The Library

The Library: Slot Overview

In an ambitious move towards global influence, a well-known software provider has expanded its collection by bringing another game studio onboard. Hacksaw Gaming This time, the new addition is Kitsune Studios, named after the Japanese word for 'fox', a fitting choice considering their innovative debut game, The Library. As its first project, Kitsune Studios has utilized Hacksaw Gaming's renowned Stackways system. Mayan Stackways (2023) and Ronin Stackways Stackways is a fascinating mechanic that can pile symbols high on a reel, much like fitting as many books as possible onto a shelf. Kitsune Studios smartly uses this feature, adding a bit of the 'Book of' magic to the free spins rounds.

While libraries are generally associated with silence and study, they can be surprisingly fitting settings for slots. Push Gaming rocked Mystery Museum Libraries, with their treasure troves of knowledge and gateways to countless adventures, may yet prove to be the perfect backdrop. They often reside in sublime architecture, and the library in this slot game sets a similarly cozy atmosphere, ideal for immersing oneself in a good book. The game also brings literary icons into play as symbols, which we'll delve into further later.

The Library features a 5x4 grid, providing an incredible number of ways to win. In the base game, this count can reach up to 100,000, ballooning to an astonishing 3.2 million during free spins. To achieve these numbers, the Stackways feature must perform at its best. Players can place bets ranging from 10 cents to $100 or €100. The game is known for its high volatility. RTP of 96.34% .

The low-paying symbols are traditional card ranks from 10 to A, with higher-paying symbols featuring imaginative AI interpretations of famous authors: Lewis Carrol, Dante Alighieri, Edgar Allan Poe, and Beatrix Potter. Landing a 5-of-a-kind with the royals earns 0.5-0.6 times your stake, whereas premium symbols deliver returns of 1.5-3 times the bet. Note, there are no wild symbols here.

The Library: Slot Features

The Stackways mechanic is central to The Library, found in both regular gameplay and during features like Stack the Shelves Spins and Super Stack the Shelves Spins.

Stackways

When a Stackways symbol lands, it stacks between 2 to 10 symbols on the respective reel, with two distinct types: Normal Stackways providing values of 2, 3, or 4, and Revealing Stackways showcasing potential values from 5 to 10. The stacked symbol is the one that completes the longest potential winning combination. When multiple options exist, selection is randomized. Stacking activates only when it results in a win.

Stack the Shelves Spins

In standard play, by landing three book scatter symbols, players activate 10 free spins. During these rounds, players are randomly assigned a Special symbol, which both stacks and pays out whenever it lands on three or more reels. Indicators beneath the reels show a number, from 2 to 10, signifying how many additional symbols are stacked.

Additionally, a Stackways symbol may materialize within the grid. Upon landing, it becomes the Special symbol and amplifies the stacking on the reel by its displayed value. The values of Stackways merge with the indicators beneath their respective reels, potentially stacking up to 20 symbols per reel. This enhancement occurs only when a winning combination includes the Special symbol.

Extra spins can be won: two scatters award +2 spins, while three scatters garner +4 spins. Furthermore, by hitting four scatters, the round upgrades to Super Stack the Shelves Spins, awarding an additional four free spins.

Super Stack the Shelves Spins

Upon getting four scatters in the main game, players receive 10 Super Stack the Shelves Spins. This parallels the usual feature, but players here start with two Special symbols to enhance their winnings.

Bonus Buy

Clicking the bonus buy The options menu allows players to select BonusHunt FeatureSpins, making each spin 5 times more likely to activate a bonus round, albeit at a cost of 3x per spin. The Stackways FeatureSpins cost 50x but ensure at least two Stackways symbols appear. Players may also purchase Stack the Shelves Spins for 150 times their bet.

The Library: Slot Verdict

Hacksaw Gaming is a team renowned for creatively manipulating features it admires, often injecting them into different slots with fresh twists. Nevertheless, their signature Stackways mechanic hasn't been radically altered. Previous examples, Mayan Stackways and Ronin Stackways, have been successful, and Kitsune Studios intelligently embraces this mechanic in its debut. The result is a game promising plentiful winning possibilities, notably exciting gamblers with chances of landing wins up to 10,000 times their bet.

While sheer numbers aren't everything, The Library offers more than just impressive figures. The mechanics of Stackways continue to deliver their iconic stacking performance. However, the electrifying animation effect might seem somewhat out of place in the demure setting of a library. Regardless, stacking Stackways symbols on top of Special ones during free spins is exceptionally strategic, allowing for a multitude of symbols to amass on the grid.

For a newcomer's slot, The Library shows great promise, though it's somewhat rough around the edges. The AI-esque designs on payout symbols strike an unusual note, but Kitsune Studios deserves credit for capitalizing on a mechanic that Hacksaw Gaming still hasn't fully explored. Documentation of a 3.2 million-way win would be a substantial accolade for this slot.