Katana Slot

Named after a traditional Japanese sword, the Katana online slot machine is a stylish five-reel, 20-payline game that slices through the competition. It’s the work of Novomatic and thanks to the outstanding looks and features, has become one of the top games in their range.

Novomatic slots used to be restricted to land-based casinos, but in recent years they have launched more and more games that you can access on PCs, Android smartphones and tablets, and iOS-powered devices. Katana works across all platforms and you will find it at some of the very best online and mobile casinos.

Symbols of feudal Japan fill the reels, with special icons leading to some electrifying bonus features. A wild symbol helps out whenever possible, plus there is a free spins bonus round where the wild expands across reels for even bigger winning potential. One of the most popular features of Novomatic slots is the option to gamble wins, and with a little luck, you could be doubling wins over and over.

With prizes topping out at 400,000.00, this could be a very rewarding excursion back to ancient Japan. Read our review, then discover a land of tradition and culture when you play the Katana online slot at our highest-rated casinos.

Designed for ease of use, Katana draws in players who just want to bet a tiny amount for the fun of it, and high rollers looking to claim massive prizes. To that end, it comes with a very wide bet range that starts at just 0.20 per spin with all lines active, and via simple control buttons, rises to a maximum of 100.00.

It uses the same set of control buttons found across the Novomatic range, and with decades of experience, this Austrian developer knows a thing or two about creating slots that anyone can play. An autoplay button does what it sounds like, sending the reels spinning on their own for as long as you want.

Next to this, there is a paytable button that reveals how many times the amount staked on each of the 20 paylines is won when matching symbols land across lines, starting from the left. Although the controls are shifted around when you play the Katana slot on an iOS or Android mobile they are just as easy to operate, being within natural reach of fingers and thumbs.

Everything about Katana is linked to the Japanese theme. The reels sit against a red wood-effect backdrop, and a nice Oriental tune plays out. Even the playing card symbols that pay smaller prizes are shown in a Japanese style, adding to the theme, rather than distracting from it. Higher prizes are yours when traditional images of an ornate gate, pagoda-roofed castle, boats and a dramatic image of a warrior on horseback appear.

An elegant geisha girl is the most valuable standard symbol. She returns 80x, 250x, and 800x your line bet when she lands on three, four, or all five reels across an active payline. The Shogun, or Emperor, is worth even more, paying up to 1,000x your line bet. His royal powers include the ability to act as other symbols if possible, completing further winning combinations when he lands in the right places.

The Katana online slot from Novomatic is a medium to high volatility game, where the relative gaps between winning spins combine with the potential for great rewards once symbols line up in your favor. Compared to land-based slots, there’s a higher-than-average return to players percentage of just over 95%, but that’s a long-term figure and you are unlikely to hit it exactly over the course of a session.

It’s fitting that the Katana sword is the key to a special feature of this game. The sword, cradled in its ornate stand, is a scatter symbol that pays out no matter where it lands. Any three, four, or five swords are worth prizes of 2x, 20x, and 200x your total stake, and this is followed by 10 free spins.

We always like to see an enhanced potential for wins during a free games round, and Katana certainly delivers on this. Any time the wild symbol appears, it expands right across the reel, making it much easier for the Shogun to complete combinations. You can also re-trigger the free spins if more scatters appearing at the same time.

One of the highlights of any Novomatic slot is the option to gamble wins. It’s a risky feature, but certainly adds excitement to the gameplay. If you take this option, you double the triggering win by correctly guessing if a face-down playing card will be from a red or black suit. If you get it right, you can either collect the win or go again, but if you make an incorrect guess at any stage, the gamble is lost, along with the initial prize.

This is one of the best-looking games in the whole Novomatic range. The beautiful imagery has turned the Katana slot machine into a huge hit, and the straightforward, but proven features make it ideal for newcomers and highly experienced players alike.

The medium to high volatility could be an issue to some, in which case the similar 1421 Voyages of Zheng Li slot from IGT is a good alternative. It’s a lower variance game that also comes with free spins and a gamble feature.

If you like gorgeous online slot machines and enjoy the hugely popular Asian theme, then Katana is a great choice. You can find it at some of the top online casinos, where welcome bonus offers and free games are waiting for you to collect.