Manta Mayhem

Manta Mayhem: Slot Overview

Software provider Play'n GO has shunned the bass, sharks and crabs that regularly appear in underwater online slots, to build a game around a lesser-seen denizen of the deep. In this deep-sea dive, we're about to be spinning reels alongside a big, friendly-looking manta ray in the oceanically themed Manta Mayhem. The manta part of the game is instantly obvious, while the mayhem part is potentially produced by a free spins round which introduces two special wilds, and is amplified by a lengthy list of Boosters revealed by a clam pick process.

Flapping away behind and around the gaming area is a big blue manta ray that looks like an amiable critter. The game has a vaguely Finding Nemo atmosphere, the sort where fish talk to each other, and live in communities amongst a colourful coral reef. The music is playful, which helps evoke images of our manta ray friend, cheekily darting about, doing whatever it is manta rays do down there in the warm blue water. If nothing else, the alternative main sea character makes for a welcome change from bass, and while the game might look friendly, it is powered by a math model that metaphorically contains rows of teeth.

Manta Mayhem is a 5-reel game, where each reel holds 3 symbols, and there are 20 paylines evaluating winning combinations. It's highly volatile; Play'n GO has given the math model a 9 out of 10 classification in this regard and built five RTP configurations, where 96.2% is the preferred value. The game comes with the studio's GO Ultra ante bet, which is being added to an increasing number of releases, and has a base stake range of $/€0.10 to $/€60.

Manta Mayhem's low pays are coral-looking 10-A card royals, awarding 0.8x to 2.5x the bet for a 5-of-a-kind combination. Should 5 matching high pays hit, and there are four types of them, then the payout is 4x to 10x the bet. Regular wilds appear on all reels, substitute all symbols except scatters, and are worth up to 20x when five wilds land in a win.

Manta Mayhem: Slot Features

Collecting Pearls can trigger free spins where special symbols and Boosters enter the action, and the GO Ultra is able to increase the bonus round's potency.

Special Wilds

There are two types of special wilds. The Sticky Wild can land on reel 2, 3, or 4, or in a combination of those reels, depending on the awarded Booster, and it remains on the reels till free spins end. The high-pay wild comes in four types, but only one is randomly chosen to appear during free spins. Special wilds substitute for all regular pay symbols and only appear in free spins.

Clam The Prize

Pearl scatters can land once per reel in the base game, and are collected when they hit. Collecting Pearl scatter symbols when they land may randomly activate the Clam the Prize feature. When activated, players pick a clam to determine the free spins and free spins Boosters. The possibilities are 6 free spins with 3 Boosters, 8 free spins with 4 Boosters, or 10 free spins with 5 Boosters. Free spins cannot be retriggered.

Free Spins Boosters.

After picking the initial clam, another picking session occurs. 8 free spins Boosters are hidden behind pearls. The number of pearls that can be picked depends on the number of Boosters granted from the Clam the Prize feature. Possible free spins Boosters are: 2 or 4 additional free spins; High pay symbols stacked on the reels; Sticky Wilds appear on reel 2; Sticky Wilds appear on reel 3; Sticky Wilds appear on reel 4; One high pay symbol becomes a wild; 2 or 3 random wilds on the reels; All wins multiplied by x2, x5, or x10.

GO Ultra

Activating the GO Ultra increases the stake by 50%. With the GO Ultra active, when the Clam the Prize feature triggers, the chosen clam may reveal 7 free spins with 4 Boosters, 9 free spins with 5 Boosters, or 11 free spins with 6 Boosters.

Manta Mayhem: Slot Verdict

Manta Mayhem offers a refreshing twist on the classic underwater slot theme by swapping out sharks, treasure chests and the hook-and-sinker world of fishing for a more unusual yet still charming central character. The vibrant, Pixar-esque coral reef is a salty breath of fresh air for gamblers to feast their eyes on after taking a deep lungful of air, and the game has an overall warm, friendly feel to it. However, it is not all just floating around in the warm shallows, filling bags with pearls. Manta Mayhem is highly volatile for one, and the other thing that might dampen the initial enthusiasm is that nothing really special happens in the base game. Outside of line wins, just about everything has been held back for when the free spins round triggers.

Once it does, then the picking bonanza can begin. Step one is picking how many free spins and Booster picks you get; step two is picking the actual Boosters themselves. Even at the lowest level, 3 Boosters are a nice amount, and the Boosters are quite handy, potentially. It might bring extra pain to the base game, but once the bonus triggers, the GO Ultra ante bet adds an extra Booster as well as an extra free spin. And since the bonus cannot be retriggered, every free spin you can get is a boost in itself. Bonus round results might end up being sad, though Manta Mayhem does advertise sizable winning potential of 9,000x, so there is no telling where this flapping around underwater adventure might lead.

Manta Mayhem sessions sort of live or die on the strength, or weakness, of their bonus rounds. The base game flutters along, teasing with each hit Pearl scatter until one of them (hopefully) triggers free spins, and the picks begin. It might not be the most smooth sailing voyage, but there should be a place for Manta Mayhem amongst players who like alternate sea creatures, picking things, and pouring all into free spins.