Zulu Gold is the sixth slot in ELK Studios' series starring Kane, the brave explorer. A few features from previous releases return, such as colossal symbols and expanding reels - along with some new mechanics that add even more excitement.

Our favorite part of ELK Studios' Gold Series is how each game brings different cultures to life in a unique way. Black River Gold takes us to The Rockies, while Ecuador Gold takes us through ancient Incan ruins - and we're treated to graphics designed with a keen attention to detail to keep things authentic.

A gold temple is sought in KwaZulu-Natal by ELK's resident explorer Kane in Zulu Gold, as he ventures into Lesotho with their resident explorer Kane. Various African animals including elephants, rhinos, and buffalo are depicted in the symbols.

There is a stunning aesthetic to the game that really draws players in.

Zulu Gold has a 95% return to player rate. It is becoming more and more common to see lower and lower payout percentages in the online slots world. In the past, the average RTP ranged from 96% to 96.5%.

In terms of variance, this slot is rated 8/10. So, it’s not on the extreme end of the volatility scale but it does offer a top win of 10,000x.

Zulu Gold follows the same format as other Gold games such as Tahiti Gold and Zulu Gold. It allows players to expand the number of ways to win from 4096 to 262,144.

When you land a winning combination, this happens. In other slots, an "avalanche" occurs, where new symbols fall into the spaces where the winning symbols were, as well as creating a new row on top. As a result, the game's chances of winning increase.

Zulu Gold has loads of special symbols that perform different functions that give players a better chance of winning:

There are colossal symbols for all paying symbols, as well as the wild. On the reels, they can occupy 2x2, 3x3 or 4x4 spaces and perform some pretty cool functions

Symbols that match the colossal symbol are placed in any blank spaces beneath the symbol.

Any regular symbols of a smaller size below a colossal symbol will be smashed by it. Symbols of the same size, wilds, and bonus symbols will not be destroyed.

You can land Zulu Stacks to expand the reelset and help you land wins more easily. Symbols can be stacked in two, three, or four positions.

Wild symbols such as the golden lion play a special role as well. This wild will appear on each cascade in a single spin, leading a trail of wilds behind it.

This is a wild that looks like a Zulu Stack, but it has an extra life. Lives are only consumed when they are involved in a win. Stacks remain intact otherwise.

The Multiplier Drops feature is triggered when you land three or more scatters on ELK's Zulu Gold slot. Based on the number of scatters that trigger the bonus, you'll receive between 10 and 25 Free Drops.

The bonus round of Zulu Gold follows the example of many new Megaways games by increasing the multiplier. When three multiplier symbols appear, their values are added together and added to the total win multiplier.

Also returning are the Safety Levels from the previous Gold slots. During the bonus round, the reels remain at their current height.

You don't have to reset your bonus every time you start a new spin, like in the base game. On several spins, you could end up with 262,144 winning ways.

We've enjoyed all of ELK Studios' Gold series slots, but Zulu Gold stands out. This game looks and plays great:

Our favorite thing about Zulu Gold slots is the design. In addition to impressive graphics, the aesthetic aims for authenticity.

Africa-themed slot games are usually very generic in the online slots world. Most games feature marula trees, safari animals, and maybe a person dressed as an explorer. However, ELK wanted to do something a little different.

This game is clearly the result of extensive research conducted by the ELK design team. Despite the fact that all African countries seem to be lumped together, the music sounds amazing, and the graphics are stylistically sophisticated.

There are also plenty of features in the game that you can look forward to. While we wish we'd seen more of the stacked symbols in this game, the colossal symbols that return from the previous Gold slots add some fun to the experience.

Increasing multipliers are another welcome addition to the free spins bonus. ELK uses progressive multipliers a lot in Megaways slots, so it's great to see them in another type of slot.