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Shadow Shifter Slot Review

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Do you think the world would be a better place without sorcery or black magic? I do because the use of magic and supernatural powers today is often aimed at evil and selfish purposes.

Top casino to play Shadow Shifter
  • Exclusive Bonus
    18+ play responsibly · terms apply · info
  • Slot creator
    Pros & Cons
    A unique payout mechanism
    Once again, an RTP below par
    Expanding reels for more winning odds
    High volatility & high bets only
    Good-quality design from ELK
    Easy-to-understand features
    Win up to 10,000 times the bet

    The Shadow Shifter Slot Game

    As insinuated above, the game takes you deep inside an enchanted ancient forest where a creature called Shadow Shifter resides. The creature remains invisible by day but moves with a strange purpose by night.

    Your luck lies in the mysterious being, which creates intricate lines within the 5x4 grid set within a secret grove populated by glowing mushrooms and turquoise mist. A Cheshire Cat figure pops up above the reels and monitors every move you make. While you’d expect the sounds to be scary, they include a House-like melody synced with the calling sounds of an owl.

    Did you know?

    You can practise the gameplay while reading this slot review for a more practical feel of the game. Simply load the free demo linked to this GoodLuckMate page and play away!

    Symbols and Payouts

    We’re slowly advancing to the more technical sections of this review. As such, don’t forget to complement it with the slot’s free demo for easier understanding!

    Albeit the game’s conventional reel setup, it doesn’t adopt several paying symbols. Instead, you only get 5 regular symbols that pay for three to five of the same. For the record, every activated row serves as a payline. So, you only win when identical symbols are consecutively matched from left to right and in a straight line.

    Like many online slots, the Shadow Shifter has low and high-winning categories. The former includes the Acorn and Leaf worth 0.1x, 0.2x, and 0.4x bet for 3+ OAK. Then, the high-valued tier includes:

    • Green Beetle - 0.25x, 0.5x, and 5x stake.
    • A Yellow Armadillo-like creature - 0.5x, 1.5x, and 15x bet.
    • The Red Shadow Shifter - 1x, 5x, and 50x the stake.

    Lastly, the slot has a wild card that can substitute for all the paying symbols and help complete winning combinations.

    Shadow Shifter slot symbol payouts

    Shadow Shifter Slot Bonus Features

    This slot features a Pusher Mechanic and expanding rows, expanding wilds, multipliers, a bonus, and a buy bonus!

    Pusher Mechanic & Expanding Rows

    Every Shadow Shifter game round starts with inactive column multipliers on all reels and new symbols occupying the reels. When winning symbols are paid, every winning combination will create a column pusher.

    The column pusher may push the column vertically upwards when there are no more direct winning combos, potentially creating new paying sequences. However, all symbols spin out, and the cycle repeats until no more winning combinations appear. 

    The number of rows the grid grows to depends on column pushers entering the grid and moving up each column. One column pusher pushed into a column increases the corresponding reel multiplier by +1x. The multipliers are connected to individual columns, and the total value of all multipliers on columns with winning combos will multiply the wins.

    Shadow Shifter slot special features

    Special Symbols

    Several special symbols can land in Shadow Shifter and enhance your overall experience:

    • Max Grow - increases the rows to 8 and stays on the reels until all symbols spin out.
    • Expanding Wild - expands vertically, replacing all the non-special symbols on the column with wilds.
    • Both Ways enable horizontally straight paylines to be paid from both ends (leftmost and rightmost). The both-ways feature remains active as long as the corresponding symbol is active on the reels.

    Free Spins

    Manage 3 bonus symbols to trigger 5 free spins. The multipliers and unused column pushers persist when entering the bonus and between free spins. If you land +1 additional bonus symbol in this feature, it generates +2 more spins. The feature ends when no more free spins remain, or you reach the win cap.

    Shadow Shifter free spins

    X-iter (Buy Bonus)

    Typical of ELK slots, Shadow Shifter provides several options for buying different features:

    • Bonus Hunt - goes for 3x bet and triples the chance to trigger a bonus game.
    • Expanding Wild - costs 10x stake and guarantees one expanding wild.
    • Super Spin - costs 50x bet for a game round with max rows and guaranteed column multipliers of 5x.
    • Bonus Game - costs 100x bet and triggers a bonus round.
    • Super Bonus - goes for 500x the stake and triggers the super bonus, which starts with max rows and 5x column multipliers.

    Shadow Shifter X-iter Bonus Buy

    How to Win at Shadow Shifter Slot

    Although gambling on this slot is straightforward, its winning process isn’t conventional. Yes, the game has a familiar 5-column and 4-row gameboard. However, every column serves as a payline.

    As such, wins begin with the leftmost column and pay from left to right on consecutive columns and in a straight line. Since the rows can expand to 8, the paylines range from 4-8. Further, wins can be both ways when the corresponding special symbol hits.

    By the way, you can wager between €0.20 and €100 per game round and win up to 10,000 times the bet!

    Click on the larger circle to play a single round and the smaller one to preselect and automatically start several auto-spins. Finally, use the Menu button to unveil the paytable, settings, and game rules.

    Shadow Shifter slot big win

    Shadow Shifter Slot RTP & Volatility

    The 94% theoretical RTP remains the same even when playing the bonus game or any bonus buy features. Further, it has high volatility, rated at 8 out of 10, with a 23% hit frequency.    

    The Final Thoughts

    Are you looking for a revolutionary and original online slot? Although many are out there, almost all are complicated initially. However, ELK Studios decided to be considerate in this video slot while introducing something new to players.      

    The most unusual aspect of Shadow Shifters is its payout mechanic. Unlike the traditional paylines that are usually invisible and hard to follow, this gameplay’s rows serve as the winning lines. So, you win when you match symbols in a straight line from the leftmost column or rightmost (if both ways symbol lands).

    But let's face it. The fact that the paylines are limited and cannot be changed makes this game somewhat restrictive. Actually, it’s not different from a vintage slot. However, the design team thought critically and compensated for the lack of many paylines with several features.

    While it’s not an overused payout concept, I hope it appeals to many slot enthusiasts, especially those tied to conventional winning ways. Even so, the 10,000 times bet win cap makes it worth looking at!

    Slot type
    Video Slots
    Slot bonus features
    Multipliers
    Special Symbols
    Free Spins
    Slot details
    Theme:
    Magic & Supernatural
    Provider: 
    ELK Studios
    RTP: 
    94%
    Volatility: 
    High
    Paylines: 
    4-8
    Release date:
    2024-12-19
    Nerijus Grenda
    Nerijus Grenda
    Last Update: 21 Nov 2024
    Nerijus Grenda is a prolific contributor to the GoodLuckMate site. With a deep understanding of the online casino industry, gained from his own experience as an avid player, he offers valuable insights on what sets the best casinos apart from the rest. As a writer, Nerijus shares his expertise through expert analysis and thoughtful commentary on various topics related to online gambling, including casino reviews, game guides and industry trends.
    Emma Sjökvist This article has been Quality Assured by Emma Sjökvist
    Q: 

    What is the maximum win in the Shadow Shifter slot?

    A: Players can win up to 10,000 times their bet in the Shadow Shifter slot.
    Q: 

    What is the RTP of the Shadow Shifter slot?

    A: The theoretical Return to Player (RTP) of the Shadow Shifter slot is 94%, which is below the industry average.
    Q: 

    What volatility level does the Shadow Shifter slot have?

    A: The Shadow Shifter slot has high volatility, making it better suited for players who enjoy riskier gameplay with the potential for bigger payouts.
    Q: 

    How many paylines are there in the Shadow Shifter slot?

    A: The Shadow Shifter slot uses expanding rows as paylines, ranging from 4 to 8, depending on the gameplay.
    Q: 

    Can I buy bonus features in the Shadow Shifter slot?

    A: Yes, the Shadow Shifter slot includes the X-iter feature, allowing you to buy bonuses like free spins or super bonuses for an additional cost.
    Q: 

    What is the minimum and maximum bet in the Shadow Shifter slot?

    A: The Shadow Shifter slot allows bets ranging from €0.20 to €100 per spin.
    Q: 

    Does the Shadow Shifter slot have a demo version?

    A: Yes, you can play a free demo of the Shadow Shifter slot on GoodLuckMate.com.

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