Playing Wicked Tales: Dark Red - First Impressions
I sat down with Wicked Tales: Dark Red expecting a standard fairy tale reskin and got something moodier than anticipated. Developed by Triple Edge Studios for Microgaming and released back in September 2018, it runs on a 5-reel, 25-payline setup. The dark twist on Little Red Riding Hood sets the tone immediately - shadowy forests, glowing eyes, a genuinely unsettling soundtrack.
Volatility sits at average, which felt about right during my session. You get regular small hits that keep your balance ticking over, but the bigger payouts need the bonus features to really come through. The bet range spans 0.25 up to 200, so it suits casual players and those wanting to push stakes higher. Max win is capped at x1000 your bet, which is modest by modern standards but realistic for medium variance.
Wicked Tales: Dark Red Symbols and Paytable
The premium symbols are character-driven - the Wild and the top-paying symbol both award x20 for five of a kind, with x4 for four and x0.4 for three. Below those, the next tier pays x8 for five, then x6 and x4.8 as you move down. These felt fairly balanced during play, though landing five premiums without wilds was uncommon.
Lower-value symbols pay between x1.2 and x3.2 for a full line of five. Three of a kind on the low symbols barely registers at x0.08 to x0.16, so they mostly serve as noise between genuine hits. There is also a Scatter symbol that triggers the bonus round. The Wild substitutes for everything except the Scatter, which is standard but does its job reliably enough across those 25 paylines.
Symbol Payouts
| Symbol | Payout |
|---|---|
 | Wild |
| 5 → x20 | |
| 4 → x4 | |
| 3 → x0.4 | |
 | 5 → x20 |
| 4 → x4 | |
| 3 → x0.4 | |
 | 5 → x8 |
| 4 → x3.6 | |
| 3 → x0.36 | |
 | 5 → x6 |
| 4 → x3.2 | |
| 3 → x0.32 | |
 | 5 → x4.8 |
| 4 → x2.8 | |
| 3 → x0.28 | |
 | 5 → x3.2 |
| 4 → x1.6 | |
| 3 → x0.16 | |
 | 5 → x2.8 |
| 4 → x1.4 | |
| 3 → x0.16 | |
 | 5 → x2.4 |
| 4 → x1.2 | |
| 3 → x0.12 | |
 | 5 → x2 |
| 4 → x1 | |
| 3 → x0.12 | |
 | 5 → x1.6 |
| 4 → x0.8 | |
| 3 → x0.08 | |
 | 5 → x1.2 |
| 4 → x0.6 | |
| 3 → x0.08 | |
 | Scatter |
How Wicked Tales: Dark Red Bonus Rounds Work
The free spins round is where this slot earns its keep. Scatters trigger the feature, and once you are in, the dark forest theme intensifies. During my testing the bonus did not trigger as frequently as I would have liked - I would estimate roughly every 120 to 150 spins on average, which fits the medium volatility profile.
Inside the free spins, the wild mechanics become more active and that is where the x1000 max win becomes a realistic target rather than just a number on paper. Without the bonus, base game wins rarely climbed above 20x to 30x my stake. The feature round is clearly where Triple Edge Studios concentrated the win potential.
Retriggers are possible but uncommon in my experience. I managed one retrigger across several bonus entries. If you are grinding this slot, patience with the base game is essential because the feature round carries most of the weight.
Wicked Tales: Dark Red RTP and Volatility
The RTP on Wicked Tales: Dark Red sits at 96.1%, which is decent enough for a 2018 release and still holds up reasonably well for UK players checking game fairness. Average volatility means your bankroll does not evaporate in twenty spins, but you also should not expect the kind of explosive swings you get from high variance slots. The x1000 max win reflects that middle-ground approach - consistent rather than spectacular.
Is Wicked Tales: Dark Red Still Worth Playing?
Honestly, Wicked Tales: Dark Red shows its age when you compare it to what Triple Edge Studios and the wider Microgaming network put out now. The x1000 cap feels restrictive and the base game can drag between bonus triggers. But the atmosphere is genuinely well done, the average volatility keeps sessions manageable, and the 96.1% RTP is fair.
If you enjoy darker fairy tale themes and prefer steady sessions over high-risk gambles, it still has something to offer. Just go in knowing the ceiling is low compared to newer releases. For a quick session or a change of pace from modern feature-heavy slots, it does the job without pretending to be something it is not.
In-Game Screenshots
Wicked Tales: Dark Red FAQ
Wicked Tales: Dark Red — Comparison
| Game | RTP | Volatility | Max Win | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96.1% | Average | x1000 | 6 | |
| 96.03% | High | x1000 | 5 | |
| High | x5000 | |||
| 96.5% | High | x5000 | 8 | |
| 96.51% | Low | x2833 | 6 | |
| 95.29% | Average | x2400 | 7 | |
| 96.37% | Average | x1333 | 7 | |
| 96.20% | Average | x2500 | 9.5 | |
| 96.37% | 95.49% | 94.02% | 92.05% | High | x6833 | 5 | |
| 96.12% | High | x500 | 5 | |
| 96.32% | High | x13000 | 7 | |
| 96.45% | 94.01% | 92.05% | High | x5000 | 7 | |
| 96.41% | High | x2500 | 7 | |
| 96.5% | Average | x570 | 6 | |
| 96.31% | Average | x10000 | 6 | |
| 96.40% | Average | x5000 | 6 | |
| 96.26% | Average | x2000 | 5 | |
| 96.19% | High | x3800 | ||
| 96.12% | High | x25000 | ||
| 92.03% | Average | x500 | ||
| 96.22% | High | x25000 | ||
| 96.12% | High | x10000 | ||
| 96.12% | High | x2.219 | ||
| 96.15% | High | x25000 | ||
| 96.19% | High | x10000 | ||
| 96.18% | High | x2400 | 5 | |
| 95.66% | High | x1110 | 8.5 |
