Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Quickspin (Swedish; Playtech group since 2016) |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 96.29% (42% allocated to free spins feature) |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 20 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.20 per spin |
| Max Bet | $100.00 per spin |
| Max Win | 40,000× stake (theoretical; practical recorded maximum ~10,200×) |
| Release | 11 December 2018 |
| Features | Wild (100× for 5 of a kind), Bonus Scatter (triggers free spins), Baba Yaga Surprise (random; guaranteed win or scatter placement), 6-level Free Spins progression (×1→×2→×3→×5→×10→×20 multiplier; up to 30 spins at ×20) |
| Theme | Russian/Slavic Folklore — Ivan Tsarevich vs Koschei the Immortal |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile (HTML5) |
What Is Ivan and the Immortal King?
The story it draws from is genuinely unusual for online slots. Most folklore slots reach for Norse mythology or Celtic charm. Ivan and the Immortal King goes somewhere different — the Russian tale of Ivan Tsarevich, an ordinary young man with no great strength or intelligence, just extraordinary luck, pursuing the wicked immortal sorcerer Koschei. To kill Koschei you must find his soul, which he’s hidden at the heart of a Russian nesting structure: the soul is in a needle, inside an egg, inside a duck, inside a hare, inside a chest.
Quickspin’s genius is making the free spins progression system literally follow the story. You enter free spins at Chest level (Level 1, ×1 multiplier). Collect Progress Scatters to advance: to the Hare (×2), then the Duck (×3), the Egg (×5), the Needle (×10), and finally the Immortal King himself (×20). Each level advancement earns 4 extra free spins. The game is telling the story through its mechanic, not just its symbols.
Baba Yaga — the morally ambiguous witch from Slavic folklore — appears randomly in both the base game and free spins, hiding four adjacent symbols then either turning them into the same winning symbol (guaranteed payout) or placing scatters to help advance the bonus. She’s more active during the free spins feature, and her appearances during the progression are what can push players to the higher multiplier levels.
Quickspin is a Swedish studio founded in 2011 and acquired by Playtech in 2016. Their catalogue is known for strong narrative themes, high production values, and well-structured bonus mechanics. Ivan and the Immortal King is a characteristic example — not mechanically innovative by today’s standards, but exceptionally executed within its template.
RTP and Volatility
Ivan and the Immortal King carries an RTP of 96.29%, confirmed across all independent sources. The house edge is 3.71% — above the 96% benchmark and competitive for high-volatility release.
The key RTP distribution detail: 42% of the 96.29% is allocated to the free spins feature (confirmed by BigWinBoard and LCB.org). This means roughly 55.6% of total RTP comes from base-game payline wins, scatter pays, and Baba Yaga, while 40.6% comes from the free spins feature. In practical terms: sessions where the free spins never trigger, or where they trigger but don’t progress above Chest level, return significantly below the headline 96.29%.
Volatility is high. BigWinBoard specifically notes “be prepared for most free spin rounds to end in quite low wins as this is a high variance slot.” The path to the large payouts requires advancing through multiple levels during free spins — which requires Progress Scatters to appear, which is not guaranteed.
At $0.20 minimum, a $20 session covers 100 spins. High volatility on 20 paylines means those 100 spins can include extended dry stretches between Baba Yaga events and free spins triggers.
Betting Range
Ivan and the Immortal King accepts bets from $0.20 to $100.00 per spin across 20 fixed paylines. Quickspin’s standard bet structure — choose total stake, all paylines always active.
The 40,000× theoretical maximum scales with stake: at $100, the theoretical ceiling is $4,000,000. At $0.20, it’s $8,000. BigWinBoard notes this theoretical ceiling has never been recorded in 500 billion test rounds; the actual recorded maximum was ~10,200×. At $100, 10,200× = $1,020,000. At $0.20, it’s $2,040.
Autoplay is available.
How to Play Ivan and the Immortal King — Step by Step
- Set your bet. Choose between $0.20 and $100.00. All 20 paylines are fixed.
- Open the paytable. Note that Quickspin’s paytable adjusts automatically to display cash values at your current stake — no conversion required. Check the six free spins levels and their corresponding multipliers on the progression ladder.
- Observe the progression ladder. Displayed beside the reels — the six story levels (Chest → Hare → Duck → Egg → Needle → Immortal King) are always visible. This is your roadmap for the free spins feature.
- Press spin. Left-to-right combinations on 20 paylines. All symbols appear stacked, meaning full-reel matches are possible. The Wild substitutes for all symbols except scatters.
- Baba Yaga Surprise (base game). Can fire randomly at any point. She hides 4 adjacent symbols, then either: turns 1–3 into Bonus Scatters (helping towards free spins trigger) OR replaces all 4 with the same randomly-chosen paying symbol (guaranteed win of some value). There’s no way to influence when she appears.
- Bonus Scatter trigger — free spins begin. Three Bonus Scatters anywhere trigger free spins at Chest level (×1, 10 spins). Four scatters = Hare level (×2, 14 spins). Five scatters = Duck level (×3, 18 spins).
- During free spins — watch for Progress Scatters (gold coins). Collecting 3 Progress Scatters advances you one level on the progression ladder, increases the multiplier, and awards 4 extra free spins. Baba Yaga fires more frequently during free spins, often adding Progress Scatters to help advance.
- Level progression path:
- Level 1 Chest: ×1 multiplier
- Level 2 Hare: ×2, +4 spins
- Level 3 Duck: ×3, +4 spins
- Level 4 Egg: ×5, +4 spins
- Level 5 Needle: ×10, +4 spins
- Level 6 Immortal King: ×20, +4 spins (up to 30 total spins at ×20 if reached from level 1)
- Maximum free spins scenario: Enter at Chest (10 spins), advance through all five levels (+4 spins each = +20) = 30 free spins at ×20 multiplier.
Try this: Watch the progression ladder during your first free spins trigger. A 3-scatter trigger at Chest level means you’re at ×1 with 10 spins. Each Progress Scatter that appears either from the reels or from Baba Yaga is one-third of the way to the next level. Mentally count Progress Scatters — seeing 2 appear early in the feature tells you the third is close, the next level is approaching, and the multiplier is about to jump.
Symbols and Paytable
Ivan and the Immortal King uses 13 symbols total — 5 low-paying gems, 5 high-paying character/creature symbols, plus Wild, Bonus Scatter, and Progress Scatter.
Low-paying (5 coloured gems): Pay 5× or 6.25× your total bet for 5 of a kind. The standard paytable base; appear frequently to fill combinations.
Medium-high paying (3 character symbols, ascending): Dragon (three-headed), wolf, fairy lady — pay 15×, 22.5×, and 37.5× respectively for 5 of a kind.
Premium paying:
- Koschei the Immortal King — the villain; pays 50× for 5 of a kind
- Ivan Tsarevich (hero) — the protagonist; pays 100× for 5 of a kind
All symbols appear stacked on the reels, meaning full-reel symbol coverage is possible. A full screen of Ivan Tsarevich (all 15 positions on the 5×3 grid) in the base game without a multiplier = 2,000× your stake across all 20 paylines. During free spins at ×20 multiplier = theoretical 40,000×.
Wild: Substitutes for all symbols except scatters. Pays 100× for 5 of a kind (same as Ivan, the highest regular symbol). Only appears on specific reels — check in-game paytable for exact reel positions.
Bonus Scatter: Appears on any reel. 3+ anywhere trigger free spins. Baba Yaga can also place these during her base-game appearances.
Progress Scatter (gold coin): Appears only during free spins. Collect 3 to advance one level on the multiplier ladder and receive 4 extra spins. Baba Yaga places these during her free spins appearances.
Watch for: Stacked Koschei or Ivan symbols appearing on reels 2 and 3 simultaneously in the base game. Because symbols stack across all three rows, two reels showing the same premium symbol already provides 6 matching positions — the remaining three reels need just one of the same symbol on any row to complete a five-of-a-kind across all 20 paylines. This compounding of stacked symbols is the primary source of the base game’s large payline wins.
Bonus Features
Baba Yaga Surprise
Trigger: Random on any spin in base game or free spins. Fires more frequently during free spins.
When Baba Yaga appears, she hides 4 random adjacent symbols on the grid, then reveals one of two outcomes:
Option A — Scatter placement (1–3 symbols become scatters):
- In base game: 1–3 of the hidden symbols become Bonus Scatters (contributing to a potential 3-scatter free spins trigger on the current spin)
- In free spins: 1–3 become Progress Scatters (contributing to the level advancement counter of 3)
Option B — Guaranteed win (all 4 become the same symbol):
- All 4 hidden symbols are replaced by one randomly-chosen paying symbol
- This guarantees a win since 4 identical symbols appear adjacent, likely forming multiple payline combinations
The guaranteed win option can deliver anything from a low-gem win to a premium symbol cluster. The scatter placement option is the high-value path — particularly during free spins where placing 3 Progress Scatters from a single Baba Yaga visit advances you a full level immediately.
Free Spins with Six-Level Multiplier Progression
Trigger: 3, 4, or 5 Bonus Scatters anywhere on the reels simultaneously.
The six-level story progression is the game’s defining feature:
| Level | Object | Entry Free Spins | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chest | 10 | ×1 |
| 2 | Hare | 14 | ×2 |
| 3 | Duck | 18 | ×3 |
| 4 | Egg | +4 (22) | ×5 |
| 5 | Needle | +4 (26) | ×10 |
| 6 | Immortal King | +4 (30) | ×20 |
Advancing levels requires 3 Progress Scatters to appear during free spins. Each level advancement adds 4 more spins and increases the multiplier to the next tier.
The multiplier applies to all payline wins during free spins. A Koschei five-of-a-kind normally worth 50× your bet becomes 50× × 20 = 1,000× your bet at maximum multiplier. Ivan/Wild five-of-a-kind at 100× × 20 = 2,000× your bet on a single payline.
Key note from BigWinBoard: “Approximately 42% of the RTP is allocated to the free spin feature.” Sessions where the free spins don’t trigger, or trigger at low multiplier levels without progression, return significantly below the headline RTP.
Design and Theme
Ivan and the Immortal King is one of Quickspin’s more visually ambitious titles. The enchanted Russian forest backdrop is detailed and atmospheric — ancient trees, soft magical light, and a palette that shifts between the warm amber of a fairy-tale setting and the cold blue of Koschei’s domain. The symbol art is high-quality character illustration: Ivan as a handsome young hero, Koschei bearing a passing resemblance (noted by BigWinBoard) to the Night King from Game of Thrones, Baba Yaga rendered as a wizened but characterful witch on a premium broom.
The progression ladder beside the reels — with its nested objects from chest to Immortal King — is a functional UI element that doubles as a visual map of the story. Watching the ladder animate as you advance levels during free spins is the game’s most satisfying moment.
The soundtrack is appropriate to the mythological setting — atmospheric orchestral underscoring that builds during the feature. Mobile performance is confirmed as strong, with the 5×3 grid and sidebar progression element scaling cleanly to tablet and smartphone screens.
Is Ivan and the Immortal King Worth Playing?
Pros:
- 96.29% RTP is above the 96% benchmark — competitive for a high-volatility title
- Six-level multiplier progression with the story-driven nesting structure creates genuine narrative engagement alongside the mechanical incentive
- ×20 multiplier ceiling produces the highest multiplied wins among standard Quickspin titles at this price point
- Baba Yaga Surprise fires in both base game and free spins, providing base-game activity and progression assistance during the feature
- Stacked symbols across all reels mean significant payline combination coverage on any spin where a premium symbol covers a reel
- 40,000× theoretical ceiling (practical ~10,200× recorded maximum) is among the highest potential payouts in the Blackspins lobby
- Quickspin’s production quality — narrative, visuals, audio, paytable readability — is a consistent strength
Cons:
- High volatility with 42% of RTP in the free spins feature means base-game sessions can be dry and unrewarding between triggers
- Reaching level 6 (×20 multiplier) requires advancing through all five progression levels during free spins, each requiring 3 Progress Scatters — the highest levels are genuinely difficult to reach and most sessions end at lower multipliers
- The 40,000× theoretical maximum has never been recorded in testing; BigWinBoard’s practical maximum after 500 billion test rounds was 10,200× — the ceiling is far from achievable in normal sessions
- No buy feature — you must wait for Baba Yaga or scatter combinations to naturally trigger the feature
- Released in 2018 — the mechanics feel more dated compared to post-2020 Quickspin releases with more complex bonus architectures
Responsible Gambling
Ivan and the Immortal King uses a certified random number generator (RNG). All reel outcomes, Baba Yaga Surprise events, scatter positions, and Progress Scatter appearances are fully random and independent between spins. The 96.29% RTP applies across millions of spins — individual sessions will deviate significantly. The high concentration of RTP value in the free spins feature means sessions without multiple feature triggers will experience below-average returns. Set a session budget before playing, and contact your local responsible gambling support service if gambling causes concern.