Queen of Hearts & Tarts Slot

What would you think about an Alice in Wonderland inspired game with some heart-shaped cakes thrown in?  Well, that’s what is waiting for you in this Games Global slot. It's intriguing to say the least! But thankfully it’s equally as appealing. There’s a max jackpot of 2,400,000 coins, a 96.6% RTP and medium volatility. It’s not all positive though and whilst the betting range is generous, the in-game controls for this can be tricky to use.

Should You Play Hearts & Tarts?

Yes! The unusual theme will make you laugh and the game has some solid win potential. There are 2 types of Stacked Wilds, pay-any-way Scatters and double wins from the free spins. Even if you aren’t a fan of freshly baked pastries and voluptuous Queens there’s still a lot to enjoy in this casino game!

Getting to Grips With the Gameplay

I checked out the layout to begin with and was greeted with 5 reels and 3 rows. There’s a classic feel and like many Games Global slots, I got into the paytable via a hamburger menu. This showed me all of the relevant info. 

There are 30 fixed paylines and the betting range can be accessed via the settings tab. But this all depends on which online casino you’ll be playing at as some layouts vary. 

Total bet sizes can be placed from €0.30-€300 per spin and this is done via the coin system. There are 0.01-0.05 sizes of coins and 1-10 coins per line.

The standard symbols in the base game are a mixed bunch with the highest paying being the Queen. Lower-paying icons are the standard cards.

Here’s what the payouts look like:

I had a glance over the fixed paylines and they follow the standard Games Global classic slot patterns:

A Fairytale Storyline

This online slot was the second chapter in the ‘Rhyming Reels’ range from Games Global. It was released in 2011 after the success of its predecessor ‘Georgie Porgie’.

The story is a mix-up of the Queen from Alice in Wonderland, burlesque women and some pastry tarts.

Hearts & Tarts Design and Player Experience

This is one of the earliest Games Global slots, so I wasn’t expecting anything fancy. The feeling is traditional though a bit of sparkle has been added to the graphics. There are no animations though some of the symbols did make me smile. The soundtrack is hilarious and is like something from an 80s detective TV show.

I did have some issues with the betting controls, these were quite fiddly to set. I’m not a fan of using a spinner to determine my wager. I much prefer the standard +/- buttons. The rest of the online slot is laid out simply though at least.

Hearts & Tarts Bonuses and Special Features

There are a couple of freshly baked extras in this game, which could serve up some delicious wins!

Wild Tarts

This substitutes for all other symbols excluding the Scatter. It’s the highest-paying and worked well for me in my testing. I managed to land 2 and 3 matches but it pays out with 4 and 5 also:

The Queen symbol can also act as a Stacked Wild in the base game and free spins. 

Scattering Wins

The regal crown will pay out whether it's on an active payline or not. Like the Wild, it pays out with just 2 matches. If you get 5 then you’ll get a huge Multiplier:

I managed to get into the free spins with 3 of these but 4 and 5 matches will also get you entry.

Double Free Spins Fun!

No matter how many Scatters you land to activate this feature you’ll get an instant 10 free spins. Whilst this might not seem like the largest amount, all of your wins will be doubled. It’s also possible to re-trigger the entire round!

The Queen and Wild can also land stacked here, something which worked a treat for me. The Wild also rewarded me with 4x my initial win - woop! 

This feature is where you could win the game's jackpot of 2,400,000 coins.

How To Play Hearts & Tarts

Once you have logged into your chosen online casino and checked your real money balance you can start to play. Don’t forget that this game may be in the lobby under Games Global or Games Global.

1. Load up the slot and have a look around the paytable, checking out the symbols, paylines etc.

2. Fix a budget and choose your total bet size using the ‘Settings’ tab. This can be 0.01-0.05 coin size and between 1-10 coins per line.

3. Click the white circle spin button and wait for the reels to stop spinning - that’s all it takes!

This is a typically traditional online casino game which uses the coin system for betting. Toggle between different values and always check the total bet before committing a spin. The minimum amount of €0.30 is whilst the max is €300.

What’s the RTP of Hearts & Tarts?

The return to player is 96.1% which is slightly above the 96% on which I base my RTP rating. The volatility is medium which should theoretically ensure smaller-medium payouts on a more frequent basis. 

My betting pattern consisted of the full range of amounts from €0.30 to €300. Some online casinos may have a lower max bet though. I tested the game with all coin sizes and numbers per line too. The majority of my stakes were between €5 and €90 a spin.

How Can You Increase Your Winning Chances at Hearts & Tarts?

The base game symbols will pay out if you line up 3,4 or 5 matches on any of the 30 fixed paylines. The most valuable symbols are the Wild and Scatter which also pay if you collect just 2. The latter pays out no matter where you land them too. 

The Queen will pay the most in the main game with 1,000x and can land as Stacked to give your winning chances a boost. The boy offers a win of 800x for 5 and the lowest paying card symbols serve up 30-100x.

My Top Tips To Help You Get More From Hearts & Tarts

Here are my tried and tested tips and tricks to get the most out of hearts and tarts:

• Mix up your betting pattern. Always spinning on the max amount might seem tempting but your budget will soon vanish. Unless you have a large bankroll! Switching between low, medium and higher wagers will help your session last longer.

• Always check your total bet before you hit the spin button. I found the wager controls tricky to determine, so take care with these.

• Familiarise yourself with the game before you make a bet. Playing a slot for free is always a great start to building up your confidence and minimising the risk.

• Play responsibly. Never chase your losses and if you get a big win then consider quitting whilst you're ahead.

My Personal Experience of Playing Hearts & Tarts

Whilst the theme made me roll my eyes, I did have some fun testing this one and was surprised by the win ratio.

• Most of my wins in the base game came within my first 20 spins. I got these from the Queen and waitress symbols mostly. The cards served up a few wins but nothing notable of course. I did have a lucky streak of 4 consecutive wins on 4 spins at the start of testing which was nice!

• I got into the free spins bonus feature after 30 spins with a wager of €10. The Queen stacked up in this for me and the Wild too. My overall wins were doubled which landed me an impressive profit.

• The Wild and Scatter were prevalent throughout the base game and free spins. The Scatter paid up for me twice, once to get me into the free spins and once again in the feature.

How I Tested Hearts & Tarts

I used a Samsung smartphone and a DELL laptop to give me a mobile and desktop overview. The game adapted perfectly between the two though the wager controls were more easily accessed on the laptop.

Hearts & Tarts vs Similar Older Games Global Slots

Here are some older games worth comparing to Hearts & Tarts:

Slot	Developer	RTP	Max Win	Theme	Bonus Features
Halloweenies	Games Global	95.52%	130,000 coins	Cartoon horror	Pick a Pumpkin cash prize game, up to 13 free spins with 3x multipliers
Couch Potato	Games Global	97.43%	150,000 coins	Vegas fruit machine	Wild multipliers up to 25x