrant take on a Mexican Day of the Dead slot. Released on July 31, 2023, this game is deeply infused with cultural cues from Mexico’s Día de los Muertos celebration. From colorful papel picado flags to skeleton mariachis, the theme aims to provide both visual excitement and familiarity to fans of “book of”-style slots. 

Relax Gaming brings players a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 10 paylines, familiar to fans of legacy-style slots such as Legacy of Dead or Book of Ra. However, the game isn’t content with mere imitation. It introduces pinata wild/scatters, expandable symbols, and a Super Free Spins mechanic, giving it some modern flair despite its structural classicism. 

However, with a rather low RTP of 94% and high volatility, the game presents a mixed bag: visually engaging and feature-complete, but arguably lacking the “wow” factor expected from a modern Relax Gaming title.

Design and Graphics 

Visually, Los Cuatro Esqueletos is a vivid celebration of Mexican culture, painted in the warm tones of a town festooned with marigolds and flags. The game is set in a street decorated with string lights and papel picado, conjuring up images of festivities in full swing. The reels themselves are bordered by stylized gravestones and guitars, reminding players of the holiday’s dual themes of remembrance and celebration.The characters—four animated skeletons—bring a playful charm to the game and act as the premium symbols. Each skeleton has its own flair: one with maracas, one playing a guitar, another dancing, and a fourth with an accordion, dressed in full mariachi gear. The lower-paying symbols (10 to A) are etched onto grave markers in brightly painted blocks. 

Despite the theme’s potential, the visual presentation is ultimately “adequate” rather than dazzling. It’s cheerful and polished, but doesn’t take artistic risks. Relax Gaming has done better in previous cultural slots (Money Train, Banana Town, etc.), making this feel more like a by-the-numbers entry.

Gameplay Mechanics 

At its heart, Los Cuatro Esqueletos is a traditional “book of” slot with a few modernized twists. The basic setup is: 

5 reels 

3 rows 

10 paylines 

Pays left to right, starting from the leftmost reel 

Wins require 3 or more matching low-paying symbols or 2 or more high-paying skeletons on an active payline. 

Pinatas act as both wild and scatter. They can substitute for all other symbols and also trigger the Free Spins round when three or more land. 

The twist lies in the expanding symbol mechanic and the Super Free Spins mode, which provides a progressive reward system via scatter symbol collection. 

This format will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has played Book of Dead or Legacy of Egypt, though here it’s delivered with slightly more interactive flair.

Sound and Music 

The game’s soundtrack takes a cue from traditional Mexican music, with plucky guitar riffs, light percussion, and the occasional horn section blast. It’s cheerful and thematically accurate, but it doesn’t have the same depth or layering found in Relax Gaming’s best soundtracks. 

Sound effects are clean and responsive, especially when pinatas explode into bonus triggers or reels expand to full size. However, like the graphics, the audio is “safe” and serviceable, not particularly bold or memorable.

Bonus Features 

Free Spins 

Triggered by landing 3 or more Pinata scatters, the Free Spins feature awards:10 Free Spins 

Retriggers award +10 Free Spins 

Before the round starts, players choose one of several hanging piñatas, revealing a special expanding symbol. If the symbol is a low-paying symbol, it will expand even if it lands once on a reel. If it’s a high-paying premium, it must land on at least 2 or 3 reels to expand. 

Expanded symbols pay from any position on the reels and apply to all 10 paylines, creating strong potential for full-screen wins. 

Super Free Spins 

This enhanced bonus feature activates when players collect 600 pinata scatters over time. Once triggered: 

10 Super Free Spins are awarded 

2 expanding symbols are selected instead of one 

The feature uses an average bet from the collection phase 

Retriggers add +10 Super Spins and a third expanding symbol 

While the reward potential increases significantly, the 600-scatter requirement may deter more casual players due to the sheer grind it demands. Still, for committed fans, this adds a collectible, long-term goal rarely seen in “book of”-style games.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Los Cuatro Esqueletos provides a flexible range of stakes: 

Min Bet: €0.20 

Max Bet: €100 

Symbol payouts are in line with other book-style slots: 

Skeleton premiums pay 75x to 500x for 5-of-a-kind 

Royals (10 to A) pay 10x to 15x 

Max win: 10,000x your bet (in theory, through full-screen premiums in Super Free Spins) 

However, with a sub-par RTP of 94%, especially in today’s market where 96% is the norm, players might feel the value proposition is skewed. While the volatility is high, the absence of a jackpot system or dynamic bonus multipliers makes the 10,000x ceiling feel less achievable.

Conclusion 

Los Cuatro Esqueletos is a perfectly serviceable Day of the Dead slot—but it stops short of greatness. It gets the job done with cheerful visuals, recognizable mechanics, and a moderately engaging feature set. But when compared to standout “book of”-style releases in recent years, or even Relax Gaming’s own bar-setting titles like Money Train 3, this one feels like it’s treading water. 

On the plus side: 

The Super Free Spins feature offers added depth 

The game is visually polished and culturally respectful 

The 10,000x max win is respectable 

On the downside: 

Low RTP (94%) is hard to justify without exceptional features 

Sound and visuals, while competent, don’t push creative boundaries 

The 600-scatter requirement for Super Spins can feel like a grind 

In a crowded sea of Day of the Dead slots (Esqueleto Explosivo, Muerto en Mictlán, Muertos Multiplier Megaways), Los Cuatro Esqueletos fits in nicely—but doesn’t stand out.