Coven Rising

Coven Rising: Slot Overview

Players with an interest in magic, witchcraft, or sorcery are invited to enter Pragmatic Play's Coven Rising, an online slot that transports them to a strange, mystical world, where four witches gather to perform mysterious rituals both on and off the reels. Beneath the rich paganistic trappings is an unusually arranged slot, with features focused on things like levelling up and collecting coins, which might take a spin or two to figure out not only what is going on but whether or not it is a fit. Tampering with the forces of nature won't be every gambler's cup of tea, and neither will Coven Rising's unusual gameplay. If it sounds intriguing, though, feel free to grab your wand and cauldron and see if it is yours.

Some players may be attracted to Coven Rising's gameplay, but it seems equally likely that willing gamblers will choose this slot because of the theme. The skin has been painted on well, and with a smidge of imagination, participants can pretend they've trekked to a secluded area with their coven siblings and are about to commence a ritual. The camera angle has been set so it's like a bird watching from a tree branch, as four witches stand around a circular gaming area where the rites commence. Free spins crank up the intensity by going heavy on the glowing lines and sigils, and from an atmospheric standpoint, Coven Rising sits somewhere in the middle of the scale between NetEnt's What's Up Witches? and Nolimit City's True Kult.

Coven Rising is played on an unorthodox 1-4-7-6-7-6-7-4-1 pattern. Symbols pay in clusters of 5 or more when horizontally, vertically, or diagonally connected. When clusters are created, the winning symbols pay, then respin, revealing new symbols in those positions. Pragmatic Play has accompanied the witching activity with a medium volatile math model that has an RTP of 96.24% at the highest value and a bet range of $/€0.20 to $/€240.

There are six regular pay symbols, but they come in 5 different levels, starting at level 1. Level 1 symbols are worth 0.05x-0.5x each, while level 5 symbols are each worth 5x-50x the bet. The wild symbol substitutes for all of the regular pay symbols. Be aware that blanks may also land, which are valueless symbols.

Coven Rising: Slot Features

In the middle position of the grid is where four Witch symbols can hit. When they do, a modifier is applied to the current spin. When winning symbols respin, the modifier symbols in the middle position also respin. Modifier symbols can land in regular or upgraded versions.

• Green Witch - Collects and pays the values of all Coins in view. Coins are worth 1x to 500x. Collected Coin symbols respin into regular pay symbols. The upgraded Green Witch adds 1-5 extra Coins to the grid where blanks are before collecting the Coin values, as long as at least one such position is available. During free spins, when this symbol hits, after adding Coins (if it is upgraded) and after collecting them, the total amount collected is also gathered on the Coin which had the highest value before collecting and that Coin stays on the grid until it is collected, a new Coin with a higher value hits, then the new one takes its place where it stays on the reels or the round ends.
• Red Witch - Increases a random pay symbol to the next level. The upgraded Red Witch increases all pay symbols by one level. In free spins, level increases from this symbol persist until the end of the round.
• Yellow Witch - Converts up to 5 blank symbols on the reels to random symbols, if enough blanks are available. The upgraded Yellow Witch upgrades all blank symbols into random symbols.
• Blue Witch - The middle position becomes wild. The upgraded Blue Witch makes the middle position wild and also adds 2 wilds to the screen.

Free Spins

In the base game, landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards 12, 16, 20, or 24 free spins, respectively. Witch symbols are available as in the base game, with any progressive free spins elements mentioned above. Hitting 2 or more scatters in the round awards +2 free spins for each.

Ante Bet & Feature Buys

Using the ante bet triples the stake to have 7 times the chance of triggering free spins. The two feature buys are standard free spins for 100x, or free spins with no blanks on the middle position for 200x the stake.

Coven Rising: Slot Verdict

For players drawn to the theme, Coven Rising is likely to make a strong first impression. Pragmatic Play has clearly put effort into building an atmospheric game world around the subject matter, with four witches conducting a ritual in a secluded woodland setting. The look is unusual enough to help Coven Rising stand apart from many other magic-themed slots, while the glowing lights, wands, and witch characters reinforce the feeling that something peculiar is about to take place. The four witches are also integrated into the gameplay, each one bringing a modifier into play, helping give the theme purpose rather than just serving as decoration.

The gameplay is likely to be a bit divisive, as is the 1-4-7-6-7-6-7-4-1 layout, which is certainly not conventional, though it does fit within the witches' circle. Cluster pays combined with respins are able to give each spin a certain rhythm, but it wasn't always super easy to tell what was happening. Or at least, there is a learning curve to embark on compared to a more regular slot. The five symbol levels add another layer of complexity, and newcomers may need some time to fully appreciate how the various components interact, especially when upgraded versions begin appearing. Will players hang around long enough to put all the pieces together and form a full picture of what Coven Rising offers is the question.

A 5,000x max win might help convince some to stick with it to see what the slot can do. The issue is that the unconventional approach often feels more experimental for the sake of being different than actually used to deliver a thrilling new way to play. Coven Rising's bewitching presentation and distinct features offer a unique diversion, though whether that is enough will depend on how much players value novelty over a more traditionally streamlined slot experience.