By NetEnt
RTP 96.42%
Min bet $0.10
Max bet $150
Max Win bet x 2500
Popularity Medium
Min bet $0.10
Max bet $150
Max Win bet x 2500
Gamble Feature Buy bonus game, Stacked wilds, Freespins, Re-spins, Wilds
Layout 5x3
Devices Support all devices
Configurable Winlines No
Volatility High
Progressive Jackpot No
Introduction
Rise of Maya is Netent’s feature-packed slot that offers a truly exciting and enjoyable gaming experience for players of all preferences. Based on the most popular of Mesoamerican civilisations, Rise of Maya isn’t necessarily unique when it comes to thematics. However, where it lacks in theme, it certainly makes up for in mechanics. From golden expanding wilds and scatter nudges to bonus bets and free spins, Rise of Maya has it all.
An incredibly intelligent, yet equally brutal civilization (if you’ve seen the film Apocalypto you’ll know what I mean), Rise of Maya is a great alternative to the usual Egyptian-themed slots churned out by every game provider. That said, Rise of Maya is by no means the first ancient Myan-themed slot and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Therefore, when it comes to thematics, we’re not exactly pushing boundaries but I’m definitely a fan.
Upon entering the game, you’re taken into a dark, dimly lit ancient chamber, with the only light coming from two warm glowing fires on either side of the 5×3 reels. The colour tones here are primarily black, gold, orange and red that come together perfectly with the ominous soundtrack to create a somewhat unsettling atmosphere. I rarely play slots with the sound as the music tends to irritate, but with this, it’s really not a problem.
The graphics are sharp, as you would expect from a Netent slot made in 2020. All the colours are extremely vivid and really pop when you are playing. I particularly like the smaller details of the game, such as the fires which burst into life when the bonus bet is switched on. Rise of Maya is far from the most visually appealing NetEnt slot but it still holds well.
Rise of Maya is brimming with cool features that will keep even the most experienced slots player entertained. From golden expanding wilds and scatter nudges to bonus bets and free spins, I’ll go through them all in this section.
There are 4 golden wilds that can be found in this game which includes a single serpent, 2 expanding serpents (one expands the full reel, the other doesn’t) and a serpent stack. It’s worth noting that the serpent stack wild will only appear in the bonus round, the rest can appear on any spin. All of these wilds will boost your wins when landing on a payline and more importantly, will trigger the free spins bonus round.
The scatter nudge feature is randomly triggered during the game and can really help you out. If you land a non-winning combination (both in the base game and bonus round) a wild or scatter can be ‘nudged’ onto the reels. This feature is a great addition to the game and gave me some decent wins on multiple occasions, especially in the bonus round.
Another brilliant feature in Rise of Maya is the bonus bet. You can choose to activate this by selecting the button to the left of the reels, I promise you won’t regret it. Once activated, the glowing fires erupt into massive plumes and you enter what I like to call “beast mode”.
When spinning the reels you’ll increase your chances of getting extra wilds and scatters, therefore, boosting your chances of triggering the bonus round. Additionally, when 2 wilds/scatters are on the reels, the remaining reels become hot and will re-spin in order to land another wild/scatter. This happened to be on multiple occasions and in turn, triggered the free spins bonus once I had the magic 3 on the reels.
A minimum of 3 wild/scatter symbols are needed in any combination on the reels to activate the free spins bonus round. This will give you 10 free spins which will begin after you enter the inner chamber. If you’re lucky enough to land 4 or 5 wilds/scatters you’ll be entering the chamber with 15 or 20 free spins.
The serpent stacks become visible in this round and chances are you’ll see them a good few times as they significantly boost your wins. Extra free spins can be won in the bonus round if 3 or more scatters/wilds appear on the reels. This happened to be on two occasions, gaining an extra 5 free spins each time. The most I won during the bonus round was a huge $73.40 from a $0.40 spin!
There’s a total of 10 paylines in Rise of Maya with a good mix of higher paying symbols that come in the shape of Mayan masks, as well as common card symbols of lower value. As expected, the golden serpent wilds are the highest paying along with the ram skull mask. See below for the max payouts.
Rise of Maya is a med-high variance slot with an RTP of 96.42%. Personally, I found that my wins were relatively consistent and not necessarily reflective of a high variance slot. My go-to bet size on this game was $0.40 although I did try a variety of bet sizes. The minimum bet size here is $0.10 with a max bet of $75 – not the highest if you’re a big player but still decent. With a max win of 6,000x your bet, there’s potential for some serious cash to be made on this slot.
Bonus type: No Deposit, Low Wagering, Free Play, Sign Up, Free Money, Welcome Bonus, Registration
Min Deposit: No Deposit
Bonus type: Coupon, Code, Welcome Bonus, Registration, Sign Up, Deposit Bonus, First Deposit Bonus
Min Deposit: $10
Wagering: 60x
NetEnt have by no means reinvented the wheel with Rise of Maya. However, this slot definitely holds its own against the others games of similar theme out there. By packing this slot full of fun, engaging features that regularly appear and genuinely improve gameplay, NetEnt has created a game worthy of a few spins.
