Tale of Kyubiko
By Play n Go
Tale of Kyubiko is a medium variance 3x3 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.
| Game Name | Tale of Kyubiko |
|---|---|
| Developer | Play n Go |
| Release Date | January 2022 |
| Rows | 3 |
| Reels | 3 |
| Paylines | 5 |
| RTP Rate | 96.29%, 94.29%, 91.29%, 87.29%, 84.29% |
| Max Win | 2,250x |
| Min Bet | £0.10 |
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Review Scorecard
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.
What We Like
- 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
Theme and Design
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.
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
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.
- Casumo (independent) – 94.29% RTP
- Barz Casino (White Hat Gaming) – 94.29% RTP
- All British Casino (L and L Europe) – 94.29% RTP
- Duelz Casino (SuprPlay) – 87.29% RTP
- BacanaPlay (Skill on Net) – 91.29% RTP
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
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).
Symbols and Paytable
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Testing Notes
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.
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.
Who Made Tale of Kyubiko?
- Name: Play n Go
- 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
