Hand of Midas Slot Review
Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play
RTP: 96.54% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 5,000x
Our Score: 8.0
WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.
About Hand of Midas
Reviewed by:
Published Date: 12th March 2021
How We Review Slot Games
We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.Hand of Midas is a 5-reel slot based on the Ancient Greek tale of King Midas, who turned everything he touched to gold. In this 20 payline slot every wild that lands has a multiplier of 1x, 2x or 3x attached to it. These are collected on each spin and applied to all wins that include wilds. In the free spins round all wilds are sticky and the multiplier value from wilds is cumulative – it does NOT re-set between spins.
This is a high variance slot with a 5,000x maximum win potential. Spins start at 20p.
Hand of Midas Game Information
- Release Date: February 2021
- RTP: 96.54% | 95.50% | 94.51%
- Variance: High
- Maximum Win: 5,000x
- Progressive Jackpot: No
- Reels: 5
- Rows: 3
- Paylines: 20
- Minimum Stake: £0.20
- Theme: Ancient Greece
- Features: Wilds, Multipilier Wilds, Free Spins
Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Hand of Midas
IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.
Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers
I played 200 spins on Hand of Midas for real money at Duelz Casino to test the game and this is what happened.
- Stake Size: £0.2
- Start balance: £75.62
- End balance: £61.58
- Biggest Win:Â 30.8x
- Free Spins: 1
- Session Time: 17 minutes 24 seconds
Hand of Midas was a tough play. The base game is all about landing as many wilds on each spin as you can and hoping you can build up a good multiplier from them to trigger one off wins. And that never really happened for me. A couple of times I had a 5x multiplier ready to go but no wins to benefit from it. The free spins round did at least trigger once from 3 scatters. The mechanism to decide how many spins you get is an interesting one and after spinning the reels I collected a potentially very good 13 spins. The goal then is to keep landing Wilds because they are sticky and both increase your multiplier and the chances of landing wins on each spin. However, I only landed ONE in 13 spins. So I didn’t even trigger the minimum guaranteed win amount of 10x! It took a few more goes to finally hit a payout of 30.8x which isn’t bad. But overall, this was a disappointing 200 spins and a warning that this volatile game can be a tough play.
What We Liked
- Rich graphics and design
- Sticky wilds in free spins round
- GUARANTEED minimum win in free spins
- High, high variance
- Lots of multipliers to enjoy
What We Didn't like
- Quite simplistic gameplay
- Tough to play due to volatility
Hand of Midas Review Scores
- Theme and Design 9
- RTP and Variance 8
- Maximum Win 7
- Symbols and Paytable 8
- Features and Gameplay 8
What Our Reviewer Says ...
"A somewhat obvious theme for a slot but a nicely executed game where simplicity wins out. Would be better with a higher top win!"
Overall Score: 8.0
Theme & Design
Our Score 9
Rich Illustrations Bring The Legend To Life
Midas is part of Ancient Greek legend, the story of the guy who could turn everything he touched to gold. Sadly, that meant his loved-ones and anything he wanted to eat of drink too, which is a bit of an inconvenience even for a greed-head like that. But can this morality tale mean anything in the world of online slots? Well, it certainly makes a good basis for a richly designed game.
The reel set here sits in front of an aqua blue backdrop, more like the list city of Atlantis, with crumbling stone pillars and a giant Midas hand to the side of the reels. That hand displays a multiplier value that becomes important with each Wild-based win. The paytable is also richly-illustrated and stacked with old icons from Midas’ tale, including Midas himself, his daughter (turned gold) and various symbols of wealth. Overall, it’s not a bad-looking game and Pragmatic have certainly made the most of their inspiration.
RTP and Variance
Our Score 8
What is RTP?
RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next. Read more here.What is Variance?
Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.Hand of Midas slot has 3 RTP settings – 96.54%, 95.5% or 94.51%. Which you play at will be at the discretion of your casino. Most sites run the game at one of the top 2 settings, but it may be lower so I recommend that you check the game info screen wherever you play to make sure you are getting good value for your wagering. For this review I verified the RTP at a few sites we use for testing games and found it running at 96.54% at both Barz Casino (White Hat Gaming) and MrQ (Independent).
It is also a highly volatile slot – 5/5 according to Pragmatic Play. So don’t expect an even distribution of wins. It’s a game that can run very cold, then hot, but more often cold!
Maximum Win
Our Score 7
What Is Maximum Win?
Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.The maximum payout is limited to 5,000x which means you cannot win more than 5,000x on one spin. This is quite low for a high variance game but not uncommon for Pragmatic Play slots. If you want higher potential from the same provider I recommend checking out our list of Pragmatic Play’s highest win slots.
Symbols and Paytable
Our Score 8
This slot has a traditional 5 reel and 3 row format with 20 active paylines on each spin. Wins are triggered by landing identical symbols from left to right across a payline and you can score wins on more than one payline at a time.
The paytable itself has good value. Starting with the low payers, these are the cards, 10 through to Ace. They are valued at from 0.1x for 3 10s up to 2.5x for 5 Aces. In the premiums there are a wine cup, a bowl of fruit, a chest of treasure, a gold girl, an old man, and Midas himself. These are valued at from 0.5x for 3 wine cups up to 20x for 5 of the Midas symbols.
There are also wilds that appear only on reels 2, 3 and 4. These don’t have a value but do substitute in for all pay symbols to complete paylines.
Features and Gameplay
Our Score 8
King Midas had a simple plan and Pragmatic Play do too! This game is all about the wild multipliers and the free spins. There is nothing complicated to understand.
Wilds With 3x Multipliers
Firstly, each wild that lands will have a multiplier attached to of 1x, 2x or 3x. In an interesting animation, when a wild lands it fires off its multiplier into the ‘Hand’ to the right of the reels which displays the cumulative total for that spin. This multiplier value will then be applied to any win that includes a Wild.
The Ante Bet Feature To Increase Your Chances of Triggering Free Spins
With the Ante Bet feature you increase the number of scatters on the reels to increase your chances of hitting the free spins round. This costs an extra 25%. So a £1 bet becomes £1.25.
The Free Spins Feature With 3x Multiplier And Sticky Wilds
The free spins round is, naturally, my favourite part of this game. To trigger it you need to land 3 or more scatters on a single spin. Â Then, an interesting game plays out to decide how many spins you get. Â
A set of mini reels appears – THREE for each scatter that triggered the round. Each one displays numbers 1 to 3 and they all spin. Then, the numbers each wheel lands on are added up and that is your total number of free spins.
What makes this part exciting, and makes me think a lot of RTP is saved back for this round, is that the multiplier value does not re-set between spins … AND … every wild is sticky and remains on the reels once it has landed. That gives you some seriously big potential.
And Pragmatic have added a further interesting twist. A minimum guaranteed win is set for the free spins round. So, you get 10x, 20x or 30x depending on whether you triggered the round with 3, 4 or 5 scatters. If you use up all your free spins and are short of the minimum payout then more 1×3 reels appear and they spin again to award you more free spins. These then play out. This keeps happening until you hit your minimum win!
The Final Verdict
Hand of Midas is a nicely-produced slot that trades on its simple gameplay. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how lucky you get. For example, too many dead spins in the base game can quickly become boring as all you can do is wait to trigger the free spins found or hit a lucky multiplier win or two which can be a long time coming. However, once you are into the free spins round, a good run can quickly fill the reels with lots of wilds, and when combined with a high value multiplier, things can go the other way too. With its high volatility level this is the nature of Hand of Midas. If you like this sort of uncomplicated gaming and a dose of Ancient Greek history too, then this might be the game for you.
Useful Tips When Playing Hand of Midas
Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.
1. Land As Many Wilds As Possible
The name of the game here is to land as many wilds as possible in the base game and bonus round. Wilds always contribute to the total multiplier value – up to 3x each time. Then, hope you score a good win with a wild in it.
2. Play At A Low Stake
I unlocked the free spins round just once in 200 spins. That is not unusual for a high variance slot and you’ll need to stretch your balance to as many spins as possible to give yourself a chance. Choosing a low stake can help.
3. Find A Pragmatic Play Bonus To Use
Most of the deposit match bonuses on our site are eligible to play this slot. At Barz Casino for example you can claim a 100% match up to £300 to play Hand of Midas. That’s definitely worth having!
4. Play At Our Recommended UK Slot Sites
I recommend playing at the sites on this page because they are all licensed under UK law which applies strict rules on safety, security and fairness. They also provide Responsible Gambling tools to help manage your spend.
Who Made Hand of Midas?
- Name: Pragmatic Play
- Established: 2015
- UK License: Remote 046683-R-325951-014
- Total Games: 500 +
- Known For: Wide range of themes and styles, live casino including gameshow formats, and bingo
- Popular Slots: Fruit Party, Dog House Megaways, Big Bass Bonanza, Release the Kraken
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