12 Bells Slot Review

Theme and graphics

I knew what to expect from playing this Wazdan slot before I loaded it up. Having experienced games from a developer like it before, I was ready for 12 Bells. As is common for the developer’s slots, the graphics are of the highest quality, which is a positive. 

The game also plays out smoothly with each spin taken. It can be a little disconcerting when you go spin after spin without any payouts occurring, I must admit. So, you need to be prepared for this possibility whenever you play any Wazdan release.

The bells aren’t ringing until you get through the base game

Once you load 12 Bells up, you’ll see visually pleasing graphics mark the way for you. There isn’t much of a theme included in the release, as bells don’t offer much to build on. That being said, the symbols on the 12 reels are all designed meticulously, with bells, coins, treasure chests and more visible. 

The background of the slot appears to take you into a world of swirling blue mist. It doesn’t add much to the game’s genre, but it fits in well enough.

The soundtrack that Wazdan has added to 12 Bells is pleasing as well, adding a happy tone to the proceedings. It’s exactly what you would expect to hear coming from an arcade game or a slot machine within a casino. One final part to mention about it is that the layout, while quite busy, is easy enough to navigate around, too.

Gameplay and mechanics

If you look to the bottom of the game screen in 12 Bells, you will see a range of betting options. These run from left to right and start at the minimum level of €0.20 per spin. At the top end of that range is a wager of €10,000 per spin, which is massive and not at all recommended. Most people don’t have such a bankroll to play slot games with anyway.

Select a wager that is suitable for you and your bankroll, and then navigate across to the large red, circular button in the bottom-right corner. Clicking on this spins the reels of the game, with 12 of these being active and spinning independently. You cannot form wins in the base game, so there are no specific paylines involved in 12 Bells. You have to wait to trigger a bonus feature before wins will occur.

If you want to adjust the volatility level of your gameplay, you only need to click on the button with the chilli peppers on it. You can also speed up the speed of your spins by clicking on the button with the turtle on it. Furthermore, if you want to introduce autoplay, you can do so with the button in the bottom-right corner.

If you’re not certain of how the game works, you can always play the free demo version before spending any real money. The free version will be identical in gameplay to the paid version, giving you a chance to get to grips with the gameplay.

Bonus games and special symbols

So, what are the bonus games that are included in 12 Bells? Well, the Hold the Jackpot round hits when four bonus symbols land on the central row. All bonus symbols will stick to the reels, and you are granted 3 re-spins. Every time a new bonus symbol lands, it sticks to the reels and the re-spins counter resets to the 3.

Cash bonus symbols will provide a reward of up to 5x your stake. Mini, Minor and Major jackpot symbols provide their respective jackpot payout, as dictated on the right of the reels. 

Collector symbols accumulate all values from cash bonus symbols before multiplying them by up to 20x. Meanwhile, the mystery symbols will transform into one of the other bonus symbols when re-spins conclude.

Re-spins end when the counter hits zero or when all 12 positions are covered. In the case of the latter happening, you win the grand prize payout of 750x your bet.

The slot also features a 12 Bells bonus game, which hits when 12 bells have appeared once in each position on the reels. In this bonus round, you click on 2 of the 12 gates displayed on the screen. Your prizes will be revealed behind them.

Max win, RTP and volatility

Before you begin spinning the reels of the 12 Bells slot machine, consider a few technical details about it first. I have noted the 750x maximum win a couple of times already and can verify that this is the maximum possibility from the official game documents. That is a bit disappointing for a high win, as it’s common for slots to have at least 5,000x today.

It’s also the case that you will experience a 96.15% RTP rate within 12 Bells. RTP stands for return to player, and it is this percentage which informs you of how much you can expect to win back from the slot. 

The figure provided is worked out across thousands of spins played, which is something else to keep in mind. Of course, you are in control of the volatility level in action throughout 12 Bells. That’s something not many other developers provide within their releases.

12 Bells at mobile casinos

Typical of Wazdan slots, when I opened 12 bells on my iPhone, it was most optimised in landscape mode. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but what you make up for in immersion, you miss out on in pure ease. That’s not to say it's difficult to play or navigate, but if you’re looking for the absolute accessibility of playing slots in portrait mode, you might be disappointed.

As with most slots from this developer, 12 bells retained its top-notch graphics when playing on mobile. As I’ve mentioned with other Wazdan slots, I would prefer a more simplified interface to play slots on mobile, however, the consistency is something to take note of across all games at mobile casinos by Wazdan.

Responsible gambling

Regardless of which theme or specific game mechanics you enjoy most, you should always gamble responsibly. By following a set of responsible gambling guidelines, such as setting spending limits and taking breaks, you can avoid falling into any problem gambling habits.

My final thoughts on 12 bells 

If you were to compare this slot amongst all the others provided by Wazdan, I wouldn’t say it does stand out. The premise is pretty much the same as most others from the brand, with the primary difference being the bells it contains. 

Comparing it against the entire catalogue of online slots, it does hold its appeal, though perhaps not for newcomers to the slot scene, but for those who like something a little different and can engage in responsible betting.