ABOUT THIS SLOT
House of Doom 2: The Crypt from Play n Go is the sequel to the original House of Doom slot, named after the eponymous song from doom metal band Candlemass. It’s also the most recent in a long line of metal-themed slots from the developer, which includes Testament, Demon, Sabaton and Black Mamba. It’s quite the adventure in terms of atmosphere, so get ready to experience doom for the second time!
House of Doom 2: The Crypt has a standard design of 5 reels and 20 paylines. The reels are surrounded by stone pillars, while the dark purple background looks suitably foreboding and the heavy metal music builds drama. There is a nod to lightness in the cartoonish game logo with its neon pink lettering, but in general the mood is gloomy with Halloween-style symbols.
RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
You’ll find a standard RTP of 96.25%, 20c minimum bet and a high volatility rating. This means the slot has plenty of peaks and troughs in payouts with potentially big wins waiting but a fair number of lean spells too. This should suit players who enjoy a strong dose of risk with their slots play. The 6,000x stake jackpot is good, but not as spectacular as some other Play n Go titles, such as Testament with its 20,000x stake top prize.
SYMBOLS AND PAYTABLE
House of Doom 2: The Crypt is packed with suitably menacing symbols. You’ll find a candelabra, crossed daggers, a sickly-looking flower and a skull with spikes. There are also a series of gothic characters: Queen of the Damned, Fire Mistress, Metal Priestess, along with the Spirit of Unity, which appears during the Crypt Spins feature.
The skull with spikes pays the highest reward of 10x stake for 5 of a kind. The daggers, flower and candle pay the other premium rewards, while the high card symbols written in gothic script pay the lowest rewards. The gothic characters are all Wild symbols and they pay 25x stake if you find 5 on the reels.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Wild Symbols
There are 4 separate Wilds in this slot – 3 Wilds in the base game and an extra Wild that appears during Crypt Spins. All Wilds pay 25x stake for 5 matches and they can also trigger more features.
Spirit Gate
A Spirit Gate can appear at random. If a Wild symbol lands on a Spirit Gate, the Wild expands and triggers a Respin with one of 3 Modifiers: Queen of the Damned adds Spirit Gates to all reels; Fire Mistress adds a random Multiplier of 2x, 3x, 5x or 10x; Metal Priestess awards a Symbol Upgrade, turning relic symbols into high-paying skulls.
Crypt Spins
If you land 3 or more Crypt Scatters, you’ll trigger the Free Spins round, during which it’s possible to spin more than one Spirit Gate. Any Scatters landing on the Spirit Gate turn into Flaming Crypt symbols. If you spin 3 Flaming Crypts, you’ll receive 8 Crypt Spins, during which the Spirit of Unity Wild can appear. If this Wild lands in a Spirit Gate, a Respin is triggered with all Modifiers activated.
OUR VERDICT
House of Doom 2: The Crypt is perfect for fans of death metal, specifically the niche doom metal band Candlemass. It’s also a great play if you enjoy creepy imagery and a spine-chilling atmosphere. It’s certainly an acquired taste, although there are plenty of positives for non-metal fans too. For example, the multiple Wilds work well to trigger exciting features and give some high payouts with up to 10x Multipliers. The biggest rewards aren’t easy to trigger though and with only 6,000x stake available this isn’t the biggest hitter from Play N Go. Despite its quirks, if you’re a fan of similar real money Canadian slots, such as Testament and Demon, you should take to this new slot like a skull takes to a spike! Decide for yourself when Play n Go release this second spell of doom in mid-March 2023.