Smugglers Cove

Smugglers Cove Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96.5% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 7.4

Play at Casumo Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Compare Slots | About The Developer

About Smugglers Cove

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 4th November 2021

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

NOTE: Screenshots on this page are taken whilst we played this game for real money at Casumo Casino.

Pirate slots are not an original idea that is for sure, and every developer has their own take on this theme. Recently Relax Gaming nailed it with their super-dark and ominous Dead Man’s Trail, now available at all top slot sites, whilst in the past, Quickspin landed us with a neat little 243 win ways game called Pirate’s Charm and Thunderkick’s 1429 Unchartered Seas gave us a super-high RTP format to try. Some are inspired, others less so. In this instance Pragmatic Play have delivered something that is fairly generic in style and features, but thanks to a decent potential – at 10,000x – and some high variance and good multipliers, manages to tease us enough to want to find out more.

Smugglers Cove is engaging with its design at least, featuring a bright and colourful backdrop with a classic cartoon appearance and the most traditional of 5 reels and 3 rows along with 20 active paylines. There are a few gruff buccaneers looking fetching in blue, red and green outfits, along with gold coins and skull and crossbones on the reels. The background itself features a treasure island with blue skies and a cave with a skull above the entrance, while a ship’s wheel also sits to the side of the screen.

As we will find out, the game is all about the free spins round where high value multiplier can really boost your win potential, but other than that we are talking some straight-forward, basic slots play.

Smugglers Cove Game Information

  • RTP: 96.50%, 95.50%, 94.50%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 20
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Pirates
  • Features: Free Spins, Instant Win Treasure Bonus

Smugglers Cove Review Scores

  • Gameplay and Features 7
  • Maximum Win 8
  • Theme and Design 7
  • Paytable 8
  • RTP and Variance 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A mid-range pirate slot with limited features but redeemed by it's 10,000x top win."

Our Score: 7.4

Smugglers Cove Pros and Cons

What We Liked

  • Super high multipliers
  • Colourful smuggler theme
  • High-paying Wild symbol
  • 10,000x stake top payout
  • Big Treasure Bonus

What We Didn't like

  • Not many special features

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Smugglers Cove has an RTP of 94.5% at UK casinos. We have verified this in the game screen at Casumo as you can see in this screenshot.

Smugglers Cove RTP at Casumo
Smugglers Cove RTP verified in real play mode at Casumo

What will interest high risk gamers though is the super-high volatility and 20p minimum bet which makes this a rocky ride, most suitable for those with bigger budgets, but capable of splashing out some super-big wins . The maximum payout of 10,000x stake could land for you if you hit the best Multipliers (up to 1,000x) during the Free Spins round while filling the screen with gold coins.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

As you would expect from a Pragmatic Play game, the artwork here is of a decent quality. The symbols in Smugglers Cove include three smuggler characters wearing red, blue and green, gold coins, skull and cross bones and ship’s wheel. The best-paying symbol is the ship’s wheel, which pays 100x your bet for 5 of a kind and also acts as Wild to substitute for the other symbols and create more potential wins.

The green smuggler can also pay up to 100x your bet for 5 matches, while the other symbols can pay from 10x your bet for 5 matches and the card suits award the lower payouts. The gold coin is the Scatter and this can launch the Treasure Bonus, while the skull and crossbones is the Bonus symbol and can trigger Free Spins.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

There is a scarcity of big features in Smuggler’s Cove, and those who like a lot of intricate and unpredictable gameplay would do better to look elsewhere at review of some of the more feature-packed games on the market right now. For this one, here are the main events:

Treasure Bonus

Landing at least 5 gold coins on the reels on one spin will activate the Treasure Bonus, which can award some great cash prizes. The more coins trigger the feature, the higher your cash reward. 5 coins gets you a 1x stake prize, and the values keep going up until you take home up to 1,000x stake for filling the screen with 15 gold coins.

Free Spins

Landing 3 or more skull and crossbones Scatters on reels 2, 3 and 4 will trigger the Free Spins round. The round starts with a prize wheel – you need to spin this to determine the number of Free Spins and the Multiplier value you play with. There are up to 20 Free Spins available.

The important point here for those chasing big prizes (that’s everyone, right?) is this: during Free Spins, the Treasure Bonuses prizes will increase so that if you hit the very top level of 15 gold coins on as spin then you can now pocket 10,000x stake – the top prize in the game.

And to help you, it’s possible to earn more free spins – if you land another 3 Scatters, you’ll trigger a generous 8 extra Free Spins.

Ante Bet

The Ante Bet feature allows you to make an extra bet of 25% stake to double your chance of triggering the Free Spins round. This is NOT available to UK players.

The Final Verdict

Our Score 7.4

Smugglers Cove is a bright and colourful slot with a classic appearance and some moody pirate characters that jump out of the screen and charm you a little at the start. It doesn’t look particularly original in imagery or gameplay but it is at least a fun and highly playable game if you don’t mind the massive volatility. The drawback for many players is that there aren’t many features, but importantly, the ones on offer are solid and can boost your payouts considerably.

In terms of symbols, the Wild pays well on its own and the gold coins offer great chances to nab an impressive prize, however, it’s during the Free Spins that the fun really starts. In fact, you need to activate this round to be in with any chance of pocketing the higher rewards with 10,000x stake only achievable in this part of the slot. So look to try to trigger this as often as possible.

In summary, Smugglers Cove has a great atmosphere, but it is limited in features and only really works if you’re lucky in Bonus Round. It’s lukewarm swashbuckling, but it’s still a solid spinner if you can handle the sky-high variance.

 

Useful Resources

Pragmatic Play Games List

Our Guide to Slots Variance

Who Made Smugglers Cove?

  • Name: Pragmatic Play
  • Established: 2015
  • UK License: Remote 046683-R-325951-014
  • Total Games: 500 +
  • Known For: Wide range of themes and styles, live casino including gameshow formats, and bingo
  • Popular Slots: Fruit Party, Dog House Megaways, Big Bass Bonanza, Release the Kraken
Find More Pragmatic Play

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