Feel the Beat in 3 African Drums by 3 Oaks Gaming

One of the things we love most about video slots is that they give us a glimpse into areas of the world we don’t usually see. As such, we were excited to see what 3 Oaks had in store for us when they announced 3 African Drums. After a bit of a wait, the game is in our hands, allowing us to experience what it has to offer.

In this review, we check out this game and see how it stacks up with competitors. Keep reading to find out if it’s worth playing.

3 African Drums Visuals & Sounds

We can’t say the graphics blew us away. The backdrop, being a static orange-red colour, leaves a lot to be desired. We would have preferred it if the developer had opted for a shot of the African wilderness, which would go well with the animal symbols on the reels. That said, there is an upside to this approach, as it focuses more on the three drums tied to the game’s features.

You can find lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes on the reels, along with several playing card royals. The lion plays the role of a Wild while glimmering diamonds are bonus symbols. Keep an eye on them, as they’re essential to unlocking the available features.

While the graphics are so-so, 3 Oaks has nailed the music. The upbeat drums are great and pick up in pace when the feature triggers. Every win is accompanied by an exciting sound effect, as is every time you activate one of the three drum bonuses.

3 African Drums Gameplay & Features

Since the stars of the show are the game’s bonus features, the studio chose to keep the fundamental gameplay simple. The action unfolds on a 5×3 grid with 25 fixed paylines, meaning you cannot turn them on or off. To win, you need to collect three or more matching symbols in adjacent positions, following one of the paylines from left to right.

Whenever a diamond lands on the reels, it is collected by one of three drums. Each collection has a chance to activate the corresponding bonus feature: Collect, Double, or Multi.

All three features play out the same way. You get three re-spins, during which only diamonds with attached cash prizes can appear on the reels. Whenever a new diamond appears, it resets the number of re-spins. The only thing that changes is the active modifier.

If the Collect drum activates the feature, there is a chance that a special Collect symbol will appear on the reels. It will gather the cash prizes of all diamonds on the screen and add them to your total bet.

The Double feature adds a second board alongside the first. The two start with the same bonus symbols but will differ as re-spins kick-off. This gives you double the opportunity to fill the reels and score one of the jackpots.

The Multi bonus can randomly add multipliers to random cells, improving the final payout. Multipliers are triggered on almost every re-spin, so the longer the bonus lasts, the better.

During all three bonuses, there is a chance diamonds will appear with a mini, minor, or major jackpot attached. This will add the corresponding fixed jackpot to your total win. To get the grand jackpot, you have to fill the entire reel with diamonds.

3 African Drums Payouts

The best payout you can get playing 3 African Drums is 4,000x your stake. However, don’t expect 3 Oaks to make it easy for you. Winning that jackpot requires triggering the Double feature and then filling both grids with bonus symbols.