Game Information
Introduction:
Tarasque is a high-volatility grid slot from Print Studios that draws inspiration from French folklore. It drops players into a medieval festival setting, complete with villagers, banners, and a lurking beast waiting to devour the grid. There is no traditional free spins round here. Instead, the entire experience revolves around evolving mechanics that build spin by spin, making the base game feel like one long, escalating feature.
This is a slot designed for players who enjoy depth and progression. It looks playful at first glance, but underneath sits a very aggressive win structure. Patience is required, because when Tarasque goes quiet, it can go very quiet.
Slot Info & Stats
Slot Info & Stats
- Provider: Print Studios
- Release date: February 2024
- Reels / Grid: 8×8
- Pay system: Cluster Pays
- RTP: 96.3% (higher RTP versions available via feature buy)
- Volatility: High
- Hit frequency: Around 31%
- Bet range: £0.10 – £50.00
- Maximum win: 20,000x stake
Visuals and Audio
The visual design leans heavily into medieval France, with a festive village atmosphere that feels busy without becoming cluttered. Symbols are illustrated in a hand-painted style, giving the game a storybook quality that fits the folklore theme well. Characters such as knights, jesters, monks, and villagers fill the grid, while lower-value symbols include charms, food items, and lucky trinkets.
The Tarasque monster itself is well animated and full of personality. It looks dangerous, but there is a humorous edge that stops it feeling too dark. It’s bad that before I realised this was a medieval France, I thought it was copying the artwork of Monty Python? Those of you who are familiar, will 100% understand where I am coming from.
The soundtrack is lively and theatrical, supporting the carnival-like setting and keeping energy levels high during longer sessions. It gives of that medieval vibe, lutes and tambourines. Together they link up well.
Gameplay and Base Mechanics
Tarasque uses a cluster pays system with cascading wins. When a winning cluster lands, the symbols are removed and new ones fall into place from above. This can trigger chain reactions, which are essential for building meaningful payouts in the base game.
Wild symbols appear as glowing eye triangles and substitute for all standard symbols. They do not pay on their own, but they play a vital role once additional features unlock. Every spin also selects a Morphing Symbol, which is the core mechanic driving the entire game.
I will explain more on the base game progression shortly.
Bonus Features and Special Mechanics
The Morphing Symbol feature activates on every spin. One symbol type is randomly selected, and when it forms part of a winning cluster, it transforms into a different symbol instead of disappearing. This can immediately create new clusters and extend cascades, sometimes turning modest wins into long combo chains.
Celestial Blessings add another layer of excitement. These are random multipliers that can land on winning clusters and boost payouts by up to x20. They apply only to the affected cluster, but when combined with cascades, they can significantly increase total spin value.
Progressive Feature System
Winning clusters fill a progressive meter displayed beside the grid. As the meter fills, new features unlock across five different levels, and once activated, these features remain active for the rest of the sequence. The beauty about this system is that the five features are not set. This means on any spin, they can appear in any order. So there isn’t one elusive feature you’ll never see. They get rotated.
Now here’s the really clever part. Each feature has a ‘level’ The higher the feature on the progression bar, the more powerful it will be. The wilds feature for example, the higher the feature is when reached, the more wilds you will be granted. If you get the wild first on the progression, don’t expect many. Make sense? It’s a really smart idea, and one that I really like. It’s nothing something I knew before I started this deep dive. So I hope some of you learn something new today too.
The final stages bring the Tarasque monster into play. This is where the slot truly comes alive and where its biggest win potential sits.
The Tarasque Feature
When fully unlocked, the Tarasque appears on the grid as a moving wild. It consumes symbols involved in wins instead of letting them disappear normally. These eaten symbols are stored by the monster and held until the feature sequence ends.
Once the progression cycle finishes, the Tarasque releases all stored symbols back onto the grid at once. This often triggers large cascades and can result in very high payouts. It does not happen often, but when it does, the screen can explode with activity.
Bonus Buy Option
Players outside the UK can access a feature buy. This allows you to start with a chosen number of Morphing Symbols, increasing volatility and potential while also improving RTP. The higher the buy, the more aggressive the experience becomes. This option suits players who want quicker access to the slot’s deeper mechanics. But because I live in the UK, the fun police won’t allow us this pleasure.
Final Thoughts
Tarasque is not a gentle slot. It demands time, balance control, and an appetite for volatility. There are no free spins to chase and no obvious stopping points, which means sessions can feel intense from start to finish.
The more I understand this beast, the more I enjoy it. If you just spin randomly, you’ll be met by dead spins and lose interest. But, if you understand the mechanics and progression bar, you’ll have a much better experience. I’ve seen the 10p Gamer play it on youtube a few times, and I just didn’t get it… I looked odd, it was quiet, and just didn’t shout to me. But since playing it in the Arcade, and reading the rules, I get it now. Not only do I get it, I sort of like it… It’s really not as hard to understand as it looks. Do I love it? No. BUT I have a better appreciation for it now.
The mechanics are original and well integrated, and the progression system keeps spins feeling meaningful even during quieter periods. When everything lines up, the slot delivers explosive moments that justify its high max win. If you enjoy complex grid slots with evolving features, Tarasque is an excellent choice. If you prefer steady bonuses and frequent wins, this beast may be best admired from a distance.
Thalnothos’ Rating: 6.5/10.