5 Golden Relics: Hold & Win by OctoPlay is structured around a Mesoamerican treasure hunt theme, presented with a clean and functional illustrative art style. The game’s atmosphere is defined by a lush jungle backdrop and ancient ruins, serving as a visual frame for the central mechanics. Its action occurs on a 5-reel, 4-row grid where the core gameplay objective is the activation of its two distinct bonus rounds. The primary feature is a complex Hold & Win bonus, initiated by a specific combination of cash coins and one of five powerful relic symbols. These relics act as gameplay modifiers, introducing functions like value collection, prize doubling, and a full feature restart. In contrast, a separate Free Spins feature provides a different experience, focusing on a locked central Wild symbol that accumulates a progressive multiplier with each spin. This dual-feature design offers varied gameplay paths, while a Double Chance bet allows players to strategically increase the frequency of these bonus activations.
OctoPlay’s 5 Golden Relics: Hold & Win presents a familiar Mesoamerican adventure theme, but its value is found in the architectural complexity of its gameplay systems. Rather than relying on a single, dominant bonus feature, the game bifurcates its primary attractions into two distinct and mechanically divergent rounds: a modifier-heavy Hold & Win sequence and a separate Free Spins feature centered on a progressive multiplier. This dual-feature approach creates a varied experience, appealing to different player preferences for bonus mechanics within a single title. The core of the game is not the jungle backdrop, but the intricate interaction between the special symbols that govern these two powerful outcomes.
The Intricacies of the Hold & Win Feature and Its Five Relics
The Hold & Win bonus round in this game deviates from the common industry standard of simply collecting six or more cash symbols. Activation here is a more specific, two-part process: it requires at least one Golden Coin symbol to land on the reels simultaneously with one of the five corresponding Relic of Power symbols displayed in the stone header above the grid. This trigger mechanism immediately establishes a different dynamic, as the player's attention is divided between the standard reels and the special symbols waiting in the wings above. Once initiated, the round proceeds with three respins, where only Golden Coins, Special Coins (the activated Relics), or empty spaces can land. Each new symbol that appears resets the respin counter back to three.
The defining characteristic of this feature is the set of five “Relics of Power.” These are not passive icons; they are active modifiers that fundamentally alter the state of the bonus round. Their effects are as follows:
Collect: When this relic activates and lands on the reels as a Special Coin, it gathers the values of all other Golden Coin symbols currently locked on the grid and adds them to its own total. This action provides an immediate consolidation of value.
Double: This Special Coin doubles the cash prize value of all locked Golden Coins and other Special Coins on the reels. It notably does not affect Jackpot symbols.
Restart: The appearance of this symbol is arguably one of the most potent. At the conclusion of the current Hold & Win round, a Restart symbol will trigger an entirely new bonus feature. All winnings from the first round are banked, and a fresh sequence with three respins begins, offering a complete second chance.
Mega: This symbol transforms into a large 2×2 block and is assigned a significant cash prize with a value of 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, or 50x the stake. If it lands covering other symbols with cash prizes, those values are aggregated.
Mystery: This relic delivers one of the game's four fixed jackpots. Upon landing, it will reveal either the Mini (25x), Minor (50x), Major (250x), or Grand (2,500x) jackpot prize.
A critical detail for strategists and analytical players is the strict order of operations when multiple Special Coins land in the same spin. The game processes them in a specific sequence: Mystery symbols resolve first, followed by Double, then Collect, and finally Mega. This hierarchy is important, as a Double symbol landing with a Collect symbol will double the field's values before the Collect symbol gathers them. The precise sequence and interplay of these modifiers can be complex. For a visual breakdown of how each relic functions during the round, players can launch the 5 Golden Relics: Hold & Win demo and access the detailed information within the game's help menu, typically marked with an “i” icon. This structured resolution prevents ambiguity and allows for a clear understanding of how winnings accumulate.
The Contrasting Free Spins Round
Entirely separate from the Hold & Win mechanic is the game’s Free Spins feature. This round is activated through a more conventional method: landing Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously. This awards an initial set of 5 free spins. While the quantity of spins may seem low, the round's potential is concentrated in a single, powerful element: a locked Wild symbol that is permanently fixed to the center position of the third reel for the duration of the feature.
This is not a static Wild. It begins with a multiplier of x1, and with each subsequent free spin, its multiplier value increases by one. On the second spin it's x2, on the third it's x3, and so on. This progressive multiplier applies to any winning combination that the Wild symbol is a part of, creating a system of escalating potential. The feature's design means that the later spins are inherently more valuable than the initial ones. The possibility of extending the round exists; landing two Scatter symbols during the feature grants an additional 5 free spins, continuing the growth of the central Wild's multiplier and substantially increasing the round's ceiling. This feature offers a completely different kind of anticipation compared to the Hold & Win, focusing on line wins and multiplier enhancement rather than symbol collection.
Visual Presentation and Thematic Atmosphere
The game’s aesthetic is clean and functional, employing a stylized, almost illustrative art style rather than aiming for photorealism. The setting is a verdant jungle, with animated foliage and distant, vine-covered ruins that frame the game grid. The color palette is rich with greens and earthy browns, creating a cohesive thematic environment without being visually overwhelming. The animations are fluid and serve to highlight key game events effectively. The spinning of the Relics of Power above the reels, the golden glow when one is set to activate, and the satisfying “thud” of a locked coin during the Hold & Win feature all provide clear and immediate feedback to the player.
Symbol design is thoughtfully executed. The low-value card royals (10 through A) are rendered in a chiseled stone style with creeping vines, integrating them seamlessly into the jungle theme. The high-value symbols tell the story of an unseen adventurer: a compass, an old map, a satchel, a revolver, and what appears to be a small, red-bound artifact. The backpack serves as the highest-paying regular symbol. The visual language is consistent and supports the narrative of a relic hunt, culminating in the golden, idol-like designs of the Jackpots and Special Coins. The game successfully avoids visual clutter, ensuring that the most important information—the symbols on the reels and the state of the active features—remains the primary focus.
Core Gameplay Loop and Symbol Mechanics
The base game operates on a 5-reel, 4-row grid. In the absence of the bonus features, the gameplay is straightforward, with wins paying from left to right on defined paylines. Much of the base game functions as a build-up, with the player watching for the specific combination of Golden Coins and active Relics or the trio of Scatters needed to unlock the game's more complex systems. This design places a heavy emphasis on triggering the bonus rounds, which is where the majority of the game's mechanical depth resides.
The paytable reflects this focus, with modest returns for standard line hits and significant potential locked within the features.
Symbol Payouts (for 5-of-a-kind)
Adding another layer of player agency is the Double Chance option. For an increased stake (in the provided example, an extra 60% of the base bet), the player can increase the statistical probability of triggering a feature. This is presented as a toggle that players can activate or deactivate between spins. It functions as a player-controlled volatility switch, allowing those with a higher risk tolerance to invest more per spin for a better chance at activating the Hold & Win or Free Spins rounds. It's a direct trade-off between cost-per-spin and feature frequency, a strategic consideration that experienced players will need to weigh against their bankroll management style. This separation of features and the inclusion of a controllable bet modifier suggest that OctoPlay has designed this game with a knowledgeable player base in mind, offering multiple avenues for engagement.
