Rise of Merlin is a fantasy-themed video slot by Play'n GO featuring 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 adjustable paylines. Released in June 2019, the game centers on the legendary wizard Merlin during his younger years, offering expanding symbols and unlimited free spins retriggers.
Rise of Merlin represents Play'n GO's interpretation of the expanding symbol slot format, drawing inspiration from classic titles while introducing its own thematic elements. The game transports players to a mystical chamber where the legendary wizard Merlin appears in his younger form, accompanied by dragons, owls, and magical artifacts. Understanding the mechanics, volatility profile, and strategic considerations is essential for players seeking to maximize their experience with this high-variance slot.
Rise of Merlin operates on a 5-reel, 3-row grid configuration with 10 adjustable paylines. Players can activate anywhere from 1 to 10 paylines, though playing all lines maximizes winning potential. The betting range spans from 0.01 to 100 per spin, accommodating both conservative bankroll management and high-stakes play.
The game's RTP configuration requires careful attention. While the standard setting delivers 96.58% return to player, some operators implement the alternative 94.51% configuration. This 2.07% difference significantly impacts long-term expected value, making it critical to verify the active RTP setting in the game's help file before committing real money.
Volatility classification falls into the high category, meaning extended periods without significant wins are common, but the potential for substantial payouts exists during bonus rounds. The maximum win reaches 5,000x the total stake, achievable through optimal expanding symbol combinations during free spins with multiple retriggers.
The paytable divides into high-value thematic symbols and lower-value card ranks. Merlin himself serves as the premium symbol, delivering 500x the line bet for five-of-a-kind. The crystal ball functions as both wild and scatter, substituting for all regular symbols and triggering the free spins feature.
Winning combinations require at least three matching symbols on an active payline, starting from the leftmost reel. The crystal ball wild pays 500x for five symbols, matching Merlin's top payout and providing significant value beyond its substitution function.
The core feature activates when three or more crystal ball scatters land anywhere on the reels, awarding 8 free spins plus immediate scatter wins. Before the free spins begin, the game randomly selects one symbol to become the special expanding symbol for that round.
During free spins, the chosen symbol expands to fill entire reels under specific conditions. High-value symbols require only two instances to trigger expansion, while low-value symbols need three or more. This expansion occurs after standard wins are calculated, potentially creating additional winning combinations across the reels.
Play'n GO developed Rise of Merlin using their proven slot engine architecture, incorporating mechanics popularized by Book of Ra-style games. The game underwent extensive testing to ensure balanced volatility distribution and fair random number generation across all certified jurisdictions.
The slot features configurable RTP settings allowing operators to choose between 96.58% and 94.51% return rates. This flexibility meets regulatory requirements across different markets while maintaining the core gameplay experience and mathematical model integrity.
Landing three or more scatters during the free spins round awards an additional 8 spins and selects a new expanding symbol. This process can repeat up to 9 times, allowing for a theoretical maximum of 9 different expanding symbols active simultaneously. Each retrigger compounds the winning potential as more symbols gain expansion capabilities.
The unlimited retrigger feature distinguishes Rise of Merlin from many competitors that cap bonus round extensions. However, the probability of multiple retriggers decreases exponentially with each successive activation, making 9-symbol scenarios exceptionally rare in practical play.
After any winning spin in the base game, players can activate the optional gamble feature to potentially multiply their win. The feature presents a face-down playing card with two betting options: predicting the correct color doubles the win, while predicting the correct suit quadruples it.
The gamble round can be played up to 5 consecutive times, but incorrect predictions forfeit the entire amount being gambled. From a mathematical perspective, the gamble feature offers neutral expected value at best, meaning it neither increases nor decreases long-term returns. It functions purely as a variance amplifier, suitable only for players comfortable with increased risk.
The game presents a fantasy aesthetic with Merlin's chamber serving as the backdrop, featuring stone archways, pillars, and ambient firefly animations. The visual design remains relatively understated compared to modern slots, focusing functionality over elaborate graphics.
The user interface provides clear access to all essential controls: bet adjustment, spin activation, autoplay configuration, and paytable access. The adjustable payline system requires attention, as reducing active lines decreases overall winning frequency despite lowering the per-spin cost.
Given the high volatility profile, conservative bankroll management becomes essential. A recommended approach involves maintaining at least 100-150x the base bet in available funds to withstand typical dry spells between bonus activations. Playing all 10 paylines maximizes hit frequency and ensures eligibility for all possible winning combinations.
The adjustable betting range allows players to scale their risk exposure appropriately. Starting with minimum bets while learning the game's rhythm provides valuable experience without excessive financial exposure. Once comfortable with the volatility patterns, players can adjust stakes according to their risk tolerance and session bankroll.
Autoplay functionality enables extended sessions without manual intervention, but setting loss limits and single-win limits prevents uncontrolled depletion during negative variance runs. The gamble feature should be approached cautiously, as it adds significant variance without improving mathematical expectation.
Rise of Merlin utilizes HTML5 technology, ensuring seamless performance across desktop, tablet, and smartphone devices without requiring separate downloads. The interface scales appropriately to different screen sizes while maintaining full functionality and visual clarity.
Touch controls on mobile devices feel responsive, with all buttons sized appropriately for finger interaction. The game maintains consistent performance across iOS and Android platforms, with no reported compatibility issues on modern devices.
Rise of Merlin shares mechanical similarities with Book of Ra, Book of Dead, and Magic Mirror Deluxe, all featuring expanding symbol mechanics during free spins. The primary differentiators lie in thematic presentation, RTP configurations, and specific symbol expansion requirements.
Compared to Book of Dead's 96.21% RTP, Rise of Merlin's 96.58% setting provides marginally better long-term value. However, the practical impact of this difference requires hundreds of thousands of spins to manifest meaningfully. Volatility profiles remain comparable across these titles, with all delivering high-variance gameplay focused on bonus round performance.
Rise of Merlin delivers a competent execution of the expanding symbol slot format with solid technical specifications and fair mathematical modeling at the 96.58% RTP setting. The unlimited retrigger potential and multiple expanding symbols create genuine excitement during extended bonus rounds, though the high volatility demands appropriate bankroll preparation.
The game suits players who appreciate classic slot mechanics over complex feature sets, offering straightforward gameplay with significant win potential concentrated in the free spins feature. Verifying the active RTP configuration before play remains essential, as the lower 94.51% setting substantially reduces expected value.
For those seeking high-variance gameplay with proven mechanics and transparent mathematics, Rise of Merlin represents a viable option within the expanding symbol category, provided expectations align with the inherent volatility characteristics.
The standard RTP is 96.58%, though some operators use a 94.51% configuration. Always check the game's help file to confirm which setting is active at your chosen casino.
One symbol is randomly selected before free spins begin. During the feature, this symbol expands to cover entire reels when sufficient instances appear: two for high-value symbols, three for low-value symbols.
Yes, landing three or more scatters during free spins awards 8 additional spins and selects a new expanding symbol. This can occur up to 9 times, potentially activating 9 different expanding symbols.
The maximum win reaches 5,000x the total stake, achievable through optimal combinations of expanding symbols during free spins with multiple retriggers.
The gamble feature offers neutral expected value and functions purely as a variance amplifier. It neither improves nor worsens long-term returns, so use it only if you enjoy increased risk and volatility.
The minimum bet is 0.01 per spin when playing a single payline with the lowest coin value. However, playing all 10 paylines with minimum settings costs 0.10 per spin and maximizes winning potential.
Yes, the game uses HTML5 technology and works seamlessly on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets without requiring downloads, maintaining full functionality across all platforms.
Rise of Merlin is classified as high volatility, similar to Book of Dead and Book of Ra. Expect extended periods without significant wins, with most returns concentrated in successful free spins rounds.
Play Rise of Merlin at licensed and regulated online casinos offering fair gaming conditions and secure transactions.
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