Chronos Sands of Eternity

Chronos Sands of Eternity: Slot Overview

In a world of endless consumerism where everything seems to be for sale, one thing no one can buy back, no matter how much dough they've got in the bank, is time. When it's gone, it's gone, so best we make good use of it while we can, and all that. Pragmatic Play has spent some time designing Chronos Sands of Eternity, a myth-based slot which mixes ancient Greek belief with concepts that humans grapple with down to the present day. Whether it stands the test of time or simply offers a fleeting escape, a few spins will tell, as we look out for big symbols and a multilevel free spins feature that players will no doubt be hoping can turn piles of sand into a mountain of coins.

Chronos is the personification of time in ancient Greek tradition, often depicted as an old, wise figure representing the endless passage of time. That's him, one would presume, standing next to the reels, one hand on a strange clock device, the other on an even stranger bent staff topped with esoteric shapes. He inhabits a sandy world, full of items which remind viewers of the relentless movement of the clock, and the mystery of what occurs when the ticking runs on. Pragmatic Play has painted a handsome mythological fantasy, with a Dali-esque surrealist touch, and hints of steampunk where the staid three-dimensional world we inhabit has melted away, revealing ancient entities presiding over an endless dance of time, fate, and eternity.

On the statistical side, the studio has designed a medium volatile math model, generating a 96.5% RTP, though lower configurations are something to be on the lookout for. Play is conducted on a 5x4 gaming area, lining up wins along 20 paylines. Players may stake $/€0.20 to $/€240, while special bets and feature buys are a click or two away.

The low-paying symbols are cog-looking 10-A royals, while the high pays are five character symbols. A line of 5 matching royals is worth 1x-2x the bet, or when landing 5 matching premium symbols in a combination, the reward is 4x-25x the stake. Wilds hit on all five reels. They replace regular paying symbols and have the same value as the top-paying character when 5 wilds create their own winning line. 

Chronos Sands of Eternity: Slot Features 

The features falling through the hourglass are big symbols, free spins, special bets, and feature buys.

Big Symbols 

High pay symbols and wilds can land in the base game 1x1 or 2x2 in size. The 2x2 symbols can have a multiplier of x1 to x12, which applies to all winning combinations that pass through them. Multipliers are added together when more than one of them is part of the same winning combination. 

Free Spins 

Scatters appear on all reels. When 3, 4, or 5 scatters are in view, players win 6, 8, or 10 free spins, respectively. During the free spins feature, each landed scatter is collected by a meter. Every 3 scatters collected increases the round's level. The batch of spins associated with a level is played after the previous batch ends. 

• Level 1 - The starting level, where at least one 2x2 high pay or wild symbol with a random multiplier of x1 to x12 is guaranteed to hit on every spin.
• Level 2 - When achieved, +6 free spins are awarded. Starting from this level, 1x1 and 3x3 high or wild symbols with a multiplier can also appear. During these spins, at least one 2x2 or 3x3 high or wild symbol is guaranteed on every spin. The 3x3 symbols can land on reels 2, 3 and 4, and can carry a random multiplier from x1 to x24. The 1x1 and 2x2 high pay or wild symbols can have a random multiplier of x1 to x12
• Level 3 - When achieved, +6 free spins are awarded. During these spins, at least one 2x2 or 3x3 high or wild symbol is guaranteed to hit. The 3x3 symbols can carry a random multiplier from x12 to x24. The 1x1 and 2x2 high pay or wild symbols can have a random multiplier from x1 to x24
• Level 4 - When achieved, +6 free spins are awarded. During these spins, only Money symbols, Collect symbols and blanks appear. Money symbols hit with randomly selected values from the win amounts awarded on each free spin at Levels 1-3. Each Collect symbol that lands collects the value of all Money symbols on the grid. The feature cannot be retriggered after level 4. 

Special Bets & Feature Buys 

The special bets are Ante Bet 1 costing 1.5x to have double the chance of triggering free spins and Ante Bet 2 costing 2.5x to have 5x the chance. It's also possible to buy the free spins feature for 100x, or super free spins for 200x, where the minimum multiplier is x6 at levels 1 and 2, and x12 at level 3. 

Chronos Sands of Eternity: Slot Verdict

While gamblers are used to slots featuring Zeus, Hades, or Poseidon, Chronos Sands of Eternity is a visually arresting slot that uses a different part of Greek mythology and gives it a surreal twist. Thoughtful reflection and having a punt might not always go together, but such is the subject matter here that it's hard not to contemplate some of the big questions, while hoping the right symbols land for a chonky payout. The ancient Greek imagery, the clockwork contraptions, and sweeping scenery create an atmospheric game world where time is a central theme, and Chronos himself adds an imposing presence beside the reels. However, as attractive as the setting is, the question is whether the gameplay can turn the ticking of the clock into something more rewarding. 

The base game has moments, though they rely on landing big symbols with big multipliers to really get things done. Free spins tighten the screw by introducing a quasi Big Bass-like progression system where you want scatters to land, get collected and progress through the four levels. The bottom three levels continue the base game theme of landing bigger symbols with access to bigger multipliers, then upon reaching level 4, the game completely flips to a money symbol collection event, which is a little odd. Then again, money symbols land with values achieved at lower levels, so there is a continuation throughout the bonus round; it just gets a peculiar twist at the end. In this case, there is extra impetus on getting big hits during the three lower levels in the run-up to the fourth level, since what was awarded previously in the round are the potential prizes in the money collect phase.

Visually and in some ways technically, Chronos Sands of Eternity tries to do things a little differently. Its final level twist is not something you see every day, saving its biggest trick till last, and the money collecting phase sends the bonus down an unexpected fork in the timeline. Its max win is less out of the ordinary, but still respectable at 7,500x the bet. Who can say whether the collection of wins from earlier spins will translate into a timeless payday, but Chronos Sands of Eternity provides an unusual way to see which way the hourglass tips.