Return to player
94%
Min bet size
0.20
Game type
Video Slots
Variance
High
Reels
6
Progressive Jackpot
No
Popularity
Max bet size
100
Game provider
Elk Studios
Bonus Features
Yes
Paylines
Scatter Pays
Theme
Medieval
Cathedral 9 online slot game
With Cathedral 9, ELK Studios brings us a haunting, medieval themed slot. The game flaunts the studio’s signature detailed design and cascade mechanics we’ve seen in their other work like Tinkerbot and the Pirots series. Elements include ornate coffins acting as Mystery Symbols, legendary artifacts in the Bonus Game, and Super Bonus Mode. The slot offers a max win of 25,000x the bet.
Cathedral 9 at a Glance: All the Important Facts to Know
- Grid: 6 reels, 5 rows layout.
- Win Evaluation: Scatter-pays system, requiring 8 or more matching symbols anywhere on the grid for a win.
- Max Win Potential: Capped at 25,000x the bet.
- Volatility: Medium-high, prioritizing the size of wins over their frequency.
- RTP: Default is 94.00%, which is significantly lower than industry standards (96%–96.5%).
- Core Mechanics: Features include Cascading Wins, a Feature Reel, Nudging Mystery Coffins, and the X-iter Feature Buy menu.
Everything About the Graphics and Sound of the Cathedral 9 Slot
Cathedral 9 weaves a dark, almost gothic tone into religious imagery inside what looks like a tomb in ruins. Wispy dust clouds and flickering candles add to the atmosphere. What really makes the experience of the game immersive is the sound. Hummed Gregorian makes up the soundtrack, and the effects of the cascade mechanic sound like grinding and sliding stone. Overall, we found the visual and auditory experience to be very cohesive.
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How to Play Cathedral 9 Slot
We played Cathedral 9 on a 6-reel, 5-row grid. The game uses scatter pays, where 8 or more matching symbols landing anywhere awarded us a payout. It has a moderate range of stakes starting at 0.2 and going to a maximum of 100. We really enjoyed the smooth-running cascading mechanism, which removes winning combinations and allows the remaining symbols to drop, after which new ones populate the board.
Symbols that show up in the game include:
- Low-paying symbols – four emblems (blue, green, purple, red).
- High-paying symbols – a candle, a pendant, a censer, a chalice, and a golden owl statue (offering up to 50x the bet for 25+ matching instances).
- Special Symbols – Mystery Coffins, Bonus symbols (golden lion head), and Wilds (golden letter 'W').
| Symbol | 25+ Matches | 16–24 Matches | 12–15 Matches | 11 Matches | 10 Matches | 9 Matches | 8 Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 50x | 20x | 10x | 5x | 3x | 2.5x | 2x |
 | 25x | 15x | 5x | 2.5x | 2x | 1.75x | 1.5x |
 | 20x | 10x | 4x | 2x | 1.5x | 1.25x | 1x |
 | 15x | 7.5x | 3x | 1.5x | 1.25x | 1x | 0.75x |
 | 10x | 5x | 2x | 1.25x | 1x | 0.75x | 0.5x |
 | 5x | 2.5x | 1.25x | 0.6x | 0.35x | 0.3x | 0.25x |
 | 4x | 2x | 1x | 0.5x | 0.3x | 0.25x | 0.2x |
 | 3x | 1.5x | 0.75x | 0.4x | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.15x |
 | 2x | 1x | 0.5x | 0.3x | 0.2x | 0.15x | 0.1x |
Try the Cathedral 9 Demo Version for Free
If you’re interested in playing Cathedral 9, we suggest that you start with the free-play version. Exploring the demo will be a great way for you to familiarize yourself with the game's mechanics and medium-high volatility before wagering real money.
Bonus Features in the Cathedral 9 Slot
The slot offers a wide range of bonus features that can significantly enhance your gaming experience.
Cascading & Big Symbols
The cascade mechanism is triggered by wins. Paying symbols can land in larger sizes of 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4, filling single spaces underneath with matching instances. In the base game we saw that we could easily go many rounds without any cascade triggering wins, or if the wins came, they were quite small.
Feature Reel
There are two extra rows above the main grid that tumble down special symbols when space is available. Modifiers include Wilds (substituting for regular symbols), Collect (gathers one paying symbol type into a single position), and Explosion (removes symbols on the column it lands on and adjacent ones).
Mystery Coffin & Super Mystery Coffin
Coffins are stacked 5x1 symbols that remain dormant until they get to the bottom of the grid as you achieve wins. Once activated, they reveal matching paying symbols or Wilds on every spin while nudging down. The Super Mystery Coffin adds its multiplier (x2 to x1,000) to a persistent global multiplier meter that boosts payouts on the current spin.
Entombed & Super Entombed
A 6x2 symbol may land, covering the Feature Reel entirely. This transforms all symbols on the grid into a matching type, guaranteeing a big win. The Super Entombed variant selects a high-paying symbol for the transformation.
Holy Collect
When a Holy Blocker (marked by a golden glow) drops onto the grid, it adds energy to a collection pot. This feature may randomly trigger 3 to 6 Mystery Coffins onto the grid.
Bonus Game
Landing 3 or more Bonus symbols triggers this round. Each triggering symbol spins a mini-reel awarding up to 6 free spins, and the total multiplier is persistent between spins.
Super Bonus Game
Achieved by highlighting all 9 regular symbol icons during the Bonus Game. This awards 2, 3, or 4 extra drops, during which you are guaranteed 1 to 6 Super Mystery Coffins each time, providing the highest win potential.
Feature Buy (X-iter)
This feature offers instant access to features, including: Coffin Drop (50x), Regular Bonus Game (100x), and Super Bonus Game (500x). Given the large amount we can potentially bet on this feature, in our experience, it was a very high risk with the potential for high reward. For instance, we got a 16x win from the cascades triggered by the Coffin Drop once. But about half the time we bought an X-iter Feature, we had small wins (.25x and 2x), and for the rest, we didn’t win anything.
Winning Strategies for the Cathedral 9 Slot
Achieving the top payout of 25,000x the bet is heavily linked to the most exclusive feature:
Target the Super Bonus Game
The Super Bonus Game is the key to unlocking the slot’s maximum potential, requiring a win on all 9 regular symbols during the regular Bonus Game. This round guarantees Super Mystery Coffins and huge multipliers.
Leverage Mystery Coffins
These sticky, nudging symbols, combined with the scatter-pays system, are the main source of power in the game, offering engaging and rewarding action.
Utilize Feature Buy
As we said earlier, this is a high-risk feature. But the very high possible payoff makes X-iter an exciting feature for risk-takers. If that’s you, do take advantage of this feature buy.
All the Technical Details
Cathedral 9, developed by ELK Studios, features a 6-reel, 5-row setup with a scatter-pays win evaluation system. It runs on medium-high volatility and offers a top win potential of 25,000x your stake. The betting range spans from 0.2 up to 100 per spin. The default RTP of the slot is 94.00%. The game features a cascading mechanism and is fully responsive for seamless play across desktop, smartphone, and tablet devices. Key bonus features include the Feature Reel, Nudging Mystery Coffins, and the Super Bonus Game.
Best Alternatives to the Cathedral 9 Slot
Cygnus, another slot by ELK Studios, also leans into an ancient, worship-centered theme, except this time, we get ancient Egypt. The slot offers a similar gameplay to Cathedral 9, and the players get a fairly close experience to the slot.
Pirots, also by ELK Studios, is a great option for anyone who likes the developer’s cascade mechanic and Feature Buy but is looking for a lighter theme. The up to 10,000x win may be smaller, but this series is still likely to keep you hooked.
Our Verdict
Cathedral 9 is visually striking. We enjoyed the dark fantasy design, which is packed with an extensive line-up of rewarding features. The gameplay is guided by a concise set of mechanics, where the Feature Reel supports cascades, but the main power is locked in the sticky, nudging Mystery Coffins.
The game seems to have a pattern of giving many small wins in the base game, with the occasional 3x win. However, the bonus features, such as X-iter and the Mystery Coffins, exponentially increase the scale of wins.
The game claims to be medium-high volatility, but from our experience with the demo, we feel it may lean more towards being high volatility. This makes it a great option for thrill-seeking risk-takers, but it may not be for you if you prefer a steady, modest win probability.
The slot gave us an immersive experience, reliable and familiar mechanics, and just enough of a dose of wins that made us want to keep coming back for more.
James is a casino games expert on the Playcasino.com editorial team. With many years of professional experience at a leading casino game development company and a passion for playing casino games, James has become a true expert in slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other games.
James uses this expertise to provide reliable, insider advice through his reviews and guides, breaking down the game rules and offering tips to help you win more often. Rely on James's extensive experience for expert advice on your casino play.
