Waves of Poseidon

Waves of Poseidon: Slot Overview

One of the perennial go-to online slot topics is Greek mythology, and within this gaming category, one of the go-to deities is the trident-wielding god of the sea, Poseidon. Software provider Pragmatic Play has swung these ways before in Wild Wild Pearl, where the god of the sea appeared on the wild symbol. The studio has since promoted Poseidon to centre stage to take the leading role in Waves of Poseidon, a slot that attempts to entertain players through a combination of scatter pays, tumbles, and an increasing win multiplier.

Oceanic slots, Poseidon-themed ones in particular, aren't exactly uncommon, and there's not much graphically beneath Waves of Poseidon's surface that will trigger much in the way of a huge surprise. We find sand, sunken columns, and a big buffed god down there as players paddle through the base game, while free spins shift the action above sea level into a moody, stormy location, though Poseidon remains on screen throughout. Hints of another certain scatter-paying Greek god slot Pragmatic Play has designed crept in at times, but the differences here are enough, arguably, to set the two games fairly far apart.

Wins in Waves of Poseidon are created on a 6x5 grid whenever 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere on the screen - scatter pays style. Winning symbols are removed, making way for new ones to tumble down and potentially create more wins in a chain reaction. This tumble mechanic keeps going until no new winning combo appears. Notably, bonus symbols and scatters stay locked in place during tumbles. The game runs on a high-volatility engine with a max RTP of 96.55% and supports bets ranging from 20 c to $/€240 per spin. Players can also activate the ante bet, which doubles the stake but guarantees that the multiplier reel stays unlocked.

Waves of Poseidon has nine paying symbols made up of 10-A card royals, cracked amphoras, pillars, dolphins and Poseidon symbols. Winning combinations of 8-9 OAK in size pay 0.25x to 10x the bet, up to a maximum of 2x to 50x when hitting 12-30 OAK. Interestingly, Waves of Poseidon does have a wild, which substitutes for any symbol except the scatter or the bonus.

Waves of Poseidon: Slot Features

Joining the scatter pays and tumbles are a multiplier feature, free spins, and feature buys.

Multiplier

Bonus symbols land on all reels in the base and bonus game. When a bonus symbol hits, it can carry a random multiplier of x2 to x50. A reel of multipliers sits beside the game grid. In the base game, this reel is locked and displays multipliers of x1 to x20 from bottom to top. On each tumble, a bubble goes up one position on this reel, highlighting a multiplier. If the bubble reaches the top of the reel, it remains there till the end of the spin. When a bonus symbol hits, the multiplier reel unlocks, and the base multipliers are multiplied by the bonus symbol's value. When tumbles end, the total win of the spin is multiplied by the current multiplier highlighted by the bubble on the multiplier reel. After this, the numbers on the reel reset to their base values, and the bubble moves back to the bottom position.

Free Spins

Players win 10, 15, or 20 free spins when 4, 5, or 6 scatters land in the base game. During free spins, the multiplier reel is always unlocked and landed bonus symbols are guaranteed to have a multiplier of x2 to x50. For each scatter that lands in the round, players win an extra +1 free spin. If the feature was triggered by 6 scatters it is considered to be super free spins. In super free spins, the multipliers on the multiplier reel do not reset between spins.

Feature Buy

There are two options when buying the bonus round. Paying 100x the bet buys free spins triggered randomly by 4, 5, or 6 scatters, but a 6 scatter trigger does not award super free spins. The second option is super free spins triggered randomly by 4, 5, or 6 scatters at a cost of 500 times the bet.

Waves of Poseidon: Slot Verdict

Scatter pays, tumbles, multipliers, and Greek gods, it all sounds awfully familiar, yet Waves of Poseidon is no Gates of Olympus copy. There are several parallels to Pragmatic Play's popular scatter-paying mega-hit, but Waves of Poseidon also does enough to distance itself from its Zeus-led sibling. Not to the extent that the two games have nothing in common, but the central multiplier system has a completely different way of injecting itself into the game's flow and increasing itself while there.

When comparing the two games, some may consider Waves of Poseidon's bonus symbol triggered multiplier reel more convoluted than just landing additive multiplier symbols, but having choice is no bad thing. The way tumbles raise the bubble can add suspense to the spin, exacerbated when bonus symbols land to increase the base values on the multiplier reel - multiplying them rather than just adding their value to them, no less. When the going was good, it didn't take a lot to squeeze out a decent win or two, though results may naturally vary. The good news for regular gamblers is super free spins are an organic possibility, and since they do not reset the multiplier reel values between spins, they're the place you want to be. Having said that, greater winning potential might have given Waves of Poseidon extra clout and a 500x buy is over the top relative to its potential.

Pragmatic Play has carved out a niche in the scatter-paying space, but Waves of Poseidon feels more like a side note than a serious entry. It flirts with new ideas without fully committing, resulting in a game that's serviceable, but unlikely to stand out or stick around for long.