Republic Empire: Hold & Win, developed by iSoftBet, is a video slot that immerses players in the grandeur of Ancient Rome. The game boasts visually striking aesthetics featuring Julius Caesar himself, alongside a thematically appropriate soundtrack that complements the Roman Empire setting.
The core gameplay takes place on a standard 5-reel layout with a unique payline structure. The base game starts with 576 paylines, but this can dynamically expand up to a maximum of 3087 during gameplay through the implementation of special features. Symbols on the reels are thematically relevant, including depictions of Julius Caesar, Roman soldiers, pottery, and classic card symbols (10, J, Q, K, A).
Several bonus features enhance the base gameplay and offer the potential for increased rewards. The Wild Symbol, denoted by the text “Wild,” substitutes for all symbols except the Scatter and Coin Symbol, facilitating the formation of winning combinations. It is important to note that the Wild Symbol can only appear on reels 2, 3, and 4.
The Scatter Symbol, featuring a Roman palace with the text “Bonus,” is the key to unlocking the Free Spins feature. Landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatter Symbols awards 10, 12, or 15 free spins respectively. Unfortunately, retriggering the Free Spins feature during the bonus round is not possible. However, an intriguing addition to Free Spins is the presence of Booster Symbols. These special symbols have the potential to land on the reels and expand the game grid or increase the Win Multiplier, offering the opportunity for more substantial wins.
Another key feature is the Hold & Win Respins, activated by landing 5 or more Coin Symbols. This triggers a series of 3 respins with only Coin Symbols and blanks appearing on the reels. Each new Coin Symbol that lands during this feature resets the respin counter back to 3 and locks itself in position on the reels. The Coin Symbol itself can hold a value ranging from 1x to 10x the bet or award Mini, Major, Maxi, or Grand Jackpots worth 25x, 50x, 100x, or 250x the bet respectively. Booster Symbols can also land during Respins, but unlike Coin Symbols, they are not held in place. The Hold & Win Respins feature concludes when there are no more respins remaining, and players are awarded the cumulative sum of all coin values displayed on the reels.