Holmes and the Stolen Stones is a 2015 Yggdrasil slot that follows Sherlock Holmes through Victorian London. It runs on a 5x3 grid with 20 paylines and combines a pick bonus, a free spins round with tripled wins and five local progressive jackpots tied to coloured diamonds. It suits you if you like story themed slots with several features and a medium risk level.
How does Holmes and the Stolen Stones work?
You play five reels and three rows with 20 paylines, with bets from 0.20 to 40 per spin. Holmes, Watson and other characters are the high paying symbols.
Coin values range from 0.01 to 2, and the shard collection ties the base game directly to the jackpot feature. The graphics are hand drawn and detailed, which helps the game hold up despite its age.
Diamond shards can be collected above the reels in the base game. Collecting five shards above a reel starts the Jackpot Free Spins with one diamond already in place. Shards won in the Warehouse Bonus also carry over to the base game.
What are the Holmes and the Stolen Stones bonus features?
Three or more bonus symbols start the Warehouse Bonus, a pick game with 18 crates. Crates hide coin prizes, diamond shards or a smoke bomb that ends the round.
Three or more free spin symbols, or five shards above a reel, start Jackpot Free Spins. You get 10 spins with all wins tripled, and the round cannot be retriggered. Collecting five diamonds of the same colour awards the matching local progressive jackpot. The five jackpots start at 40, 200, 600, 1,500 and 10,000 in euros, and a share of every bet feeds them.
Is Holmes and the Stolen Stones worth playing? RTP and volatility explained
The listed RTP is 96.8%, above the industry average. Yggdrasil offers RTP ranges for this game, so a casino may run a lower version. The info screen shows the exact value.
Volatility is rated medium. Because part of each bet goes to the jackpots, the regular game returns a little less than the headline RTP suggests on a spin by spin basis. Catalogue figures for the max win do not agree, so check the paytable at your casino.
The game is one of Yggdrasil's earlier titles, and it shows the studio's focus on story and collectibles. Shards that build up over many spins give longer sessions a sense of progress, but the jackpots remain random, so a long session does not guarantee a bonus.
Tips before you play Holmes and the Stolen Stones
- Check the RTP and jackpot sizes in the game info.
- Collect shards over time, since they carry across spins.
- Expect the top jackpot to be rare, as it needs five matching diamonds.
- Try the demo to learn the two bonus routes.
- Set a time limit, since feature building games can keep you playing longer.