ELK Studios: A Masterclass in Quality Slot Game Design
On the other hand, they clearly live the adage “quality over quantity”; the ones they produced are almost all of the highest quality. While many game providers release new slots like a dime a dozen each year, ELK Studios prefers to take it easy.
Around 2-3 new slots per year, that’s more than enough for them. And yet, they have been quite successful so far. Almost every reliable online casino has included the slots of ELK Studios in their game offering.
As said, quality over quantity, that’s the credo that drives ELK Studios. Rather one well-produced, original slot than three moderate clones or poorly designed slots.
ELK Studios slots usually have several recognizable features:
- They have fun and innovative bonus features.
- You can play with fixed betting strategies.
- Very skillfully produced, with beautiful design.
- Original themes.
- Smooth spinning reels.
I like to play slots from ELK Studios: they are very entertaining and usually yield nice prices.
How I Rate The Best ELK Studios Casinos and ELK Studios Slots
Evaluating the best ELK Studios casinos and slots involves a detailed analysis of the various aspects that contribute to a superior gaming experience. But I can tell you that you’re in luck, because as a gambler (a responsible gambler) evaluating the best ELK Studios slots and casinos is nothing but enjoyable minutes for me.
ELK Studios is renowned for its high quality, innovative slots and it’s important to make sure that the casinos offering these games meet the same high standards.
Here are the key steps to effectively evaluate the best ELK Studios casinos and slots:
Evaluate Casino Reputation and Licence
The reputation and reliability of the casino is very important when it comes to the ELK Studios Slots. I check for a valid licence from a reputable gaming authority such as,
- UK Gambling Commission
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Curacao
A highly rated casino should have a history of fair gaming, timely payouts and a supportive customer service.
Check ELK Studios Slots Variety and Availability
Starting by checking the variety of ELK Studios slots available at the casino is one of my starter check stops for both you and myself.
A top-tier casino should offer a comprehensive range of ELK Studios slots, including their most popular titles and their newest releases.
Bonus Offers and Promotions
While a casino may have a great portfolio of games and credibility, we all have to admit that few things are as interesting as casino bonuses. Before playing any ELK Studios slots, you better check the bonuses.
It is no coincidence that the best ELK Studios casinos often offer attractive welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing promotions that enhance the overall gaming experience. Because they know how to keep their players interested.
Customer Support
When you have a question or need clarification, good customer support is one of the key factors that can enhance your gambling experience. That’s why I put customer support on my radar when evaluating casinos.
The best casinos should offer responsive, helpful, and approachable customer support through multiple channels such as live chat, email, and phone.
Taco Brothers and Wild Toro were ELK Studio’s big breakthrough
Their first releases, including The Lab, DJ Wild and Electric Sam, were a bit quirky and even a little uneven. That feeling disappeared when Taco Brothers and Wild Toro were released in 2016. These slot games became a great success. I can say that they are the best ELK Studios slots.
Once ELK Studios released higher variance slots, such as Hong Kong Tower, Ivanhoe and Hidden, their reputation was firmly established, and online slots players have been eagerly awaiting new releases ever since.
I love the slots developed by ELK Studios: they almost always seem to come up with something innovative, and the slots are crafted to perfection.
More and more well-known online casinos are adding ELK Studios slots to their game offerings.
Do ELK Slots have high variance?
Let’s look at the ELK Studios slot list to evaluate their variance. While ELK Studios has been pretty modest initially in 2015 and 2016 when it comes to high variance slots, they have gradually made their slots more volatile.
Besides the increased number of new slots that are released, you can see a definite shift toward high variance slots.
Of the ten slots that ELK Studios released in 2019, five were high variance slots: Ecuador Gold, Hit it Big, Chi, Tahiti Gold and Voodoo Gold.
In particular, Chi is exceptionally volatile, with a maximum win of 12,500x the bet. It is the only ELK slot, where the maximum bet is limited to $€ 20 only. It is to restrict the risk of a player hitting it too big for casinos.
Another volatile slot is Ecuador, where I have seen several wins exceeding 2,000x the bet. All in all, these are the best ELK Studios slots.
What about the maximum win of ELK Studios slots?
ELK Studio slots are becoming more and more volatile. Maximum wins of 5,000x the bet are no longer exceptional since 2018/2019.
Do ELK slots have a good Return to Player?
The Return to Player (RTP) of ELK slots has been around the average, compared to other providers’ slots. Maybe slightly lower.
The RTP is always above 96% (except for Champion’s Goal) but never above 96.5%.
If you are really into playing high RTP slots only, you won’t find the best ELK Studios online slots here.
On the other hand, the payout rates are not in any way abysmal, either. That means Elk Studios slots RTP is quite considerable.
Unique to ELK Studios games: the betting strategy
Another unique feature of ELK Studios games is the option to use the so-called betting strategy. You can choose to have the slot bet for you according to fixed betting patterns.
Consequently, stakes are increased or lowered based on the results of your previous spin(s).
You pick a risk profile and leave the rest to the slot. An interesting development I have not come across in any other online slot yet.
Top 10 ELK Studios Slots
ELK Studios has produced its fair share of first-class slots, but which ones do really stand out from the crowd? It wasn’t easy to make a top 10 of the best ELK Studios slots. And not so much the selecting of the names, but rather the sorting of them in the right order was painstaking.
As far as quality goes, their slots are incredibly similar to one another. Here are my top 10 ELK Studios slots that I truly recommend to any slot enthusiast.
1.Wild Toro:
When ELK Studios released the Wild Toro slot, they finally had the big hit they were looking for. With slots like The Lab, Taco Brothers and Electric Sam, they already attracted attention, but Wild Toro was their real breakthrough.
This slot, which is played on 5 reels with 4 rows of symbols and 178 paylines, focuses on a wild bull and the somewhat scared bullfighter. The free spins bonus can generate huge payouts due to the extra wilds and respins.
Graphically it all looks stunning, and it feels great to play a slot where the bull is in charge in the arena for once.
2.Ivanhoe:
This slot mixes old retro-style gameplay with a modern video slot, and the result is phenomenal. At the top of the slot, you see a led screen (just like those old pinball machines), and on that, you see win animations, movies and payouts.
The free spins bonus has multiple levels, and the further you get into the game, the higher the potential. There are also tournaments where the knights duel against each other, introduced by trumpets’ sound and multipliers up to 6 x.v
3.Vegas Diamonds:
With Vegas Diamonds, ELK Studios continued the successful crossover concept between Ivanhoe and Route 777. This slot’s focus shifted from the Middle Ages to the Las Vegas strip and treated players to all the glitz and glamour that Vegas is famous for.
The bonus features are equally standout: respins, free spins and a fortune wheel bonus with three levels provide excitement and fun at the same time. I am a huge fan of Las Vegas and downright love a bit of gambling.
It’s no coincidence that I couldn’t resist the Vegas Diamonds slot.
4.Poltava:
In the beginning, ELK Studios was always known for cheerful slots, full of craziness and cartoon-like graphics. With the Poltava slot, they turned in a more serious direction.
Set on Poltava’s battlefield, this beautiful slot features marching soldiers, imposing cannons, and fearless horses claiming the lead roles. The free spins bonus has sticky wilds on the middle three reels, and for each new wild, it gives you an extra spin.
The further you get, the more money you earn. Poltava is beautifully developed, has excellent bonus features and can result in big cashouts.
5.Route 777:
Route 777 is another hybrid slot from ELK Studios: classic slot machine elements interwoven with a modern video slot. Let the fun begin with this slot, where you travel by motorbike across America.
A kind of route 66, but with the chance of landing big prizes. Feel the freedom, the wind in your hair and the adrenaline of Route 777 with a pounding ZZ top soundtrack, respins with locked reels, free spin bonus and chance to win up to 1,000 x your bet.
6.Lake’s Five:
Lake’s Five maybe a bit of a controversial choice for this top 10 list. The theme is a bit strange (a furry bunch of animals going to commit a heist), the bonus round is complicated, and it all comes across as a bit too busy.
And yet Lake’s Five is worth playing for sure, at least as far as we’re concerned. You can save several bonus boosters on top of each other during the free spins, plus the necessary extra free spins. And then, as long as you get far enough in the free spin bonus, you may bring several big payouts in a row.
The Moving wilds, Climbing wilds, Sticky wilds and extra multipliers can all make sure of that.
7.Ecuador Gold:
With the Ecuador Gold slot, ELK Studios jumps on the bandwagon of the high variance slots. This beautiful slot has an adventurer theme reminiscent of Temple Tumble and Gonzo’s Quest, but it also has some unique features.
For example, Ecuador Gold has dropping symbols, an increasing number of ways to win (up to 262,144 ways to win), a mystery (Ghost) wild bonus and a lucrative free spin bonus.
And oh yes, you can win an enormous amount of money on Ecuador Gold: up to 2,500 x the total bet.
8.Wild Seas:
Well, shiver me, timbers! With the Wild Seas slot, ELK Studios has released a video slot with a beautiful female pirate in the lead role.
Go into battle against the established order, defeat the official fleet and drag in big treasures. Wild Seas looks stunning and has a very nice bonus feature with moving wilds, extra spins and roaring cannons.
9.Taco Brothers:
This cheerful and romantic video slot is set in a sleepy Mexican village that is completely startled by the arrival of a real bad guy, Captain Diaz.
He has forbidden eating tacos, and that’s something the 3 Taco Brothers can’t live with, of course. The brothers Pico, Pepe and Paso fight Captain Diaz and, at the same time, try to conquer the heart of the beautiful local beauty.
The bonus game consists of free spins with extra wilds, captured brothers who can escape and multipliers.
10.Hidden:
Hidden is one of those typical ELK Studios slots: unique features, a bonus round that can pay out a lot, and a well-developed theme.
The Egyptian/explorer theme is reflected in the design, but also in the gameplay. The features are mysterious and surprising: you never know what lies ahead.
There are 178 paylines, divided over 5 reels with 4 rows of symbols.
There are also stacked wilds, free spins with special symbols, and mystery respins.
Play ELK Studios slots for yourself
With Hidden, I round off this list of the top ten most amazing ELK Studios online slots in style.
Would you like to try ELK Studios slots? You can do that for free or with real money at a large number of reliable online casinos.