Power of Merlin Megaways

Power of Merlin Megaways Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96.09% | Variance: HIgh | Maximum Win: 40,000x

Our Score: 7.8

Play at Barz Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | 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 Power of Merlin Megaways

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 12th July 2023

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.

Power of Merlin Megaways is a high variance 6-reel slot from Pragmatic Play with classic tumbling reels, free spins and progressive multiplier features. Lightning Bolts in the base game and bonus rounds transform pay symbols into wilds on the reels to help boost your wins. Whilst the gameplay is not particularly original, a big free spins round with re-triggers and a max payout of 40,000x suggest this is a game that can pop at any time.

Power of Merlin Megaways Game Information

  • RTP: 96.09% | 95.07% | 94.08%
  • Variance: HIgh
  • Maximum Win: 40,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 6
  • Rows: Up To 7
  • Paylines: Up To 117, 649
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Magic
  • Features: Tumbling Reels, Free Spins, Wild Transformations, Progressive Multpliers

What We Liked

  • High maximum payout
  • Lots of free spins and gamble feature
  • Re-triggers extend free spins round
  • Added wilds from Lightning Bolt

What We Didn't like

  • Base game is monotonous at times
  • Features are not original

Power of Merlin Megaways Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 8
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 9
  • Symbols and Paytable 7
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"An extremely volatile game that requires patience but has big, big potential in the bonus round - high risk fans only!"

Overall Score: 7.8

Theme & Design

Our Score 8

Merlin, famous wizard of the King Arthur legend, hosts this game in an ethereal, Arcadian forest setting, all bathed in turquoise light with twinkling magic dust dancing between mossy trees. Merlin himself looks suitably benevolent whilst a mix of potion bottles, shining gems, spell books and wise owls make appearances on the reels.

Power of Merlin Megaways by Pragmatic Play
Power of Merlin Megaways – Arcadian Forest Setting

It’s not a wholly original scene or narrative for a slot, but it feels this feels like we are in the right kind of place for some myth-making of our own as we chase down 40,000x wins.

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.

Like most Pragmatic Play slots, Power of Merlin Megaways has more than one possible RTP setting. Three in this case: 96.09%, 95.07% or 94.08%. Which you play at will be at the discretion of your casino. We checked the RTP at five popular online slot sites and this is what we found:

Whilst it may feel like there is little difference between an RTP of 94.08% and 96.09%, to give yourself the best chance of winning on this slot we recommend playing at the sites that run at the optimum RTP, in this case Vegasland and MrQ.

Pragmatic Play tell us that this is a highly volatile slot – 5/5 on their own rating scale. So, like many Megaways slots, it’s all about patience and waiting for those electric win sequences where cumulative features unlock the big payouts.

Maximum Win

Our Score 9

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.  

Power of Merlin Megaways has an excellent max payout of 40,000x. That is unusually high for recent Pragmatic Play slots and not bad for a Megaways game either. Though of course there are higher-paying Megaways slots like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Megaways (70,000x) or Vikings Unleashed Megaways (50,000x) for example.

If you want to find more games with great potential check out our list of the highest paying online slots with wins of over 100,000x.

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Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 7

Power of Merlin Megaways follows the classic Megaways model of 6 reels where reels 1 and 6 can have anywhere between 2 and 7 symbols and reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 can have up to 6 symbols. In addition there is an additional 4 reel x 1 row additional reelset above reels 2 to 5 which spins horizontally.

Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols (2 or more if it’s the top paying premium) from left to right on adjacent reels regardless of the row they sit on. That gives you up to 117,649 paylines when every reel is displaying its maximum row number.

Power of Merlin Megaways Paytable
Power of Merlin Paytable – Get 20x For 6 Merlins on a Payline

There is not huge value in the paytable but remember you have lots of opportunity to enhance those wins with tumblers and multipliers.

Low payers then are the cards 9 through to Ace, valued at from 0.1x for 3 9s up to 1.5x for 6 Aces. Premiums are the potion bottle, crystal, owl and merlin himself, valued at from 0.25x for 3 potion bottles up to 20x for 6 merlins.

There is a wild, it doesn’t pay out but it will substitute for all other symbols except the scatter and lightning bolt, to help create winlines.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

Power of Merlin uses some standard Megaways mechanics then throws in a random wild transformation feature to keep us on our toes.

Tumble Wins Keep the Action Flowing

First up, the classic Tumble, or Cascade feature. We see this in countless Megaways games. After every win, winning symbols are removed from the reels and new ones drop into the spaces left behind. This may create more wins, triggering the process again. This continues until no more wins are formed.

Lightning Bolts Trigger Wild Transformations

The special reel above standard reels 2 to 5 carries a special symbol – the lightning bolt. If it lands, then one pay symbols is chosen and ALL instances of that symbol on the main reels are turned into wilds.

Where wins are created and a tumble follows, if as a result our Lightning Bolt moves then it will trigger again.

Power of Merlin Megaways - Tumble Wins
A Tumble Win in Power of Merlin Megaways
Up To 30 Free Spins, Re-Trigger and Progressive Multipliers

The game really comes to life in the free spins round. You’ll need to land 4 or more Spell Book scatters to trigger this. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 scatters gets you 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 or 30 free spins.

At this point you can gamble for more spins by spinning a wheel. It’s a straight win/lose situation with 4 more spins added if you win and total wipe out and back to the main game if you lose.

When the round starts you have a 1x multiplier, displayed to the side of the reels. For every tumble during the free spins, the multiplier increases by 1x. It is applied to every win after every tumble.

You can also add a further 4 free spins at any point during the round by landing 3 more scatters.

The Final Verdict

Power of Merlin is not a particularly original slot. The design and artwork are nice enough, but hardly ground-breaking. And every aspect of the gameplay we have seen before in various other Megaways and Pragmatic Play slots.

In testing the game showed itself to be a bit of a slog – head down and keep spinning hoping to unlock a rare good base game win with a Lighting Bolt to help things along or the ultimate goal of 4 or more scatters to shift things into the free spins round. And when neither of those come along, it can feel very monotonous and frustrating.

But perhaps to criticise in this way is missing the point. The huge top win potential and configuration of free spins with up to 30 available, and re-triggers, and an unlimited progressive multiplier, tell you everything you need to know about what Power of Merlin is here for. In short, rare but thrilling bursts of high value payouts that come only in the bonus round. It’s about waiting it out, being patient for that golden moment. In short, this is a game for high variance enthusiasts only with the budget to cover at least 500, maybe 1,000 spins whilst waiting to unlock the real magic. But remember, even then, you may still come away disappointed on some days!

So, if that style of slot is not for you then we recommend you move along. Otherwise, good luck!

Compare Power of Merlin Megaways With Similar Slots Picked By Us

Here are more games like Power of Merlin Megaways compared on configuration and features. Click through to read a review of each one.

Slot GameProviderThemeMin. StakeMax. RTPVariancePaylinesTop PayoutJackpot
Pragmatic PlayWildlife£0.2096.03%High205,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayMusic£0.2096.01%High2435,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayAncient Greece£0.2096.07%HighScatter Pays5,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayPirates£0.2096.5%High2010,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayNorse£0.2096.46%High1010,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayAncient Egypt£0.1096.71%High1010,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayAnimals£0.2096.06%High209,000xNo
Pragmatic PlayLuxury£0.2096.5%High206,442xNo

Useful Tips When Playing Power of Merlin 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. Progressive Multipliers Are Key To Unlocking Big Wins

As with so many Megaways slots since Bonanza by Big Time Gaming, Progressive Multipliers are a key function of the gameplay to help you score big wins. It only applies in the bonus round and hope for many successive tumbles for maximum impact.

2. Lightning Bolts Look Tasty

Whilst they won’t always produce great results, keep your eye out for Lightning Bolts because they could prove very useful if they can turn many pay symbols into wilds in one go. 3 or 4 wilds could turn an ordinary base game spin into something special!

3. Choose Your Stake Carefully

We always advise when playing high risk slots like this one that you choose your stake carefully. You can spin from 20p per play here which is a sensible starting wager so that you don’t burn your balance too fast.

4. Only Play At Licensed UK Slot Sites

Of course, you should only play this slot at licensed sites which are regulated to ensure that they offer fair and safe gambling. There are lots of casinos like the ones on this page that offer Pragmatic Play slots and are fully licensed.

Who Made Power of Merlin 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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