Elements: The Awakening Slot Review

Provider	NetEnt

Elements: The Awakening Slot Review

Elements: The Awakening is a five-reel, 20-payline slot from NetEnt centred on the four classical elements - Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Rather than spinning reels, it uses the Avalanche mechanic: winning symbols are removed from the grid, the remaining symbols drop down, and new ones fall from the top. This can produce several wins from a single paid spin and, crucially, builds towards the game's main bonus feature with every consecutive Avalanche.

NetEnt released Elements: The Awakening in 2013 and it remains one of the more distinctive slots in the studio's catalogue, largely because the bonus round offers four different modes rather than a single repeating feature. Which mode you get depends on which element is dominant when you trigger Free Falls - something you can track in real time through the Element Energy bar beneath the reels.

At a Glance

Developer: NetEnt
Reels / Rows / Paylines: 5 reels, 3 rows, 20 fixed paylines
RTP: 96.02%
Volatility: Low to medium
Bet range: £0.20 - £100 per spin

How the Avalanche Mechanic Works

Elements: The Awakening uses NetEnt's Avalanche system throughout. When a winning combination lands, those symbols vanish and the remaining ones drop to fill the gaps, with new symbols falling from above. If the new arrangement creates another win, the process repeats. Each consecutive Avalanche within a single spin advances the Element Energy bar by one step. Hit four consecutive Avalanches and the Free Falls bonus triggers.

The Energy bar carries over between spins, so reaching three Avalanches on one spin and then getting another chain later means you're picking up from where you left off. This gives the base game a persistent background tension - you're always aware of how close you are to the bonus, and which element is currently leading the bar.

There are no multipliers attached to the Avalanche chain in the base game. The system here is about building towards Free Falls rather than stacking win multipliers as you go, which sets it apart from Gonzo's Quest where the chain multipliers are the main mechanic.

Free Falls - Four Storm Modes

When the Free Falls trigger, the dominant element at that point determines which of the four Storm Wild modes activates. You receive 10 Free Falls in each mode, with wild symbols behaving differently depending on the element:

Fire Storm: Wild symbols appear on the middle reels and can spread horizontally and vertically to adjacent positions, potentially covering a wide portion of the grid when conditions align.
Water Storm: Wilds expand vertically to cover the full reel when they land, acting as expanding wilds and giving maximum column coverage.
Earth Storm: Wilds are sticky - they hold their position until they contribute to three winning combinations before disappearing, making them persistent throughout the round.
Air Storm: Two wilds are placed on the reels at the start and move to new positions after every Avalanche, staying active for the full duration of the feature.

Because you cannot choose which element triggers, the base game has a built-in element of anticipation. Watching which element builds fastest on the Energy bar means you have a sense of what bonus is coming before it arrives - which is a small but effective design detail that keeps you engaged between spins.

Water Storm tends to produce the highest win potential when wilds land well, while Earth Storm rewards sessions where the sticky wilds accumulate before contributing. Fire Storm and Air Storm fall somewhere between the two in typical output, though all four modes can deliver strong results when the Avalanche chains extend.

What to Expect from the RTP and Volatility

The 96.02% RTP is solid by NetEnt's historical standards. Low to medium volatility means wins come with reasonable regularity in the base game, driven by the Avalanche chains, with the Free Falls providing the larger swings when they land. This is not a game designed around massive single-spin wins - the structure suits players who prefer a steadier session cadence over high-variance bursts.

The bet range from £0.20 to £100 per spin covers most budgets. At lower stakes the game plays cleanly without feeling artificially compressed, and at higher stakes the four Free Falls modes give enough variety to sustain interest across longer sessions.

Mobile Compatibility

Elements: The Awakening runs in HTML5 across desktop, tablet and mobile without any additional software. The visual design - elemental symbols against a dark, atmospheric background - scales well to smaller screens. NetEnt has kept the game active across its casino network since launch, so technical support and availability are consistent.

Summary

Elements: The Awakening stands out because the bonus round is genuinely variable. Four distinct Free Falls modes with different wild mechanics means the game plays differently session to session rather than repeating the same feature on a loop. The Avalanche mechanic in the base game gives you something to track beyond symbol combinations, and the Element Energy bar makes the build towards the bonus feel earned rather than random.

For players who enjoy Avalanche-based slots and want a bonus structure with more variety than a single repeating free spins mode, Elements: The Awakening is worth the time. The 96.02% RTP and low to medium volatility make it a reasonable choice for longer sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Elements: The Awakening?

Elements: The Awakening has an RTP of 96.02%, which is solid for a NetEnt slot and slightly above the typical 96% benchmark for the studio.

How does the Avalanche mechanic work in Elements: The Awakening?

When a winning combination lands, those symbols are removed and the remaining symbols drop down while new ones fall from the top. If the new arrangement creates another win, the process repeats. Each consecutive Avalanche fills the Element Energy bar, and four in a row triggers the Free Falls bonus.

How many Free Falls modes are there in Elements: The Awakening?

There are four Free Falls modes, one for each element - Fire Storm, Water Storm, Earth Storm and Air Storm. Each mode gives wild symbols a different behaviour during the 10 Free Falls. The mode you get depends on which element is dominant on the Energy bar when the bonus triggers.

Can you choose which element triggers in Elements: The Awakening?

No - the element that activates is determined by which one is most dominant on the Element Energy bar when you hit four consecutive Avalanches. You can track the bar during the base game to see which element is leading.