4 Pirate Chests

Four Chests, One Crew of Pirates

4 Pirate Chests sends software provider 4ThePlayer down a well-trodden buccaneering path, but distinguishes itself by splitting the game's central prize mechanic across four separate treasure chests rather than a single collection pot.

Setting the Scene

Pirates, zombies and a glowing skull-shaped cave cover most of the genre's usual bases, but the presentation pulls it together well - an undulating sea, creaking ship sounds, and a suitably dramatic soundtrack help sell the swashbuckling atmosphere even if the individual elements aren't especially original on their own.

How Wins Form

Play happens on a 5-reel, 4-row grid offering 1,024 ways to win, paying left to right from the leftmost reel. The top three character symbols appear in either regular or zombie form depending on which phase of the game is active, though their payout values - 5x to 10x the stake for five of a kind - stay the same either way. Swords, compasses, telescopes and 10 through Ace card ranks fill out the lower tier, worth 1x to 2x for a full line. The wild substitutes for everything except scatters and can land on any reel bar the leftmost.

Filling the Chests

Skull Coins are the symbol to watch, since collecting them fills the game's four treasure chests and can trigger one of two main features: Mystery Pirate Pays, which adds mystery symbols to the reels to manufacture guaranteed wins, or Pirate Plunder Free Spins, where the rate of coin collection is boosted for the duration of the round.

RTP and Volatility

The RTP sits at 96%, a solid figure, and the game is rated medium-to-high volatility - a slightly gentler profile than some of the studio's other high-volatility-only releases, suggesting a moderately more even spread of returns across a session.

Betting and Ceiling

Stakes run from 10p to £/€80 per spin, and the maximum win reaches 10,240x the stake, achievable through the Mystery Pirate Pays or Pirate Plunder Free Spins doing the heavy lifting once the chests have been filled. Two options are also available in the feature buy menu for anyone wanting to skip ahead, letting players choose whether they'd rather guarantee a burst of mystery wins or head straight into the boosted free spins round.

Final Thoughts

4 Pirate Chests doesn't try to hide its genre influences, but the four-chest collection system and the choice between guaranteed mystery wins or boosted free spins give it a slightly different rhythm from the average pirate slot. The free demo at johnessyslots is a good way to see which of the two main features suits your play style before staking real money.