When you think of slot machines, you don’t think of “character development”, “experience points”, “progression”, not even “a goal” as being part of the game. Traditionally, slot machines are simple games with a single goal: spin the reels and win. Sometimes, in turn, some slot machines dare to differ. Castle Builder, one of the most successful slot machines ever to be released at the 7Sultans Casino, added an element of progression to the game. Playing it didn’t mean simply spinning the reels to win – 7Sultans players needed to gather materials to build a castle, then be paid as much as possible by the suitors courting its inhabitant, a princess. Castle Builder was among the most successful 7Sultans mobile casino games ever since its release in 2014. Now the game suffers the same fate so many movies have lately – it will get a sequel. Unlike in the case of movies, in turn, the sequel to Castle Builder, simply called Castle Builder II, will be much better than the original.
Spin, Build, Win
As the game’s title suggests, the goal of Castle Builder II will be building castles. Upon loading the game, players will need to select a builder – initially, they will get to choose between the oldtimer Sam and the young and keen Mandy. Both of them come with their own in-game perks: Sam’s experience translates to better-built castles and higher bonuses while choosing Mandy will give players the chance to trigger Free Spins during the game. With each character, players will gain access to different parts of the map – with different kingdoms to impress with their building skills. Further characters can be unlocked during the game, each one with their own benefits.
Gathering the materials needed to build a castle will be no easy feat. To do it, players will need to spin the reels of a five-reel, 15 win line slot machine. Whenever three or more matching symbols – building materials like stone, brick, wood, and glass, as well as higher-paying symbols like rings, crowns, gold bars, and treasure chests – land on a win line, players will win not only credits but the building materials involved, one unit for every winning line. Once six units of materials are gathered, they will be added to the castle, completing one phase of the building at a time. Once the castle is complete, the princess (or prince) moves in, and the suitors come. Players have to choose one of them, but choose wisely – each suitor comes with a different bonus paid to the builder. All this culminates in a royal wedding, some well-deserved cash put in the builder’s pocket – then it’s time to move on to the next castle in the next kingdom.
Castle Builder II is a pretty addictive game. It has many things an average slot machine doesn’t, like builder profiles with benefits, experience points, true progression during the game – these make it similar to a social game. It’s easy to forget that it’s a slot machine – the building projects steal the focus, with the credits only being considered a means to continue building. It’s a fun game to play, even with no money involved, yet it can be quite generous at the end of the day.