The Shadow Order (Push Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Introducing The Shadow Order

As I see it, The Shadow Order is a 5-reel cluster pays game set on a 5x5 grid, taking you into a mysterious world full of surprises. Reel wins charge a trio of magical orbs that can drop into play and act as wilds when activated. I always keep an eye on the quartet of characters, since rounding out the extras brings in free spins. Released on 02.05.2019 by Push Gaming, it carries a max win of 24,204x stake and a maths model that rewards patience.

Graphics, Soundtrack and animation in The Shadow Order

The central theme of The Shadow Order centres on a mysterious outcast society, with the action framed in the garden of a grand mansion. The graphics and sound effects feel spot-on for the tone, with hushed ambience that builds tension without grating. Symbols suit the narrative: coins, code breakers, chess pieces, and books of cyphers line the grid. I like the way the animation pauses to highlight cascades and hot zones, which keeps the eye on where the next charge or orb movement might come from.

On the pay side, the compass symbol pays 2.5x, 25x, or 120x your stake for combinations of 3, 4, or 5 in a row. The Shadow Order medal wild is the standout regular icon, awarding up to 5x, 50x, or even 300x your stake for longer lines. These clear values help me track the board when cascades stretch a round. The audiovisual cues stay consistent during swings, so even busy sequences remain readable while the meter builds.

Players notes to the Shadow Order Slot

By default, there are 25 paylines in The Shadow Order, and a wide range of 10 to 100 coins per win keeps staking flexible for both high rollers and newcomers. Budget constraints don’t bite as hard here, as I can still spin at the lower end and hunt for features. The layout varies slightly from traditional models, with symbols dropping from the top rather than fixed reels. Land at least three or more in a horizontal row or a vertical column to trigger any payout.

I value the cascading wins. After any winning combination, the symbols disappear and new ones replace them, chaining fresh chances until no further wins land. This works neatly with the orb meter, since each successive cascade contributes to charge. The stated peak for line hits is 300x your stake, so I treat base clusters as set-up rather than finish. It’s a style that rewards board reading and patience, not reckless stake jumps.

Bonus and jackpot features in The Shadow Order

The gameplay here is very different as such. There are nine bonus features, including magical orbs, hot zones, classical free spins, and mysterious characters to be made available. I rate the variety because it gives more than one route to momentum during quiet patches. When the grid opens up, things can turn quite lively without feeling out of control. That balance makes the session flow steadier than the theme might suggest.

The Cascade Feature activates once a winner is decided, removing successful symbols from the grid and replacing them with new ones. This continues until no new winner is generated, which can carry a round for far longer than you expect. I’ve had base spins become multi-stage chains, nudging orbs along while the board refills. Keeping the eye on hotspot edges helps, as cleared gaps can steer the next fall into better lanes.

Orb features carry the headline moments. Three orbs sit above the grid in blue, green, and purple. A winning cascade fills the meter, activating orbs that then act as wilds. Hotspot positions are edged with a blue square, and when an orb drops into one, a special effect fires. Orb of Destruction blasts lower-value symbols to invite new drops. Orb of Creation adds 3 to 6 wilds at random. Orb of Preservation locks higher-paying icons and forces another cascade.

Special Characters Symbol in The Shadow Order

After any set of cascades resolves, the quartet of character features can trigger. At first, only Molly the Messenger is active, and the other Shadow Order members are made available by landing 20, 50, and 90 ring symbols. Once a character is opened, it can be activated during play and it lifts the RTP bracket. I enjoy the way this ramps up gradually rather than all at once, which suits longer sessions.

Molly the Messenger sits at 96.51% RTP and can charge the top row to activate the first orb. Billy the Gambler lifts it to 96.63% and converts low-value symbols into something more lucrative. Archie the Spy takes it to 96.73% and adds one new wild in each column. Amarillo the Magister caps the ladder at 96.98% and can trigger a new cascade made up of only high-value symbols. These tweaks change the rhythm in a satisfying way.

The Shadow Order Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Wild
	5	x300
	4	x50
	3	x5
	5	x120
	4	x25
	3	x2.5
	5	x80
	4	x15
	3	x1.5
	5	x60
	4	x10
	3	x1
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.6
	5	x8
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x6
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.4
	5	x2
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.1
	5	x1
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.1
	Scatter, Wild
	Scatter, Wild
	Scatter, Wild
	Special

The Shadow Order - Free Games Feature

You’ll spot a collection square on the bottom right of the grid. The Free Games Feature is activated once all three orbs make it to that square, and you start with five free spins. During this bonus, all orbs remain fully charged. Each time an orb reaches the collection square, the multiplier steps up, and it can climb as high as 30x the initial value. If all three orbs reach the square again, two extra free spins are added.

RTP and Volatility in The Shadow Order

Depending on how many characters you open, The Shadow Order runs between 96.51% and 96.98% RTP, which sits a shade above the market’s 95% to 96% range. The slot has been classified as medium volatility, with a balanced volatility rating also quoted by the maker. In my sessions, that translates to streaky phases cut by feature flurries rather than harsh droughts. The top potential reaches 24,204x the bet, though most value comes from controlled cascades and the orb system ticking over.