Rise of Merlin (Play’n GO) – Review & Demo Play

WHAT'S THE STORY in Rise of Merlin

Behold Merlin, the legendary wizard of Arthurian lore, but here I meet him in his younger days. In Rise of Merlin I follow the apprentice as he learns to cast with that trusty Magical Orb. The setup is pure fantasy and I like how the theme keeps things focused on the Orb and the spellwork. My aim is simple: help Merlin cast the winning spell and start cementing his legacy with proper wins.

FEATURES in Rise of Merlin

I use the Magical Orb as both the Scatter and the Wild. Land three or more Magical Orbs and I receive eight Free Spins plus the payout for the number of Orbs that landed. During regular spins the Orb subs in for other symbols, so lines come together neatly. Retriggers are tidy too: every time I retrigger, I get another eight Free Spins, which keeps the feature alive without any gimmicks or paid shortcuts.

In Free Spins one symbol is chosen at random to expand. If that pick is a High-Paying symbol, I only need two more to trigger an expansion. If it is a Low-Paying symbol, I need at least three. First I get any line wins, then the symbol expands and pays again. Under the hood this is a 5x3 slot with up to 10 lines I can set between 1 and 10, which suits old-school play.

Rise of Merlin - Risk Game

Any win can be gambled to double or quadruple the amount won. I get the classic choice: guess the colour of a face-down card for x2, or the suit for x4. In the main game the gamble option pops up after every win, so I decide whether to press my luck or bank it. After Free Spins I can also gamble the entire bonus win in one go, which adds a sharp, optional burst of risk.

Free Spins in Rise of Merlin

In base mode there isn’t much going on beyond clean spins. Wilds are scatters at the same time, and there are no multipliers or side modifiers. There are no fancy extras and unique bonus games, no bonus buys or Ante bets. If I want free spins, I have to earn them the old way. I like that pace because the slot keeps the focus on the feature that matters rather than spreading thin across extras.

The bonus round is different from the usual ten-spin pack. It awards not 10 but 8 free spins per bonus activation and retrigger. With every retrigger one more expanding symbol is randomly selected so I can end up with several expanding at once. Expanding symbols are the key to landing bigger wins, and when a few of them hit together, the screen can fill fast and pay well across multiple expansions within a single round.

The hit dynamic is helped by straightforward maths. RTP sits at 96%, volatility is high, and the top payout reaches 5,000 x bet when everything aligns. Because players can choose how many lines to activate between 1 and 10, the frequency of hits shifts with that choice, which lets me tailor the feel a bit. Eight-spin retriggers are where the momentum builds, and stacking extra expanders is where I’ve seen sessions turn.

Rise of Merlin Symbols and Paytable

The Magical Orb is both Scatter and Wild. On the paytable it stands out as well: five award 500 x bet, four pay 100 x, three pay 10 x, and even two give 1 x. During features I value the Orb twice over, since it can help complete lines in the base game and also be the ticket to eight Free Spins when three or more land anywhere on the reels.

Among regulars the top tier pays are strong for a classic 10-line slot. At the high end I’ve seen values like 500 x for five of a kind, then 160 x as the next step down, and 60 x for mid symbols. Lower ranks cluster around 12 x and 8 x for five, with smaller steps for four and three. In Free Spins the chosen expanding symbol follows the high/low rule for how many are needed to expand.

Rise of Merlin Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Scatter, Wild
	5	x500
	4	x100
	3	x10
	2	x1
	5	x500
	4	x100
	3	x10
	2	x1
	5	x160
	4	x30
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x60
	4	x8
	3	x2
	2	x0.5
	5	x60
	4	x8
	3	x2
	2	x0.5
	5	x12
	4	x3
	3	x0.5
	5	x12
	4	x3
	3	x0.5
	5	x8
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x8
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x8
	4	x2
	3	x0.5