Inspired by Plato’s tale of the mysterious island of Atlantis, Secrets of Atlantis takes players on an undersea adventure in this fantasy-themed slot. The mood is tranquil and calm, with the reels set against a dark blue abyss with the sunken city in the background. The fantasy theme is emphasized by the Mermaid Wild symbol; a stacked Wild which is nudged into its full position if only partially displayed on the reels. The pearl and coloured gems are the high paying symbols, while the three sea creatures in a bubble are the low paying symbols.
There are a few interesting game design features that make Secrets of Atlantis stand out from the crowd. Firstly, NetEnt has chosen to ditch Free Spins in favour of Re-Spins with Colossus Symbols (we’ll discuss this feature shortly). Secondly, Wins Both Ways means paylines award wins from left to right, and right to left. Lastly, the 97.10% Return to Player (RTP) is slightly higher than the average, a detail that could benefit players in the long run.
Nudge Wild Feature
As mentioned earlier, the Mermaid Wild is a special symbol that is stacked 4 symbols high. If this symbol is only partially visible when it lands on the reels, the nudge feature kicks in and the symbol is moved up or down, filling the entire reel with Wilds, increasing the player’s chances of achieving Wild wins.
Highlight Feature
This feature plays out on the middle 3 reels. Players will notice randomly positioned highlighted areas behind the symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4. If these highlights completely fill the middle reels at the end of a spin, the Re-spins feature is activated. Reels 2, 3, and 4 transforms into one reel with giant 3×4 symbols known as Colossal symbols. Colossal symbols can be fully or partially displayed, depending on how the reel lands. If the middle reels are highlighted during the Re-spins feature, an additional re-spin is awarded. Wild symbols can appear in the form of a Colossus symbol, and these will also nudge into position to fill the entire reel to guarantee some potentially awesome wins!
Once the game loaded, we were immediately immersed in a very calm and relaxing atmosphere, quite a change from the brash and high-energy slots we usually see! We played Secrets of Atlantis on Bet Level 1, with a Coin Value of €0.02, resulting in a Total Bet of €0.40 per spin. This a medium volatility game, delivering fairly frequent low to medium-sized wins, but nothing to get too excited about. Our attention was focused on the Mermaid Wild, and the Nudge feature helped us achieve a couple of extra wins. We managed to trigger the Highlight Feature a few times, and the Win Both Way functionalities added an interesting twist. Our single biggest win was a 34x Mega Win thanks to a Red Gem 5 of a kind win that paid both ways.
Secrets of Atlantis provides a calm and serene alternative to the loud and bright slot titles that seem to dominate the market. Opting for Re-spins instead of Free Spins, the game designers at NetEnt delivered a simple, great looking game with two bonus features that play out within the Base Game. The Re-spin feature with Colossus symbols is interesting, but perhaps a little overhyped since only one re-spin is awarded. The stacked Nudge Wild feature will certainly benefit the player, especially with the inclusion of a giant Colossus Wild symbols in the Re-Spins feature. The Win Both Ways mechanic feels generous, although this may be an illusion hidden behind a complex mathematical algorithm. Overall, Secrets of Atlantis is a decent game but starts to feel a little mundane over long play sessions.
Pros
Cons
ArianaMicrogaming’s Ariana is a medium variance 5×3, 25 payline slot. This popular mermaid-themed game includes Expanding Symbols, and 15 Free Spins with Stacked and Expanding Wilds and Re-triggers. With a minimum bet of 0.25 and impressive wins of up to 30 000.00, players will love exploring the mysteries of the oceans.
Colossus KingdomIf it’s Colossus Symbols you’re after, look no further than Spinomenal’s Colossus Kingdom. This action-packed slot features Colossus Symbols, Wild Symbols, Free Spins (with an added Free Spins Gamble Feature), Bonus Multiplier Wheel, Mystery Symbols, a Nudge Feature, and Colossus Spins.
Atlantis MegawaysFollowing the success of Hypernova Megaways, this game uses the same formula of combining the best of both worlds of online and land-based slots while mixing in with superb artwork. The game plays out on 6 reels, 2 to 7 symbols per reel, and up to 117,649 ways to win. Features include Cascading Wins and Jackpot Respins with 4 Jackpots.
Lord Of The OceanLord of the Ocean from Green Tube (Novomatic) is a high variance 5 reel, 10 payline slot featuring Free Spins with special Expanding Symbols and unlimited re-triggers. Fans of “Book Of” games will love this aquatic adventure!