Phoenix Graveyard 2 (ELK Studios) Slot Review

Phoenix Graveyard 2: Slot Overview 

The original Phoenix Graveyard, released in 2022, delivered grim visuals, reapers, skeletal transformations, and a deeply atmospheric game world. With Phoenix Graveyard 2, ELK Studios resurrects everything players loved about the first game—but this time the sequel arrives darker, richer, and mechanically heavier. 

Released on August 5, 2025, Phoenix Graveyard 2 expands on its predecessor’s themes of death, decay, and supernatural rebirth. As the name implies, there’s a strange paradox at play—phoenixes rise from ashes, so why would they need a graveyard? ELK Studios leans into this irony with a moody, moonlit world of tombstones, crooked trees, flickering candles, and sinister architecture. Character symbols that look alive and human in the base game become skeletal abominations during bonuses, reinforcing the theme of death and resurrection throughout the experience. 

Beneath the gothic presentation lies an aggressively feature-driven slot with 1,024+ ways to win, expanding splits, Wild Battles, walking wilds, feature row symbols, skull activations, and a bonus system that evolves dynamically based on player progression. This is combined with a 5×4 grid, 94% RTP, 25% hit frequency, high volatility, and a massive 25,000x max win potential. 

For players who enjoy ELK’s heaviest, most feature-rich titles—especially those in the Nitropolis-style splitting-reels family—Phoenix Graveyard 2 is built to bring chaos, suspense, and big-win tension.

Design and Graphics 

The aesthetics of Phoenix Graveyard 2 are unapologetically bleak. The game takes place in an old European town completely swallowed by mist and deathly silence. Gothic rooftops loom over the reels, lanterns sway against the wind, and eerie grave markers peek from the background. The palette is muted but sharply detailed—cold grays, blue moonlight, and decayed stone textures dominate the scenery.Character symbols are richly drawn, presenting hooded figures, mourners, clerics, and reapers. During the bonus game, these characters shift into skeletal versions of themselves—a clever touch that emphasizes the resurrection theme. Wilds crackle with flames and energy, and the Phoenix Wild is animated with glowing fire, contrasting sharply against the dark visual tone. 

The UI, reel transitions, and feature row animations continue ELK’s distinctive cinematic flair. The reel layout feels tight and atmospheric, giving the impression of being trapped inside a haunted building where each door reveals new horrors. Overall, the graphics and animations create a tense, immersive environment perfect for players who enjoy darker slots. 

Gameplay Mechanics 

Phoenix Graveyard 2 runs on a 5×4 layout, starting with 1,024 ways to win, but this number can increase massively thanks to splitting mechanics and feature row enhancements. Winning combinations begin from the leftmost reel and can reach into the millions of ways when features stack. 

Pay Symbols 

10–A royals: Pay 0.2x–0.4x for 5-of-a-kind 

Character symbols: Pay 1x–2.5x for 5-of-a-kind 

Wilds 

There are several wild types: 

Phoenix Wild – substitutes, awards a respin, and unlocks a feature row position 

Reaper Wild – substitutes and unlocks a feature row position, then walks leftwards each spin (walking wild) 

Feather Wilds – spawning wilds generated during battles 

An all-wild win pays the same as the top symbol payout. 

Hit Frequency 

At 25% hit rate, players can expect regular wins despite the game’s high volatility and heavy mechanics. 

Splits 

Like the Nitropolis series, symbols can split left, right, up, or down, increasing ways dramatically. A single space can be split into as many as 6 ways, and multiple positions can split in a chain reaction. This mechanic is key to unlocking the game’s extreme winning potential.

Sound and Music 

The audio design is haunting, atmospheric, and highly immersive. Distant bells, creaking graves, whispering wind, and soft choral tones set the mood. The music is somber and gothic, fitting the graveyard setting. During high-action sequences—like Wild Battles or the bonus—dramatic orchestral bursts and layered percussive strikes amplify the tension. 

Wild Battle clashes come with sharp metallic sounds and fiery energy blasts, while skull activations carry ominous resonance. ELK Studios excels at producing cinematic audio environments, and Phoenix Graveyard 2 is no exception.

Bonus Features 

This sequel is overflowing with features—much more than the original—and many interlock in creative ways.Phoenix & Reaper Wilds 

Both Phoenix and Reaper Wilds substitute for all paying symbols.
They also unlock a random feature row position when landing. 

Phoenix Wild 

Awards a respin 

Removes all low-paying symbols when it wins a Wild Battle 

Can spawn feather wilds 

Moves to a new position across respins 

Reaper Wild 

A walking wild that moves leftwards, awarding a respin each step 

Can spawn feather wilds 

Triggers Wild Battles

Wild Battle 

Triggered when Phoenix and Reaper Wilds land: 

On the same row 

Or adjacent vertically 

Battle outcomes: 

Phoenix wins: removes low-paying symbols from the grid 

Reaper wins: spawns 1–5 feather wilds 

Draw: both receive a multiplier 

Battles add unpredictability and major win potential.

Phoenix Skull & Reaper Skull 

Skulls may randomly glow and activate. 

Phoenix Skull 

Lands 1–3 Phoenix Wilds 

Grants 1 respin 

Unlocks a feature row position 

Reaper Skull 

Places a Reaper Wild on the rightmost reel 

Unlocks feature row positions 

Keeps positions active through respins 

Skulls maintain momentum and progression during play.

Feature Row 

One of the game’s most important mechanics. 

The feature row contains five locked positions, unlocked through Phoenix/Reaper Wilds. 

Each unlocked position reveals: 

A blank or 

A feature row symbol 

Feature Row Symbols 

Split All – increases ways on all positions by +1 

Split Right – boosts right side ways and multiplies adjacent symbols 

Split Left – same but for the left 

Split Reel – boosts the entire reel below by +1 

Split One – boosts one random position by 1–6 

Spawn Phoenix – drops a Phoenix Wild 

Spawn Reaper – drops a Reaper Wild 

Respin – freezes Phoenixes and Reapers and grants respin 

Powered Splits 

Once a position reaches six ways, further splits become powered, boosting 2–6 ways or upgrading multipliers.

Bonus Game 

Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters awards 6, 8, or 10 free spins. 

Features: 

Begins with one Phoenix Wild that persists and moves 

All ways increases and multipliers persist 

Each Phoenix or Reaper unlocks a feature row position 

Each Phoenix landed grants +1 free spin 

All split and unlocked positions remain for the duration 

Super Bonus 

Triggered by: 

Landing a super bonus symbol 

Or activating bonus during a skull effect 

Super Bonus effects: 

Opens all feature rows instantly 

Activates powered splits 

Grants +2 free spins 

This mode unlocks the slot’s highest winning potential, up to 25,000x.

X-iter Feature Buys 

ELK’s X-iter offers:Bonus Hunt – 2.5x 

Mega Bonus Hunt – 5x 

Splitting Frenzy – 50x (all feature rows active) 

Bonus – 100x 

Super Bonus – 500x 

These modes dramatically increase win potential and speed up progression.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Bet Range: €0.20 – €100 

RTP: 94% 

Volatility: High (7/10) 

Hit Frequency: 25% 

Max Win: 25,000x 

Reels/Rows: 5×4 

Ways: 1,024+ 

The high volatility means heavy swings, but the possible rewards—especially in Super Bonus—are substantial.

Conclusion 

Phoenix Graveyard 2 is a powerful sequel that builds on the original while adding more depth, variety, and volatile excitement. The expanded feature row system, Phoenix/Reaper interaction, Wild Battles, skull triggers, and sophisticated split mechanics provide a thrilling, unpredictably dynamic gameplay experience. 

The dark, atmospheric visuals and gothic audio create a chilling sense of place, while the enormous 25,000x max win puts this firmly in high-stakes territory. 

If you enjoyed the first Phoenix Graveyard, or if you’re a fan of ELK’s Nitropolis-style split mechanics, Phoenix Graveyard 2 offers an exceptionally rich slot experience that rewards bold players willing to venture into the shadows—and maybe rise again with a massive win.