Pompei Megareels Megaways

Pompei Megareels Megaways Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 7.6

Play at Grand Ivy Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Testing Notes | Compare Slots | Tips For Players | About The Developer

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 Pompei Megareels Megaways

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 31st January 2024

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.

Pompei Megareels Megaways is a highly volatile slot from Pragmatic Play with 6 reels and up to 117,649 win ways per spin. The game’s dramatic setting at the time of the famous eruption may be matched by epic events on the reels as tumbles and free spins with multipliers can help bring up wins of up to 10,000x. This game is light on features and will only appeal to players who love high risk-high reward action. Spins start at 20p per play.

Pompei Megareels Megaways Game Information

  • RTP: 96% | 95.04% | 94.07%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 6
  • Rows: Up To 7
  • Paylines: Up To 117, 649
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Ancient Rome
  • Features: Wilds, Free Spins, Tumble Wins, Multipliers

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Pompei Megareels Megaways

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 250 spins on Pompei Megareels Megaways on Pragmatic Play’s test server prior to release to test the game. This is what happened.

  • Stake Size: $1
  • Start balance: $100,000
  • End balance: $100,039.65
  • Hit Rate: 16% (41 winning spins in 250)
  • Biggest Win: 177.2x
  • Free Spins Round: 1

Pompei Megareels Megaways behaved exactly as you would expect a high variance slot to play. The hit rate was low for me – just 16% which is under the 20% expected and made it feel like I was getting short changed. Not an unfamiliar feeling. But then, out of nowhere, a random spin triggered a run of 14 cascades and a 177.2x win which was spectacular to watch. That was the one good moment in a 20-minute session.

The free spins triggered once to give me 15 spins only to deliver a tiny 3.45x win and 10 non-winning spins. Proof, if you needed it, that this slot will be a big tease at times!

A big win on Pompei Megareels Megaways
A 177.2x win in testing in the base game

What We Liked

  • Simple high risk gameplay with few features to distract the player
  • Potentially spectacular tumble sequences in base game and bonus round
  • Multipliers based on the number of winning symbols during free spins
  • Solid 10,000x maximum win

What We Didn't like

  • Very low hit rate in testing - just 16%
  • Tough to break free spins round - once in 361 spins on average

Pompei Megareels Megaways Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 7
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 8
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Pragmatic Play have made this Megaways title as volatile and dangerous as the volcano in it's backdrop! It will be ruthless but on occasion spectacular too!"

Overall Score: 7.6

Theme & Design

Our Score 7

Dramatic Scenes In Pompei And On The Reels!

Pompei Megareels takes us back to the day of the eruption of Vesuvius, an as yet un-mined event in Roman history for slots developers. It’s not the greatest artistic work on the subject, but the firey volcano, molten lava streams and crumbling Roman buildings give off a good sense of drama whilst the reels themselves are nicely framed, gilded with gold and packed with iconic Roman symbols. The soundtrack is a tinkling piano number which doesn’t quite fit the tragic scenes going off behind, but does rise nicely in tempo as your tumbles build and big wins sail into view.

Pompei Megareels Megaways by Pragmatic Play
Pompei Megareels Megaways – a dramatic setting for a highly volatile game

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.

There are three available RTP settings for the game Pompei Megareels Megaways. They are 96%, 95.04% and 94.07%. There is little between these but whilst you won’t notice the difference in a short session, it always makes sense to play at the highest available RTP. I recommend playing at MrQ which always runs slots at the optimum RTP. If you play elsewhere, check the RTP setting in the game before you spin to be sure you are getting good value. Just hit the ‘I’ button on the game screen then scroll through until you see RTP.

This is a very high variance slot. It’s fair to say the best Megaways games are. So expect a rough ride with uneven win distribution but always that tantalising prospect of a rare epic sequence when the stars align.

Two more stats worth considering are these: the hit rate in the game is 1 in 5 spins and the free spins round drops on average once in every 361 spins. The free spins stat is definitely indicative of a high volatility slot and shows you will need to manage your bankroll well if you are to unlock that feature.

Maximum Win

Our Score 8

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.  

Pragmatic Play have given this a 10,000x max win potential. It’s not one of their highest max win slots, but it’s still a good target jackpot to aim for.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

Pompei Megareels Megaways follows the classic Megaways format. That means 6 reels, each displaying from 2 to 7 rows of symbols, randomly assigned on each spin. The pays are win ways which means you need identical symbols to land on adjacent reels regardless of their row, from left to right, starting at the left most reel.

Bring that all together and when all 6 reels stretch to 7 rows, that gives you the famous 117,649 win ways (7x7x7x7x7x7).

Pompei Megareels Megaways paytable
The paytable with 5x for 6 emperors

The pay table displays 5 low pays and 5 premium symbols. The low pays are the cards, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These are valued at from 0.1x for 3 10s up to 1x for 6 Aces. The premiums are the iconic symbols of the Roman empire – coins, a soldier’s shield, a soldiers armour, a chariot and the Roman emperor. These are valued at from 0.25x for 3 coins up to 5x for 6 emperors.

There is also a wild which will substitute for any pay symbol to complete a win way but does not have a pay value of its own.

Not bad, and if you think the pay symbol values are little low, consider that there are up to 117,649 win ways as well as multipliers to boost those payouts.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

Pragmatic Play have stripped back the Megaways format to its bare bones here so there are no extras beyond Tumbles and Free Spins. Here is how they work.

Tumbling Wins

After any winning spin, winning symbols burn up and new ones drop in to replace them. If this creates another win, then the process repeats, and so on until no more wins are formed and the payout is activated.

A little tweak has been added here: for reels that have a winning symbol, the number of rows MAY increase with the cascade. That gives you that little bit win way when the next lot of symbols drop.

Tumble Wins in Pompei Megareels Megaways
Tumble Wins after a winning spin

Free Spins With Multiplier

The free spins round also deviates from the standard format slightly. You get 15, 20 or 25 spins for 4, 5 or 6 molten rock scatters landing on the reels on one spin. But rather than having a progressive multiplier, in Pompei Megareels the value of EVERY win is multiplied by the total number of symbols that drop off the reels in the tumble.

So, if you scored a win with 5 matching symbols and one with 3 matching symbols, both wins would be multiplied by 8x.

Free Spins in Pompei Megareels Megaways
The free spins round triggering in testing

The Final Verdict

I enjoyed this game. It’s a type that Pragmatic Play do very well and it’s one that will appeal to a certain type of gambler where entertaining features and animations, whilst still important, take a back seat to the serious business of gambling for big wins in a high risk-high reward environment. Of course, there is an obvious comparison to be made here between the highly volatile and explosive volcano and the game’s unpredictable but spectacular win engine – something also seen in Yggdrasil’s Hyperburst by the way. The unusual method of activating multipliers based on the number of symbols in a cascade in the free spins round, adds further volatility to this mix. Multipliers can grow much quicker this way than they do in the standard progressive format found in most Megaways free spins round. In short, this is a really good high variance game, and one fans of that type should not pass by.

Useful Tips When Playing Pompei Megareels Megaways

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. Be Careful With Your Stake Level

To get the best out of this slot you will need to manage your bankroll carefully. We recommend that you choose a low stake level – 20p is the minimum – in order to make your balance last. With a low hit rate of around 15% to 20% Pompei is unforgiving.

2. Watch Out For The Molten Rock Scatters

The scatters look like huge balls of molten rock. They land with a big thud and you’ll need at least 4 to trigger the bonus round.

3. Choose A Site With The Optimum RTP

You need to leverage every advantage you can find in a game like this. So, make sure you play at the optimum RTP rate of 96%. Check on the game info screen once it is loaded up and find an alternative casino if yours is running the game at a lower setting.

4. Play At Licensed UK Slot Sites

We recommend the sites on this page because they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission which means they operate under strict UK law to make them fair, safe and secure. Never play at unlicensed sites where the games may be rigged and your money unprotected.

Who Made Pompei Megareels Megaways?

  • 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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