Playing Zillard King - First Impressions
Sitting down to test Zillard King by Red Tiger, the first thing that struck me was the eerie similarity to their previous hit, Primate King. The B-movie kaiju theme is front and centre, with an ominous ocean background and a giant lizard waiting to be unleashed. The medium volatility became apparent quickly; my balance remained relatively steady, though I encountered plenty of dead spins between meaningful hits.
The game starts on a standard 5-reel grid, but there is a locked 6th reel on the right that immediately draws your eye. My session was driven by the desire to collect gold coins and fill the progress meter rather than just chasing line wins. This progression mechanic creates a compulsive loop, making you want to spin 'just one more time' to reach the next unlock tier.
Zillard King Symbols & Paytable
The paytable is solid, with premium symbols awarding between 3x and 15x your stake for 5-of-a-kind wins. However, the game changes drastically once you unlock the 6th reel, which only contains high-paying symbols. Landing a 6-of-a-kind combination effectively doubles the standard payout, offering returns from 6x up to 30x your stake.
Special small gold coins are attached to random symbols during play. These are crucial because they are collected if, and only if, a Zillard Wild lands on the same spin. It can be quite frustrating to see a grid full of coins but no Wild to harvest them, as these collections are the key to unlocking the game's full potential.
Symbol Payouts
| Symbol | Payout |
|---|---|
 | 6 → x30 |
| 5 → x15 | |
| 4 → x5 | |
| 3 → x2.5 | |
 | 6 → x20 |
| 5 → x10 | |
| 4 → x3 | |
| 3 → x1.5 | |
 | 6 → x12 |
| 5 → x6 | |
| 4 → x2 | |
| 3 → x1 | |
 | 6 → x6 |
| 5 → x3 | |
| 4 → x1 | |
| 3 → x0.5 | |
 | 5 → x1.5 |
| 4 → x0.5 | |
| 3 → x0.2 | |
 | 5 → x1.2 |
| 4 → x0.4 | |
| 3 → x0.2 | |
 | 5 → x1 |
| 4 → x0.3 | |
| 3 → x0.1 | |
 | 5 → x0.6 |
| 4 → x0.2 | |
| 3 → x0.1 | |
 | Special |
 | Wild |
Zillard King Slot Features & Upgrades
The core of the action lies in upgrading the Zillard Wild through three distinct steps. Collecting 30 gold coins turns the Wild into a 1x4 expanded symbol. Pushing to 60 coins adds a random multiplier. However, the real goal is 90 coins, which upgrades it to a sticky multiplier Wild. In my experience, this is where the game truly woke up.
Once at level 3, the Wild remains sticky until it contributes to a win, followed by a losing spin. Each consecutive non-winning spin during a streak increases the multiplier up to x20. Additionally, the Thunder Wilds feature can trigger randomly on non-winning Wild spins, dropping 3 to 9 wilds for a guaranteed win, which served as a nice consolation during dry spells.
The Lack of Traditional Bonus Rounds
Players looking for a standard Scatter-triggered free spins round will be disappointed, as Zillard King doesn't have one. The gameplay relies entirely on the Zillard Wild progress meter. Once you have fully unlocked the upgrades, the progress bar turns into a permanent 6th reel. This shift changes the dynamic from a 'grind' to a permanent 6x4 slot with powerful sticky wilds, effectively replacing the need for a separate bonus game.
Review Summary
There is an undeniable 'reskin' feel to this production, borrowing heavily from Primate King. The visual presentation feels a bit cheaper than Red Tiger's usual high standards, with the water effects looking somewhat basic. However, the atmospheric soundtrack helps build the tension you expect from a monster-themed slot.
If you have the patience to grind through the coin collection phase, the reward is a potent machine with sticky progressive multiplier wilds. While the 3,500x max win isn't earth-shattering, the journey of unlocking the 6th reel offers enough engagement for a casual session. It is a decent medium-variance game, provided you don't mind the lack of a traditional bonus round.
In-Game Screenshots
Zillard King FAQ
Zillard King — Comparison
| Game | RTP | Volatility | Max Win | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95.67% | Average | x3000 | ||
| 96% | Above average | x21000 | 9 | |
| 95.76% | High | x1000 | 6 | |
| 95.7% | High | x10486 | 6 | |
| 95.69% | High | x5000 | ||
| 95.69% | High | x5000 | 10 | |
| 96% | High | x7931 | ||
| 95.75% | High | x1888 | ||
| 95.71% | High | x1200 | ||
| 95.75% | High | x10481 | 6 | |
| 95.75% | High | x10285 | ||
| 95.75% | High | x7564 | 6 | |
| 95.73% | High | x5250 | ||
| 95.76% | High | x975 | ||
| 95.7% | High | x10000 | ||
| 95.7% | High | x10000 | ||
| 95.74% | High | x1888 | ||
| 95.72% | High | x10000 | ||
| 95.69% | High | x3151 | ||
| 94.74% | High | x1100 | ||
| 95.69% | High | x10000 | ||
| 95.68% | High | x600 | ||
| 94.73% | High | x5000 | ||
| 95.76% | High | x1000 | ||
| 95.67% | High | x2100 | ||
| 95.72% | High | x24393 | 6 | |
| 96% | Low | x500 | ||
| 96% | Average | x3800 | 7.5 | |
| 95.74% | High | x1800 | ||
| 96.4% | Low | x992 | 5 |
