Rise of Merlin

About Rise of Merlin

Rise of Merlin is Play'n GO's Arthurian take on the book slot format it established with Book of Dead. Released in June 2019, it puts the wizard in a vaulted stone chamber lit by floating specks of light, with dragons, owls and crystal orbs filling the upper end of the paytable. Five reels, three rows and ten paylines make up a deliberately familiar structure.

The variation on the formula is in the bonus round. Where most book slots select a single expanding symbol, Rise of Merlin lets you accumulate more through retriggers, up to a maximum of nine. Every symbol in the game can end up expanding at once. Maximum win is 5,000x stake.

How to Play Rise of Merlin

Wins pay left to right from reel one along ten paylines. The lines are adjustable rather than fixed, so you can play fewer than ten if you prefer. The high-value symbols pay from two matching symbols on a line, which is unusual, while the card royals need three or more. Stakes at Midnite start from £0.01 per spin.

The crystal ball is the key symbol. It acts as both wild and scatter, substituting for regular symbols in the base game and triggering the Free Spins round when three or more land anywhere on the reels. At the start of the round one symbol is selected at random to become an expanding symbol, filling its whole reel and paying across all lines even when the reels are not adjacent. Landing three more crystal balls retriggers the round and selects a second expanding symbol, and the process can repeat.

Rise of Merlin Features

• Adjustable Paylines: Ten paylines pay left to right from reel one, and you can reduce how many are active. High-value symbols pay from two on a line, card royals from three. Playing a single line costs £0.01 per spin, and all ten costs £0.10.
• Crystal Ball Wild and Scatter: A single symbol doing both jobs. It substitutes for regular symbols and triggers the Free Spins round from anywhere on the reels.
• Free Spins: Triggered by 3 or more crystal balls. One symbol is selected at random to expand for the duration of the round.
• Expanding Symbols: The selected symbol fills its entire reel and pays across all active lines, whether or not the reels are adjacent.
• Stacking Retriggers: Landing 3 more crystal balls during the round awards another set of spins and selects an additional expanding symbol. Up to nine can be active at once.
• Gamble Feature: After a win, a card-based double or nothing round is offered in markets where it is available.

Rise of Merlin RTP, Volatility and Key Info

Before you spin, the figures worth knowing on Rise of Merlin:

• RTP: 94.51%
• Volatility: High
• Reels: 5 reels, 3 rows
• Paylines: 10, adjustable
• Max win: 5,000x stake
• Minimum stake at Midnite: £0.01
• Mobile: Available on iOS and Android
• Provider: Play'n GO
• Release date: June 2019

Rise of Merlin Theme and Symbols

The reels sit inside a great hall with arched ceilings and columns covered in carved inscriptions. Light drifts upwards through the middle of the frame, and the score is orchestral and slow-building rather than busy. Play'n GO kept the presentation restrained, which suits a game where most of the tension comes from waiting for three crystal balls.

Card royals from 10 to Ace fill the low-value positions. Above them sit an owl, a green dragon and a red dragon, with Merlin himself at the top of the paytable paying 500x stake for five on a line. The crystal ball is the wild and scatter combined, and it matches Merlin's top payout for five across a line. Because the premium symbols pay from just two on a line, the expanding symbol mechanic is worth considerably more when it lands on one of them.

Games Like Rise of Merlin

• Book of Dead: The Play'n GO title that set the template, with the same expanding symbol bonus on a 5x3, ten-payline grid.
• Book of Ra Magic: Greentube's book slot, which also allows multiple expanding symbols through retriggers.
• Legacy of Egypt: A Play'n GO release with a similar high-volatility profile and a multiplier-led bonus.
• Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness: Another Rich Wilde universe title, built on a cluster grid rather than reels.

Rise of Merlin FAQs

What is the RTP of Rise of Merlin?

The RTP sits at 94.51% in the Midnite version.

Who developed Rise of Merlin?

Play'n GO developed the game and released it in June 2019.

How do you win on Rise of Merlin?

Land matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right along one of the ten paylines. The lines are adjustable, so you can play fewer than ten. High-value symbols pay from two on a line, card royals from three.

Is Rise of Merlin a high volatility slot?

Yes. Play'n GO rates it at the top of its volatility scale, so the base game runs quiet and the payout weight sits in the Free Spins round.

What is the maximum win on Rise of Merlin?

The maximum win is 5,000x stake.

How do the expanding symbols work?

At the start of the Free Spins round one symbol is selected at random. Whenever enough of them land, they expand to fill their reel and pay across all lines, even when the reels are not adjacent.

Can you get more than one expanding symbol?

Yes. Landing three more crystal balls retriggers the round and adds another expanding symbol, and this can build up to a maximum of nine.

Can I play Rise of Merlin on mobile?

Yes. The game runs on iOS and Android via the Midnite app or mobile browser.