Heart of the Jungle (Playtech) – Review & Demo Play

Heart of the Jungle slot review

I must admit, I’ve got a soft spot for Ash Gaming’s Heart of the Jungle. From the first spin the atmosphere is set by that Hollywood‑style voiceover, and I knew I was in for a treat. It’s a 5‑reel, 50 pay‑line jungle adventure with a Tarzan and Jane feel, stacked symbols in the base game, and a free spins trail that plays like an arcade progression. I went in for the theme and stayed for how the feature saves progress and ramps up variety as you go across sessions. The wildlife art and ambient birdsong help, too.

On the Reels in Heart of the Jungle

On the reels it’s classic Ash Gaming design. You’ve got parrots, tigers, elephants, chimpanzees, and 9 through to Ace, plus the jungle man and woman. The layout is 5x3 with 50 fixed lines, and crucially, all symbols except the scatter can land stacked. That stack behaviour is the heartbeat of the base game, because lining them up across reels throws up strips that can fill the screen and set you up nicely before the feature even shows.

The Jungle Logo is the wild, standing in for everything bar the scatter and paying on its own when it runs consecutively. The Jungle Mask is the scatter and only lands on reels 1, 3 and 5. Land all three together and you’re away to the map. With stacks everywhere and a high‑value wild, the paytable feels punchy, and when Tarzan or Jane stack with a helping wild, the line totals can jump in a very tidy way.

Hit the Shields to Trigger the Jungle Trail Bonus in Heart of the Jungle

Three Masks on reels 1, 3 and 5 trigger the Jungle Trail bonus. You’re redirected to a map where you pick a free spins mode from those you’ve already reached. New modes open once you’ve hit the feature a set number of times, and the game tracks progress between sessions. It has that arcade feel I like, because the more often you get back in, the more options you’ve got, and you can go straight to the pieces you prefer once they’re open.

Deep Jungle is the starter. On your first trigger you get 8 free spins and an Ultra Spin tagged on the end. Wins in the round carry a 5x multiplier, and that last Ultra Spin can throw a random multiplier up to 25x. It’s a tidy opener, and I’ve had base‑round stacks carry into it for a quick hit. Hit the feature a few more times and you’ll start seeing different modes, each with its own twist on wilds or multipliers.

Crystal Falls shows after the fifth entry with 10 free spins and up to four stacked wild columns dropping on any spin. The tenth entry opens Golden Mountain with 15 free spins where wilds stay on the reels and nudge up or down. From the fifteenth, Lost City of Zantar gives 25 free spins with a walking wild that can lift the multiplier. Further entries award a payment upgrade at the 20th, 25th, 30th and 35th visits, and line wins follow the triggering bet.

Useful Options & Tips for Heart of the Jungle

Ash Gaming packed in player comforts. The AutoSpin button lets you set 10, 25, 50 or 99 spins. Turbo Mode speeds things up with shorter reel stops and can be toggled any time. Controls for lines, stake and wins sit under the reels, and you can nudge the stake per line with plus or minus. A neat touch I use often is hovering over a symbol on the reels to see its minimum and maximum pays for the current stake.

The coin setup is simple. Reels, rows and lines are fixed, so you set the stake per line. It starts at 0.01 per line, making a 0.50 minimum total stake, and rises to 2.00 per line for a 100.00 maximum. That range keeps it friendly to low rollers while giving headroom for a more aggressive session. If you fancy hands‑free play, Auto‑Spin and Turbo together make for quick cycles through the base while you chase the trail.

RTP and Volatility in Heart of the Jungle

On RTP I’ve seen figures published at 94.96%, 96%, and 96.98% across different outlets, and the feature’s payment upgrade steps do raise long‑run returns when you’ve reached them. Volatility sits around medium to high, which matches my sessions: steadier base‑round stretches punctuated by bigger bursts from the Trail modes. During free spins, line wins track your triggering stake, so setting the bet sensibly before the Masks land matters. It’s a fair model that pays its way when the stacks align.

Our View on Heart of the Jungle

This one is right up my street. The free spins round is complex and thrilling without being fiddly, the voiceover adds charm, and that arcade trail keeps me pushing for the next level. Achievements popping when you bag wins or features add a bit of brag value. There’s no Bonus Buy, so the pace relies on scatters, but stacks keep the base alive. It’s the kind of slot that has you saying just one more go, and often paying off.

Achievements in Heart of the Jungle

Achievements in Heart of the Jungle tick along nicely in the background. You get a notification each time you hit a payout or trigger a feature, and those milestones can be stored and shared for bragging rights among mates. It mirrors that social element many players enjoy elsewhere, and it fits the trail format because progress feels recorded, not fleeting. I found it adds a bit of spice when the base goes quiet.

For me it became a side aim while chasing the Masks. Bagging a new badge as the Trail opens another mode gives you something to chat about and a reason to keep at it. It’s light‑touch, doesn’t get in the way, and suits short sessions on mobile or desktop. Combined with Turbo and stacks, it rounds off the package without pulling focus from the main free spins show.