Paradise Awaits in Island Desire Hold & Win

A tropical vacation is a dream come true for many people. A chance to get away from the world’s troubles and soak up the sun while lounging in the shade of a palm tree. Island Desire Hold & Win leans into this fantasy, creating the perfect getaway. However, unlike a real vacation, you may return from this one with heavier pockets than when you left.

This review outlines what to expect from this game. Join us as we discuss payouts, graphics, bonus features and more to determine whether this title is worth playing.

Island Desire Hold & Win Visuals & Sounds

Unlike most tropics-themed video slots, Island Desire Hold & Win takes place at nighttime. The moon is high in the air, illuminating the nearby coast and the clear blue water. A few flamingos are cooling off nearby, their pink feathers a stark contrast to the cloudy night sky and ocean water. Palm trees are planted beside the shore, the wind causing their large leaves to sway back and forth. Small lamps sit beneath them, casting a warm orange glow around themselves.

Betsoft opted for straightforward symbol designs, primarily featuring fruits. Plenty of cherries, oranges, bananas, watermelons, and grapes appear on the reels. There are also stars, lucky sevens, and diamonds. A gold heart is a bonus symbol, while a blue heart with ‘Pick Me’ written on it is the Scatter. A patch of leaves is the mystery icon, while two flamingos are the Wild.

The track consists of light guitar strumming while idling or looking at the paytable. Waves crashing against the shore are more prominent than the music itself. However, that changes as soon as you start spinning. More instruments start playing, and the track becomes more upbeat. We especially like the jingle that plays after scoring a big win.

Island Desire Hold & Win Gameplay & Features

The game uses a 5×3 playing area with 243 ways to win, replacing traditional paylines. Winning combinations must have three matching symbols in adjacent positions. Wins must start with the leftmost reel; otherwise, they won’t be counted.

Hold & Win

Six or more golden hearts in any position will activate the Hold & Win feature. Gold hearts can appear with attached cash prizes or as one of six fixed jackpots during the bonus. Prize values on bonus symbols range from 1x to 10x. Meanwhile, the jackpots grant the following rewards:

• Mini – 15x
• Minor – 30x
• Major – 50x
• Maxi – 100x
• Super – 500x
• Grand – 2,000x

At the start of the feature, players get three re-spins. The triggering bonus icons lock in place while all other positions spin again. Whenever a new heart appears on the reels, the number of re-spins is reset. The bonus continues until no more re-spins remain or all positions are filled with hearts. In the latter’s case, players receive the Grand jackpot alongside all other prizes they won.

Pick Bonus

Three or more Scatters anywhere on the grid unlock the Pick bonus. Players click or tap on the symbols, revealing jackpot icons hidden beneath. Match three of a kind to win the corresponding prize.

The feature changes slightly depending on how many Scatters activate it.

• Three Scatters result in 12 symbols, allowing you to win Major, Maxi, Super, and Grand jackpots.
• Four Scatters give you 9 icons to pick between, which can award Maxi, Super, and Grand jackpots.
• Five Scatters grant 6 symbols, which let you take home the Super or Grand jackpots.

Wilds

Wilds can appear on every reel except the first and substitute for every icon except bonus and Scatter symbols. Wilds on the third reel can also appear as a Nudging Wild Reel. This Wild nudges up or down to cover that reel completely and awards a random multiplier ranging from 2x to 10x.

A Free Re-spin is awarded if a Multiplier Wild Reel shows up and no win occurs. The Wild Reel remains locked in place while the other four columns spin again. This can only happen once per spin.

Stacked Mystery Symbol

Stacked Mystery icons can show up on all five reels. After landing, they are replaced with one random symbol. All mystery symbols show the same icon, which can be any symbol except for Wilds, Scatters, or bonus icons.

Island Desire Hold & Win RTP and Payouts

Betsoft’s release has an RTP of 95.95%, beating the slot average oh so slightly. It’s a highly volatile game where you can win up to 4,860x your stake if all the stars align.