John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets (Pragmatic Play) – Review & Demo Play

The John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets Slot Game

Set in a Renaissance observatory, John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets sticks to a classic 5x3, 10 payline setup with a nostalgic look. It feels older than the release date suggests, which actually suits the theme. Bets run from €0.10 up to €250 per spin, and the explorer himself tops the pays. There are no wilds, so line wins come the traditional way, with Mystery symbols doing the heavy lifting. On first glance it looks dusty, yet the features soon reveal where the action sits.

RTP lands at 96.5% in the standard setting, with high volatility and a 5,000x max win ceiling. Some casinos may use 95.5% or 94.5%, so checking the info panel is worth a moment. Wins pay left to right on adjacent reels, though the full reel Mystery symbol can override adjacency. Money symbols are key, feeding a hold and win style round and even free spins access. The overall package nods to old school slots while threading in modern respins and a tiered bonus.

Symbols and Payouts in John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets

Premiums are John Hunter, globe, hourglass, telescope, and parchment, with ink quill and the J, Q, K, A royals filling the lower end. Five of John pays 100x, while the other premiums range from 15x to 75x for a full line, and royals reach up to 10x. Two of the top symbols can score, otherwise it is three or more. There is no wild, so value comes from clean lines or the Mystery mechanic turning reels into a chosen symbol or the Money symbol.

When a Mystery lands fully stacked, all covered positions reveal one symbol and those reveals pay on all reels, even on non-adjacent spots, after standard lines are counted. This throws in a 'Book' style burst without copying it outright. If the reveals show enough Money symbols, the game shifts into the respin mode. Scatters and a super scatter sit outside the paytable flow, setting up standard free spins or the super variant where Money becomes the Mystery symbol for the duration.

John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x100
	4	x15
	3	x4
	2	x1
	5	x75
	4	x12.5
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x50
	4	x10
	3	x2
	2	x0.3
	5	x25
	4	x7.5
	3	x1.5
	5	x20
	4	x6
	3	x1
	5	x15
	4	x5
	3	x0.8
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x7.5
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x7.5
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	Scatter

John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets Slot Bonus Features

Mystery Symbols appear as full reel stacks. When they stop in full view, they reveal a random pay symbol or a blue Money orb. Revealed symbols count everywhere, so matching icons can create wins from any position. Hit six or more Money symbols and the Respin feature kicks in. You get three respins on a stripped board holding only Money or blanks, with every new orb resetting the tally to three. All values stick until the end, and then total up for an instant payout.

Money symbol values range from 1x to 5,000x bet, and some carry Free Spins or Super Free Spins tickets that trigger once the respins wrap up. Fill all fifteen positions with orbs and an extra 2,000x is added on top of the collected amounts, which can create nail-biting finales when space is running out. The round ends only when no new orbs land and respins hit zero, or when the grid is full. It is a clean, old-school hold and win loop.

Three scatters launch Free Spins, while two scatters plus a super scatter start Super Free Spins. Before play, a pay symbol or the Money symbol is chosen as the round's Mystery. Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels map to low, mid, and high symbols, with Super reserved for Money. You can gamble to push the symbol or level, at risk of losing the round. During free spins, Mystery reels nudge to full height and reveal. Every four scatters upgrade the level and add two spins. Feature Buy costs 80x or 200x.

Bonus Buy Feature

Free Spins Feature The FREE SPINS round can be instantly triggered from the base game by buying it.
Feature Cost:	x80 Bet
RTP:	96.50%
Volatility:	-
Super Free Spins Feature Pay 200x total bet to trigger the SUPER FREE SPINS feature. On the triggering spin, 2 SCATTER symbols and 1 SUPER SCATTER symbol are guaranteed to hit.
Feature Cost:	x200 Bet
RTP:	96.50%
Volatility:	-

How to Win at John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets Slot

Gameplay is straightforward. Set a stake within the €0.10 to €250 range, hit spin, and aim for two or three of a kind from the leftmost reel across the ten paylines. Autoplay can handle longer sessions, yet I prefer manual spins to react when Mystery reels appear, since their reveals can flip a dead spin into a hit. Money orbs matter most when they stack up together, so timing bets around feature buys or natural triggers defines how aggressive you want your session to be.

John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets Slot RTP & Volatility

John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets runs on a high volatility model with a stated 96.5% RTP, though some sites offer 95.5% or 94.5%. The hit rate sits around 19.8%, so expect bursts and lulls rather than drip-feed wins. The ceiling is 5,000x stake, which pairs well with the 2,000x full-grid respin extra. Regular wins rely on lines and Mystery reveals, while big spikes tend to come from orb clusters or the super level bonus. The maths favours patience and measured stakes.

John Hunter and Galileo's Secrets Slot Verdict

I went in sceptical after the dated first impression, yet the Mystery reveals and the orb round kept me engaged. Super Free Spins can feed respins regularly, and that 2,000x grid fill rider adds real sweat when the screen starts crowding. It is not the most daring entry in the series, but it stitches together recognisable parts neatly. The gamble ladder before free spins gives useful agency without dragging, so you can chase a better level or lock in a safer start.

For bankroll planning, I'd class this as a high-risk, feature-driven slot that offers steady base hits but saves the heavy stuff for Mystery reels, respins, and the super level. If you like an old-school frame with a few twists, it ticks the box. I'll return when I'm in the mood for stacked reveals and hold and win pressure, as the max 5,000x cap and the way features interlock make for tense patches, even if the art direction feels a bit dusty.