The design in Sun Chief is a step-up from what we’ve come to expect from slot games from Ainsworth. Some of the Aussie developer’s earlier titles have been a little crude visually but Sun Chief is rather well done. The ruins of a pyramid form the backdrop to the reels.
Those reels include lower value A to 9 playing cards as well as a toucan, a llama, a lynx and an eagle. The most rewarding standard symbol in the base game is the temple - land 3, 4 or 5 of these in a payline and you’ll pocket 50, 100 or 750 coins. The Sun Chief, decked out in magnificent gold regalia, is the game’s wild - he doesn’t offer any payouts but does replace all other symbols bar the scatter. The wild lands on reels 3, 4 and 5 only in the base game.
The other symbol to look out for is the Sun Stone which is the scatter. Land 3, 4 or 5 of these on the same spin and you’ll pocket an award equal to 1, 5 or 50 times your total bet. You’ll also trigger the Free Games feature where you’re awarded 8 free spins.
The set up in the feature is a little different to the base game. The first thing to note is the paytable is very different and the standard payouts are much lower. It’s not all bad news though as there are multiplier wilds added to the mix. When these land on reel 3, they will be locked in position for the next 4 free spins.
On each free spin, the multiplier increases from 2x to 3x to 4x and finally 5x. If it gets to 5x and there are free spins remaining, the wild multiplier will remain locked in position for the duration. If you hit the standard Sun Chief wild it too remains locked in place, this time for 3 free spins. Land the Sun Stone scatter on reels 2 and 4 on the same spin and you’ll receive 5 extra free spins.
Sun Chief is a solid, if unspectacular, performer. The visuals are nicely done, especially for an Ainsworth slot game. We’re often a little underwhelmed by the change in paytable in slots from this developer and that was the case with Sun Chief. The wild multipliers are a nice addition though and do make the bonus round potentially worth hitting.
If you enjoy the historical theme then Sun Chief is worth a look. There’s probably not quite enough gameplay on offer to entice the unconvinced though. I recommend you Aztec Idols by Play ‘N Go if you like the theme.