Legends of Slots

Legends of Slots is one of those casual games that's easy to misjudge from a thumbnail. Under the flashy reels it's really a collection game: you spin to line up fantasy icons like dragons, swords and amulets, and matching sets push along little quest tracks and unlock new themed boards. There's no account you need, no deep menus, just a tap and a satisfying clatter of symbols.

Controls are about as simple as they get, which is the point. One big button does the spin, and swipes move you between the different boards you've unlocked. We played in short bursts on a train and it fit that perfectly, though longer sessions start to feel repetitive once you've seen most of the symbol art. The animations are the real draw here, each board has its own palette and the icons have a nice hand-drawn warmth to them.

What surprised us was the progression. Completing a quest line swaps the whole visual theme, so the castle board becomes a forest one, then a desert one. It gives you a reason to keep going beyond the spin itself. It's not a demanding game and it won't change your life, but as a relaxed thing to open for five minutes it does the job better than most.

What we liked

• Instant, one-tap play with no setup
• Charming hand-drawn symbol art
• Themed boards that change as you progress