Overview

"The Dark Knight" is a 5-reel, 40-payline online casino slot machine developed by Microgaming. The game is based on the iconic DC Comics superhero movie "Batman: The Dark Knight" directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. As a themed slot, it brings together elements of suspense, intrigue, and mystery, immersing players in a thrilling experience reminiscent of the film.

Theme and Design

The game’s design is an homage to the movie, with symbols and graphics taken directly from The Dark Knight the on-screen sequences. The reels are set against a dark Gotham City backdrop at dusk, complete with a partially destroyed skyscraper and Bat-Signal shining bright into the night sky. Each symbol features characters or objects related to the Batman universe: the Dark Knight himself, Alfred Pennyworth (played by Michael Caine), Two-Face’s coin, Joker playing cards (the game’s Wilds and Scatters), Poison Ivy leaves, the Penguin’s umbrella, a Batmobile icon, the GCPD patch on a Gotham City police helmet, and 10- to Ace-valued card symbols.

Symbols and Payouts

The standard paytable consists of:

• Low-paying card values (A-10): pays 0.2x – 0.8x total bet
• High-value icons:
  • GCPD Patch: 1x, 5x, or 20x
  • Two-Face’s Coin: 3x or 15x
  • Poison Ivy Leaves: 4x
  • Penguin’s Umbrella: 12x

High-paying symbols and the special Wild symbol have more substantial payouts:

• Alfred Pennyworth:
  • 1 line wins up to: 24.48x total bet (2nd payline), with maximum payouts up to 500x (15th, highest-paying)
  • Maximum payout value is equivalent to winning x10 on a $5 minimum wager

Joker icons feature multipliers and Wilds:

• Joker Playing Card
  • Single Wild: Multiplier of x100 up to x300 in combination with other wins

Wild Symbols and Scatters

The Joker (the Wild) symbol substitutes for any regular icon, including high-paying ones. It triggers multiplier functions when involved in winning combinations.

• Joker playing card (Wild): Present throughout the reels and doubles payouts as a stand-alone symbol

A separate Wild feature applies specifically to free spins:

• When landed during Free Spins: Multiplier of x3 on wins with other Scatters

Additionally, two Scatter symbols appear to initiate the main gameplay bonus round – The Dark Knight Jokers Wild Bonus. Joker cards that aren’t present are found in this section.

The Joker symbol has a unique behavior when part of winning combinations: It acts as both Wild and Scatter to increase payout multipliers by up to 3 times each (in combination with Free Spin Scatters). When the two scatters appear together, it’s possible for large winnings.

Bonus Features

Several features offer exciting gameplay experiences:

• The Dark Knight Jokers Wild Bonus : The main bonus feature. It gets triggered by landing at least one Scatter on reels 1 and 3 in any combination or order.

  • This unlocks a special area called the "Joker’s Hideout," featuring additional reels to earn free spins, cash rewards, Wilds (Scatters), and potentially up to x5 bet multiplier
  • Wins within this mode get multiplied by both an initial amount of +4 – 10x starting bonus reward

• Free Spins : Up to five Free Spins are available with possible reactivation; each time it happens. Winning combos in any position activate additional rewards during the session.

Payouts and RTP

The theoretical return-to-player (RTP) for this game is approximately: 96.03%

Given a min bet of $0.40, payouts have an upper limit cap at maximum wins between $50,000 – $500,000+.

The machine operates with medium volatility overall; it’s not extremely aggressive and has fairly manageable variance compared to other slots.