The tragic story of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city in today’s Naples, has been the subject of many books, movies, and even slots. Pragmatic Play’s Pompeii Megareels Megaways aims to retell it once again. Not in the usual way, mind you. I was very impressed by the fact that this slot comes packed with a pair of main gameplay mechanics, successfully mixing Megareels with Megaways.

That’s not something you see every day. The highly volatile slot has an RTP of 96% with 117,649 ways to win. As suggested by the name, it shows the final days of Pompeii, with Mt. Vesuvius about to be explored in the background. The base game relies on tumbles, while the bonus comes packed with Megaways action and even more winning ways than the beginning.

Indefinite winning streaks await you around the corner, while the specific multiplier system takes things to new heights in the bonus game. If you’re into ancient Roman history or you’re in for some volcano-themed action, you can try Pompeii Megareels Megaways for free or real money at the best online slot sites.

Pragmatic Play slots always look the part, and that’s the case with Pompeii Megareels Megaways, too. The slot’s sharp graphics make Mt. Vesuvius even more menacing. The reels are occupied by a Roman emperor, a golden coin showing his face, armor, shield, and low-paying card royals. A fireball that flies across the screen is a scatter, while Mt. Vesuvius, during the eruption, is the wild.

Regarding layout and design, this is a classic Pragmatic Play slot game. All the controls are beneath the reels and easy to reach on any device. You can check out the guide and paytable for more information on how the slot works. The bets go from 20c to $240 per spin.

On top of the great visuals, there’s an epic soundtrack that ties it all together. In short, Pompeii Megareels Megaways is a great-looking and easy slot suitable for beginners and seasoned players.

The first thing you should do before you start playing is check the bet. By default, the developer has set the bet to $2 per spin. Personally, it’s a bit high for me. That’s why I dropped it down to $1 per spin, which is more appropriate for trying the slot. Once you hit the play button, the volcano-spewing action begins.

The 6x7 setup is typical for Megaways slots. Pompeii Megareels Megaways combines two unique mechanics. The main feature is the Megaways engine, which has various symbols per reel (2-7). The number of symbols determines the number of winning ways, and each win triggers a cascade. This is where the Megareels kick in. Before each tumble, the number of symbols per reel can increase randomly. This only happens for reels that have at least one winning symbol. With a bit of luck, you’ll see reels filling out with the maximum number of symbols, which greatly increases the winning potential.

As a Megaways slot, you’re in for an endless streak of winning spins. As long as winning symbols are on the screen, the tumbles will continue. Unlike in other Megaways titles, this one has wilds. They can contribute to winning spins by substituting for any symbol but don’t pay on their own.

The bonus round is where the Pompeii Megareels Megaways slot truly shines. It starts with four or more scatters, for which you receive 15 bonus spins. Trigger the round with five or six scatters, and you get 20 or 25. Most Megaways slots have a progressive win multiplier that rises with each spin. In this slot, however, the winning multiplier is equal to the number of symbols removed from the reels.

If you don’t want to wait for the bonus round to trigger organically, you can buy the feature for 100x the bet. It’s a bit costly, but it may pay off. You can pay 300x for the enhanced bonus round version to make things even more exciting. This one is basically the same, except the multiplier values are doubled.

Pompeii Megareels Megaways sounds a bit complex, but it’s actually a slot that beginners can play with ease. I initially adjusted my bet to $1 per spin, as I feel it’s more fitting for a highly volatile slot. The action started right away, and I didn’t wait long to hit a win and see the two mechanics in action. My first one continued for a few tumbles thanks to the Megareels and the random symbol increase per reel. Even if these wins were on the lower end of the spectrum, they still felt significant.

While I usually pay for bonus rounds, this time, I was lucky to trigger it organically. It didn’t pay out how I hoped, with a few multipliers wins as the main highlight. I wanted to see how the enhanced bonus round works, but that’s only possible with the buy bonus feature. It was eventually too much for me to pay 300x, but I guess players might like it a bit more due to twice the multiplier.

The Pompeii Megareels Megaways slot has a flat RTP of 96%. That’s right down the line of highly volatile slot games. The slot’s maximum projected win is 10,000x, which is decent.

Pompeii Megareels Megaways is certainly a mouthful of a name, but the slot itself is neither complicated nor challenging to play. If you’ve ever tried Megaways slots before, you know what to expect. The Megareels mechanic is an interesting addition, although you may not see a lot of it in the base game. It’s the bonus round where this slot shines, with a unique multiplier system that can turn your wins lava-hot.

If you’re a history buff and you love ancient Rome, I can recommend trying Games Global's Rome Fight for Gold Deluxe or Rome Supermatch. For more Pragmatic Play’s Megaways action at top rated casinos, The Dog House Megaways is a fun slot to play.