The Alter Ego (Pragmatic Play) – Review & Demo Play

The Alter Ego Slot Theme And Storyline

Pragmatic Play’s The Alter Ego leans on the Jekyll and Hyde tale, setting the action on a moonlit Victorian street. The base game plays it straight: atmosphere first, features second, with mystery symbols popping up now and then. That restraint fits the theme; I felt the calm before the storm as the gentleman by the reels hints at a darker side. The audio and period props - hat, pocket watch, pistol - tie it together, and the switch in the bonus nails the narrative turn.

The Alter Ego RTP, Volatility, And Max Win

Top-tier RTP of 96.07% sits a shade above average, though some operators run 95.04% or 93.99% versions. It’s a high volatility ride, and I treat it like a session game rather than a quick flutter. The max win is 10,000x your stake, with a quoted hit chance of 1 in 13,888,889 spins. On my sessions, swings were pronounced, which matches the stated profile. Default settings are my pick, as the lower RTPs can feel unforgiving across longer stretches.

Hit frequency is around 20% in the long run, while the bonus round shows up roughly once in 321 spins on average. Stakes range from €0.20 to €240 per spin, so it suits careful stakes and high-roller punts alike. I always check the RTP setting before playing; the top version pairs best with the variance, as lower settings can make dry spells feel longer. That context frames bankroll planning for me on this one.

The Alter Ego Rules And Gameplay

The Alter Ego uses a 5-reel, 3-4-4-4-3 layout with 576 ways to win in the base game. Wins land when 3-5 matching symbols hit on adjacent reels from the leftmost. Logo wilds show on reels 2, 3, and 4 only, substituting for regular pays. The rhythm is steady and restrained in the base, with most of the punch arriving during the feature. Matching expands to different heights later, but the starter grid keeps things tidy.

You can speed things up with turbo or hold for ultra-fast spins if that’s your style. Betting responsiveness is clean, and the engine sticks to the ways system throughout. The core loop is simple: grind through the base with the odd mystery reveal, line up scatters, and let the expansion do the heavy lifting once the potions kick off. Wilds on the middle reels help bind those ways together when stacked reveals fail to land.

Symbols And Paytable in The Alter Ego

High pays are the hat, pocket watch, pistol, and the gentleman. On 3/4/5 of a kind, typical returns are: hat 0.3x/0.75x/2x, watch 0.4x/0.9x/2.5x, pistol 0.5x/1x/3x, and the character symbol 1x/2x/6x. These match my notes and the in-game sheet. The logo wild lands on reels 2-4 and replaces pay symbols to help complete ways. Five-of-a-kind hits on the premium set feel meaningful on larger ways, though base grid payouts stay modest unless stacked symbols line up.

Lows are 9, 10, J, Q, K, A. Payouts for 3/4/5 are 0.2x/0.5x/1.5x for 9-10-J, and 0.25x/0.6x/1.75x for Q-K-A. Mystery symbols show as a “?” and, whenever they land, all instances turn into the same pay symbol. Scatters are green potions in the base and trigger free spins; wilds do not replace scatters or mystery symbols. Wins pay on adjacent reels from the leftmost side across 576 ways, so symbol counts matter more than strict lines, particularly when mid-tier icons cluster across the centre reels.

In free spins, the top-paying character shifts into a Mr Hyde variant, and the scatter colour flips to red. Pay rules still use ways, but the space can grow dramatically as reels extend. That change matters for symbol density; I've seen mystery reveals scale better once the grid has a bit of height, turning modest base values into tidy feature hits. When premiums line up across expanded reels, the 100,000 ways setup can produce sharp jumps in return that the base grid rarely matches.

The Alter Ego Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Wild
	5	x6
	4	x2
	3	x1
	5	x3
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	5	x2.5
	4	x0.9
	3	x0.4
	5	x2
	4	x0.75
	3	x0.3
	5	x1.75
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.25
	5	x1.75
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.25
	5	x1.75
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.25
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	Scatter

The Alter Ego Bonuses And Special Features

Mystery symbols appear in all stages, synchronising into one random pay symbol on each reveal. Free spins trigger from 3 or more green potion scatters and start at 3 spins. During the bonus, any red potion scatter resets the counter back to 3 and raises the reel it lands on by +1 position. Reels can climb to a maximum of 10 symbols high, opening up to 100,000 ways. Triggering reels also gain +1 height at the start.

On top of organic triggers, you can buy entry at 100x, 150x, or 200x your stake for 3, 4, or 5 scatters. All entries still start with 3 spins; extra scatters simply grant more reels pre-raised by +1. RTP for buys is listed as 96.05% for 3 scatters and 96.01% for 4-5 scatters. The feature hit rate is quoted around 1 in 321 spins without purchase. I've found the buy tiers change the early reel heights rather than the spin count.

Review Summary And Verdict on The Alter Ego

The Alter Ego nails the duality angle: a pretty tame base game that gives way to an explosive reel-expanding bonus. I've had stretches of dead spins with only the odd mystery pop, then a bonus that becomes a nerve-racking chase for extra scatters, grid height, and larger ways. High volatility means patience pays more than rapid-fire punts. When the potions flow, it can sing; when they don’t, it can feel flat. The 10,000x ceiling and 96.07% RTP keep me coming back.