Tale of Kyubiko

Tale of Kyubiko Slot Review

Slot Provider: Play n Go

RTP: 96.29% | Variance: Medium | Maximum Win: 2,250x

Our Score: 8.4

Play at Barz Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Testing Notes | Compare Slots | Tips For Players | About The Developer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Tale of Kyubiko

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 15th January 2022

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.

Tale of Kyubiko is a medium variance 3×3 slot from Play n Go with 5 paylines inspired by the Japanese myth of Inari, a Goddess. The Inari Stacked Wild is key to scoring big wins as it triggers re-spins each time it lands and forms part of a win. When it does, then it triggers a progressive multiplier that grows in value from 2x up to 25x over 5 re-spins. The multiplier values is applied to all wins that include the Stacked Wild, which moves across the reels with each new re-spin.

The top payout in this slot is 2,250x and spins start from 10p.

Tale of Kyubiko Game Information

  • Release Date: January 2022
  • RTP: 96.29%, 94.29%, 91.29%, 87.29%, 84.29%
  • Variance: Medium
  • Maximum Win: 2,250x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 3
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 5
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Oriental
  • Features: Stacked Wilds, Walking Wilds Re-Spins, Progressive Mulitpliers

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Tale of Kyubiko

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

I played 200 spins on Tale of Kyubiko for free at Casumo Casino to test the game and this is what happened.

  • Stake Size: £0.1
  • Start balance: £25,000
  • End balance: £25,090.45
  • Biggest Win: 64.5x
  • Inari Dance (re-spins): 6
  • Session Time: 16 minutes 23 seconds

Tale of Kyubiko was a pleasant slot to play over 200 spins. It has a slow, meditative feel and seems to kick out regular wins, probably due to its medium variance. The Itari Stacked Wild re-spins triggered 6 times and twice I made it to the 25x multiplier level which is awesome.

Tale of Kyubiko - 9 Re-Spins and 25x Multiplier
9th Respin With a 25x Multiplier

On one occasion as many as 9 re-spins were triggered and a win of 64.5x was paid out. You can see that in the screenshot above. That’s small in comparison to the 2,250x maximum win, but it shows what kind of thing can be done. On top of all that, this is just a nice slot to play thanks to the high quality visuals and chilled soundtrack.

What We Liked

  • Unique Japanese mythology theme
  • Nice anime design and animations on reel
  • Stacked Wilds trigger re-spins
  • Progressive multipliers grow up to 25x
  • Regular wins thanks to mid-variance

What We Didn't like

  • Low top potential - 2,250x
  • No free spins round

Tale of Kyubiko Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 10
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 7
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 9

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"This beguiling slot cleverly interweaves Japanese mythology with simple but enthralling gameplay. Medium variance and regular wins make it easy on the balance."

Overall Score: 8.4

Theme & Design

Our Score 10

Super Animations and a Tranquil Atmosphere

Not every Play n Go slot can boast the production levels of Tale of Kyubiko. This is a really beautifully designed game that is inspired by the Japanese myth of Inari, a Goddess who appears to travellers as a fox, or various other animals, and leads them to treasures in her lair. Here she appears on the Stacked Wild symbol, shifting between versions of herself as her symbol moves over the reels. The animations on the symbol are superb and it’s a game whose visuals you can enjoy as much as the chase for cash.

Tale of Kyubiko by Play n Go
Tale of Kyubiko – a tranquil slot game

In fact, the whole design of the slot is high quality, with the reel set inside a temple-like frame and intricate Japanese symbols and illustrations providing the backdrop. The soundtrack is a really pleasant and it has a tranquil feel.

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

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.

Like many Play n Go slots, Tale of Kyubiko has more than one RTP setting – 96.29%, 94.29%, 91.29%, 87.29%, 84.29%. Which you play at will be at the discretion of your casino. It is always better to play at the optimum RTP so we checked our the settings at five popular UK slot sites. 

None of the sites in our list are running this game at its optimum RTP. For the best chance of coming away with a positive return we recommend Casumo, Barz or All British Casinos.

Tale of Kyubiko is a medium variance slot which suggests a more even distribution of wins than Play n Go’s more volatile games. That also makes it an easier entry point for those new to this studio.

Maximum Win

Our Score 7

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

The top payout of 2,250x here is lower than many other Play n Go slots, reflecting that medium variance setting. If you are looking for bigger potential from a medium variance game you could try Count Jokula (8,350x) or Raging Rex 2 (30,000x).

Explore Games With Similar RTP, Variance and Maximum Win

Like the numbers? Here are some more games you might want to try.

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Count JokulaPlay n Go96.22%Medium8,350xPlay Here
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Born WildHacksaw Gaming96.28%Medium2,500xPlay Here
Gronk’s GemsHacksaw Gaming96.22%Medium7,500xPlay Here
Pug LifeHacksaw Gaming96.33%Medium7,500xPlay Here
Dork UnitHacksaw Gaming96.28%Medium10,000xPlay Here

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

Wilds and Stacked Wilds Hold The Key To Bigger Wins

I really like the simplicity of this game, based as it is on a 3 reel and 3 row grid with no expansions or splitting symbols and just 5 paylines to win on. Those are the 3 horizontal lines and the 2 diagonals from top left to bottom right and bottom left to top right.

The symbol values are not huge but there are wilds and multiplier wilds to help you. The low payers are the card suits in clubs, diamonds, spades and hearts, valued at from 0.1x for 3 clubs up to 0.4x for 3 hearts. The premiums are picture symbols valued at from 0.2x for 3 cats up to 8x for 3 monkeys.

Tale of Kyubiko Paytable
The paytable from Tale of Kyubiko – wilds pay out 15x for 3 on a line

The Wild, which is a monkey mask, substitutes for all other symbols to form wins AND pays out at 15x for 3 on a line. But the one you will really get to like is the stacked wild, an animated version of Inari, which flutters as it lands on the reels and can trigger extra features described below.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

5 Re-Spins Takes Your Progressive Multiplier Up To 25x!!

The big thing about Tale of Kyubiko that sets it apart from so many other online slots is that it doesn’t have a Free Spins round. For me, that didn’t matter because it uses a re-spins mechanism regularly instead.

That is triggered by the Inari Stacked Wild which is your key to best parts of this game. The stacked wild can appear on any reel, and according to Inari’s Fortune, it will nudge up or down to fully cover a reel when it is only partially revealed, if by doing so it will trigger a win. Sounds like a big like Nolimit City’s xNudge, but without the multipliers of course.

Tale of Kyubiko - 5 Re-Spins and 25x Multiplier
By the 5th re-spins the multiplier reaches 25x

Any time the Stacked Wild does form part of a win then it triggers a re-spin. During the spin the Stacked Wild will shift to another reel in a feature called Inari’s Dance. But the best part is this – with each win another level on the progressive multiplier is highlighted to the left of the reels. They are 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x or 25x. The highlighted multiplier is applied to any new win with the Stacked Wild.

This is very powerful and several times testing this game I came out with significant wins when the multiplier was at its full strength. You can see that in the screenshot above.

The Final Verdict

I really enjoyed Tale of Kyubiko but say this with the caveat that this game is not about intense high-risk slots play, but rather slower-paced action with one central feature that must be unlocked to dig out decent sized wins. The theme and superb design are a lot of fun, and once you have landed a Stacked Wild win, watching the re-spins play out and the progressive multiplier grow brings tension and joy in equal measure as the wins stack up. The 25x cap here and the low pay table values means that one area that Tale of Kyubiko fell short on was max payout, but if you can live with that then this is a slot that is certainly worth a spin or two.

Compare Tale of Kyubiko With Similar Slots Picked By Us

Here are more games like Tale of Kyubiko compared on configuration and features. Click through to read a review of each one.

Slot GameProviderThemeMin. StakeMax. RTPVariancePaylinesTop PayoutJackpot
Hacksaw GamingOriental£0.1096.35%High1,024 Up To 100,0005,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingCartoon£0.1096.22%Medium2512,500xNo
Pragmatic Play£0.2096.54%205,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingMusic£0.1096.22%Medium173,333xNo
Play n GoAncient Greece£0.1096.2%Medium303,000xNo
Play n GoParty, Festival£0.0596.2%Medium-High4215,000xNo
Yggdrasil GamingVikings£0.1096.1%Medium254,000xNo
Play n GoComedy£0.0596.22%Medium58,350xNo

Useful Tips When Playing Tale of Kyubiko

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Look Out For 5 Re-Spins

Twice I hit 5 or more re-spins which triggered the 25x multiplier. That’s your ticket to the bigger payouts so keep your eye out for consecutive wins when the Stacked Wild lands to trigger the next spin.

2. Even 3 Standard Wilds Pay Well

Don’t forget that standard wilds can trigger good wins too. They substitute for other symbols to create wins but also pay out 15x for 3 on a line. That is better than many slots.

3. Enjoy The Production

This is a game that you should really sit back and enjoy. It’s fine artwork, animations and tranquil soundtrack are superb. Don’t just put your head down and hit the spin button. Take it in!

4. Play At Licensed Slot Sites Only

We have chosen the slot sites on this page because they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. So they offer fair, safe secure gambling with a range of Responsible Gambling Tools to help you.

Who Made Tale of Kyubiko?

  • Name: Play n Go
  • Established: 1997
  • UK License: Remote 021725-R-304911-020
  • Total Games: 200 +
  • Known For: Grid slots, high variance slots, huge range of themes, styles and maths models
  • Popular Slots: Book of Dead, Reactoonz 1 and 2, Troll Hunters 2, Rise of Olympus
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