The visuals in The Lab have a definite Tomorrow's World feel - there's no playing card filler here, all the symbols relate to the scientific theme. Set against a swirling vortex backdrop, symbols on show include a quartet of element symbols, H2O, O2, Pt and Au.
They're joined by 4 higher value chemical molecules - the best of these is the green molecule which awards 1,000 coins if you manage to land 5 in combination. Look out too for the X symbol - when this lands, it will double your payout.
The Lab also comes with a Free Spins feature which is triggered in a slightly unusual manner. Instead of the usual scatter activation, the free spins here are awarded when The Lab symbol lands over the swirling vortex on row 2 of reel 2.
You'll then be awarded 10 free spins with The Lab symbol becoming wild whenever it hits during those free spins. You can add to your tally of free spins every time a +1 or +2 symbol hits. You can usually expect to land around 15 free spins whenever you trigger the round thanks to these little extras. All wins are boosted by a 2x multiplier. Each subsequent X scatter symbol that lands will boost your payout by 2x so there are some decent winning opportunities here.
The Lab lets you control your wagering automatically courtesy of its Betting Strategies option. There are 3 to choose from:
- Jumper – this raises your bet following a winning spin.
- Leveller – this raises your stakes by 2 after a run of 5 successive losing spins.
- Booster – this raises your bet by 1 level after a losing spin.
As we've come to expect from ELK Studios slot games, The Lab looks and sounds delightful. The graphics are top notch, the animations silky smooth and the electronic soundtrack perfectly in keeping with the futuristic theme.
The range of features isn't quite as impressive. The free spins round is decent enough though. This slot sits pretty high on the variance scale so you need to be patient. It’s not my favourite ELK Studios title though with Taco Brothers and Poltava Flames of War better alternatives.