Wheel of Mictlan

Wheel of Mictlan: Slot Overview

Speakers of Nahuatl or students of Central American mythology may be able to tell you that the word 'Mictlan' is the Aztec name for the underworld, consisting of nine levels, which most who died would journey to. Fans of Play'n GO's work might recognise the term as well, since the studio used it several years ago in a Day of the Dead-style slot titled Muerto en Mictlán. The team has cast its eye over the underworld again and come up with Wheel of Mictlan, a slot doused in Aztec references, Bonus Wheel prizes, free spins and expanding wild symbols.

What's unusual about Wheel of Mictlan is that it doesn't look like the underworld at all. In fact, it looks distinctly over world, with all the trees, pyramids, and stonework making up the background. However, the wheel above the reels is spun by a spooky underworld character, Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death, so that's a connection. Bonus symbols may grow Mictlantecuhtli, too, though this effect is cosmetic only and has no effect on the features. Otherwise, Wheel of Mictlan looks and sounds like a standard Aztec-themed slot, albeit a somewhat distinctive-looking one in a brightly coloured, blocky stone kind of way.

Wheel of Mictlan's play area is a 5x3 grid surrounded by carved stone, where 10 paylines elevate winning combinations of symbols. The plus and minus buttons may be used to choose a stake of $/€0.05 to $/€100 in this highly volatile game where the highest RTP value sits around 96%.

On the paytable are Aztec-patterned 10-A card ranks and four face/mask symbols. Hitting 5 matching royals pays 4x to 6x the bet, while hitting 5 matching high pays awards 10x to 30x the stake. Should five Flip Wild symbols create a winning line, they pay 40x the bet.

Wheel of Mictlan: Slot Features

Wilds are also linked to a Wild Flip feature, joined by a Bonus Wheel and a round of free spins.

Wild Flip

Whenever 2 or more Flip Wilds land, the Wild Flip feature triggers, giving each Flip Wild a 50% chance of turning into a fully stacked wild. Flip Wilds substitute for all symbols except scatters and bonus symbols.

Bonus Wheel

Each bonus symbol has a chance of triggering the Bonus Wheel feature. Landing 3 bonus symbols guarantees the wheel will trigger. Bonus symbols also substitute for all regular paying symbols. When the Bonus Wheel is triggered, 1 of 4 types of prizes is randomly awarded:

• Multiplier - Multiplies all wins on the reels by x2 to x100.
• Instant Prize - Awards an instant prize of 8x to 200x the bet.
• Free Spins - Awards 5 to 20 free spins. If awarded while free spins are already active, the value is added to the total of remaining free spins.
• Cashpot - Triggers a match 3 minigame where 1 of 3 Cashpot prizes is randomly awarded. Cashpot prizes are worth 1,000, 2,500, and 5,000x the bet.

Free Spins

Landing 3 step pyramid scatters triggers or retriggers 10 free spins. During free spins, the Wild Flip feature only requires 1 or more wilds to trigger. Bonus Wheel triggers are possible during free spins, and the maximum number of free spins that can be won is 140.

Wheel of Mictlan: Slot Verdict

If you were hoping for a terrifying descent through an underworld where the wind blows knives and a river of blood flows, then sorry to say that Wheel of Mictlan will probably disappoint. Despite the name, Wheel of Mictlan looks like a very typical Aztec-themed slot of pyramids, blocky stone, and exotic faces/masks. That's not to say it's bad looking, just pretty average, and a lost opportunity to take adventurous gamblers on a journey through terrifying terrain they've never seen before and might never want to see again. Instead, we've got a slot which ticks boxes but doesn't go above and beyond, though having Mictlantecuhtli by the wheel adds character.

Wheel of Mictlan's 40,000x winning potential might draw as much, if not more attention, though, as usual with PnG slots, a question of achievability hangs over it. Especially since this is a 10 payline game, which was hard to get going. You can see how solid hits might be achieved, maybe, with some imagination. A Cashpots bonanza, some serious multiplier action, eh, might happen. Either way, Wheel of Mictlan offers something for players who enjoy the suspense provided by Bonus Wheel prizes. The Wild Flip feature provides extra suspense since it gives a 50% chance of triggering. Maybe some people like it that way, yet guaranteeing flips, at least in free spins, might have made the game more engaging, as well as possibly more monetarily fruitful.

Behind the towering winning potential and evocative name, Wheel of Mictlan is an okay Aztec slot. The looks are pleasing, if overall a bit generic, and the features have their moments, if you're lucky enough to experience the higher-powered extras. So, as a colourful Central American game, there are worse, but the feeling is that Wheel of Mictlan could have been better if Play'n GO had really hit on the underworld element.