Thunderkick seems to have taken a laid-back approach with Deep Jungle, offering a fresh skin but retaining much of the same features found in Arcane Tower. While some minor adjustments have been made, the overall experience remains quite similar.
Upon loading the game, players are greeted with a splash screen that closely resembles the original, promising free spins and an unlimited multiplier. Transitioning to the game area players encounter Thunderkick's signature 6x4 grid layout, featuring 4,096 ways to win – a setup that has proven popular and effective. Initially, the setting may not evoke the feeling of an Arcane Tower, with visuals of old trees, candles, and books framing the screen. However, as symbols drop in or are blasted off the grid through the Avalanche feature, a tower can be seen in the distance. Thematically, Arcane Tower differs significantly from Deep Jungle, which helps distinguish it from its predecessor.
Winning combinations are formed when three or more matching symbols align from left to right with the sorcerer symbol being the most valuable rewarding player with 20 times the bet for five of a kind. Other high-paying symbols include the knight henchman, followed by three mid-pay crystals in red, green, and blue. The paytable also features five lesser gems in various colours, with the pale blue circular gem tile acting as the wild symbol, substituting for all symbols except the scatter. During the bonus game the wild gains an additional beneficial quality which will be covered shortly.
The Avalanche feature removes all symbols in winning combinations and replaces them with new symbols dropping from above. Avalanches continue as long as new wins occur in the same spin sequence with a win multiplier that increases by one level each time the Avalanche feature is triggered. Linked Reels is a random extra feature where up to six adjacent reels may synchronise on an initial spin becoming identical copies of each other. We'll explore the gameplay mechanics and distinctive features of Crystal Quest : Arcane Tower in greater detail.