Merlin: Journey of Flame (Play'n Go) Slot Review

Merlin: Journey of Flame: Slot Overview

Merlin: Journey of Flame is a fantasy-themed video slot developed by Play’n GO, released on July 13, 2023. Drawing inspiration from Arthurian legends, the game centers on the legendary wizard Merlin exploring an enchanting cave filled with valuable dragon eggs, evoking a sense of mystical adventure. It features a classic slot structure that evolves during bonus play, appealing primarily to fans of high-volatility Book of style mechanics, such as those found in titles like Book of Dead or the developer’s own Play’n GO catalog including Rise of Merlin and Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. With its locked sixth reel in the base game that unlocks in free spins, the title offers escalating excitement and potential for substantial payouts up to a 7500x maximum win. Targeted at experienced players seeking tense, rewarding sessions with expanding symbol action, Merlin: Journey of Flame delivers a professional, atmospheric experience optimized for desktops, tablets, and mobiles.

Design and Graphics

The visual presentation in Merlin: Journey of Flame is polished and immersive, capturing a dark, mystical cavern setting illuminated by ethereal turquoise light and subtle firefly-like glows, suggesting a dragon’s lair deep within ancient rock formations. Pointy stalactites and jagged stone walls frame the reels, creating a sense of depth and enclosure that enhances the fantasy theme without overwhelming the interface. Symbols are richly detailed: low-paying ones depict runic stones in vibrant green, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues, each etched with glowing motifs for a magical touch. Premium symbols include a bubbling potion bottle, an ornate grimoire, a twisted wizard’s staff, and Merlin himself in flowing robes, rendered with sharp, high-resolution artwork that scales seamlessly across devices.

Merlin: Journey of Flame Slot – Base Game

Animations are smooth and purposeful, with winning symbols pulsing with energy and scatters hatching dramatically as dragon eggs. The base game displays a locked sixth reel on the right, teasing future unlocks with a metallic barrier that cracks open during free spins, accompanied by fiery particle effects and Merlin’s approving animations. Sound design complements the visuals with ambient cave echoes, mystical chimes on wins, and an epic orchestral score that builds tension, punctuated by Merlin’s incantations. Overall, the aesthetic is professional yet not overly flashy, prioritizing clarity and thematic cohesion—typical of Play’n GO‘s expertise—earning a solid execution that immerses players without distracting from gameplay. Mobile optimization ensures crisp rendering and intuitive controls, making it accessible for on-the-go sessions.

Gameplay Mechanics

Merlin: Journey of Flame employs a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines in the base game, expanding to 6 reels during free spins. Wins form by landing three or more matching symbols on adjacent positions starting from the leftmost reel, evaluated left-to-right. The paytable divides symbols into low and high tiers, with payouts scaling impressively on the sixth reel.

The Dragon Egg serves as both Wild and Scatter, substituting for all pay symbols except the special expanding one in free spins, while also paying instantly based on the number landed. Base game flow is straightforward: spins occur at a medium pace, with the locked sixth reel visible but inactive, building anticipation. Auto-spin and quick-spin options enhance pacing, and wins trigger satisfying cascade-like glows without true tumbling. The game’s high volatility manifests in prolonged dry spells punctuated by line hits, setting the stage for bonus activation.

Bonus Features

Merlin: Journey of Flame keeps features concise yet potent, focusing on a signature Free Spins round akin to Book of mechanics, plus an optional Gamble.

Merlin: Journey of Flame Slot – Free Spins

Landing 3, 4, or 5 Dragon Egg Wild/Scatter symbols triggers Free Spins with 8 spins awarded, alongside instant payouts of 2x, 20x, or 200x the bet. Crucially, the sixth reel unlocks, enabling 6-of-a-kind wins with boosted payouts (up to 750x for Merlin). A random special expanding symbol (from pay symbols) is selected pre-round. If enough instances land to form a win (typically 3+), they expand to cover entire reels, paying across all active paylines from any position—no adjacency required. This creates massive full-screen potential, with expansions animated dramatically as fiery magic engulfs reels.

Retriggering occurs with 3+ scatters during free spins, granting 8 additional spins (unlimited retriggers possible). The expanding symbol persists across retriggers, amplifying volatility.

An optional Gamble Feature activates post-win in the base game, allowing players to risk up to 250x the bet (max 5 gambles). Guess a card’s color (2x) or suit (4x) for double or quadruple, adding risk-reward tension.

These elements, cloned from Scroll of Dead, deliver high-stakes thrills through the extra reel and non-adjacent pays.

Betting Options and Payouts

Betting flexibility suits various budgets, ranging from €0.10 to €100 per spin, with straightforward controls for line bets and totals. The default RTP 96.28% (configurable lower versions exist) pairs with high volatility, favoring infrequent but significant wins.

Payouts peak at full-screen 6-Merlin (750x) or expansions yielding up to 7500x, with the sixth reel elevating base 5-OAK premiums to 6-OAK heights. Hit frequency and bonus odds remain undisclosed, but high volatility implies rarer, larger hits.

Conclusion

Merlin: Journey of Flame excels in delivering a tense, rewarding Book of-style experience with its unlocking sixth reel, generous symbol values (up to 750x for Merlin), and powerful expanding symbols that pay anywhere, making bonus rounds visually spectacular and potentially lucrative up to 7500x. The sharp Arthurian design, smooth animations, and mobile compatibility enhance engagement, while configurable RTP and gamble add versatility. Drawbacks include its reskin nature from Scroll of Dead—lacking innovation—and reliance on bonus triggers amid high volatility dry spells. Strengths outweigh for genre enthusiasts, but casual players may find base game pacing slow. Players can test the slot risk-free using the built-in demo available on this page. Overall, a solid, high-potential choice for Play’n GO fans craving magical expansions.