Ancient Island Megaways (Pragmatic Play) – Review & Demo Play

The Ancient Island Megaways Slot

Pragmatic Play drops me onto a six-reel Megaways grid in Ancient Island Megaways, with two to seven symbols per reel and up to 117,649 ways. Stakes range from €0.20 to €240 a spin, so I can set a level that fits my session. It’s a high volatility build with a 96.55% RTP, and the math hangs on tumbles and wild play. I went in expecting swingy patches, but the features can swing rounds when they appear at the right time.

The theme rides a sunlit island look with Aztec touches, vines over stonework and a calm tribal score. The layout is tidy and easy to use on mobile and desktop. Above the middle reels sits a top horizontal reel that can hold random modifiers. In the main grid, any wild landing on reels two to five expands to fill its reel. That pairing sets the tone, as tumbles keep screens alive and expanded wilds can link lines across chunky reel heights.

Symbols and Payouts in Ancient Island Megaways

The ten regular symbols split into lows and highs. A, K, Q, J and 10 handle the low tier, paying between 0.1x and 0.8x the stake for three to six of a kind. Ancient Island Megaways pays left to right on adjacent reels for any symbol size, so ways count rather than fixed lines. To get your return, take the paytable value for the combination and multiply it by your current bet. Tumbles can then add more wins in sequence.

Premiums carry the better returns. The turquoise chameleon and purple bird pay 0.25x, 0.4x, 0.6x and 1x for four steps from three to six. The blue mask runs 0.3x, 0.5x, 0.8x and 1.5x, the green mask pays 0.4x, 0.6x, 1x and 2x, and the pink mask tops the set at 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x. Wilds land on reels two to five and substitute for regulars. Scatters handle access to free spins when enough appear in view.

Ancient Island Megaways Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x5
	5	x2
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	6	x2
	5	x1
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.4
	6	x1.5
	5	x0.8
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.25
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.25
	6	x0.8
	5	x0.4
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.15
	6	x0.8
	5	x0.4
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.15
	6	x0.5
	5	x0.3
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	6	x0.5
	5	x0.3
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	6	x0.5
	5	x0.3
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	Mystery
	Scatter
	Wild

Ancient Island Megaways Slot Bonus Features

The tumble feature fires after any winning evaluation. Winning symbols are removed, the remaining icons drop to fill gaps, and new ones arrive from above. The fresh drop uses the same symbol sizes as the initial spin. Tumbles keep running while fresh wins form. Wild symbols landing on reels two to five expand to fill the reel. Above sits an extra horizontal reel where random modifiers can appear, and when a wild expands beneath one of them, that effect triggers.

Modifiers include a Cash Prize worth 2x to 100x bet, a Multiplier worth x2 to x100 that applies to all wins on that spin, Max Ways which increases the symbols on all reels to their maximum, Replace Non Winning Symbols which swaps out dead positions before evaluation, and an Extra Wild Reel that adds a full wild to the middle reels. If more than one wild is part of the same win, multipliers add together for chunky step ups.

Free spins land from four, five, or six scatters, giving 12, 14, or 16 spins. During the bonus, every position on the top reel is filled with a random modifier each spin, so you always have an effect in play. An extra spins modifier can appear and award +2, +3, +5, or +10. If patience is thin, a Feature Buy is available at 100x the bet to trigger the bonus, with the same stated RTP as standard play.

Bonus Buy Feature

Free Spins Free Spins round can be instantly triggered from the base game by buying it for 100x current total bet.
Feature Cost:	x100 Bet
RTP:	96.55%
Volatility:	-

How to Win at Ancient Island Megaways Slot

Ancient Island Megaways pays for three to six identical symbols on adjacent reels from the leftmost. Each spin can show two to seven symbols on every reel, creating up to 117,649 ways. Set your stake using the plus and minus controls, from €0.20 to €240. Hit Spin for a single round or set Autoplay for a batch. Turbo or Quickspin can speed things up. Tap the information icon to check the paytable, rules, and feature detail.

Ancient Island Megaways Slot RTP & Volatility

This is a high volatility slot with a 96.55% RTP at the top setting, including when using the bonus buy. The max win caps at 10,000 times the stake, which lines up with the way modifiers stack in free spins. In practice, base game hit rate sits around one in 4.55 spins, so I budget for swings and let tumbles and expanded wilds do the heavy lifting. Dry spells happen, then a modifier chain can change the round.

The Final Thoughts on Ancient Island Megaways

I went in wary of another cookie cutter Megaways, yet the expanding wilds plus a feature reel give Ancient Island Megaways some bite. In the base game, it’s about lining a wild under the right modifier and letting tumbles pull in extra ways. The free spins are the sweet spot thanks to guaranteed modifiers on every spin and the chance at extra spins. The island look and calm score frame the action without getting in the way.

I treat it as a high risk session piece. When it hits, a multiplier or cash prize on an expanded wild can turn a dull screen into a tidy return, and in free spins those effects come round every time. If patience isn’t your thing, the 100x buy gives instant access, though I tend to test the demo then grind for a natural trigger. Either route, bankroll discipline matters, as the swings can be wide before the good bits land.