I’ve seen numerous animal and nature-themed slots over the years, but none more original than Roar of the Bear Megaways. Developed by iSoftBet, this slot is dedicated to one of nature’s fiercest predators, who surprise with every spin of the reels. It runs on the Megaways engine with thousands of ways to win and comes with a bear’s share of bonus features that can pay up to 10,000x the bet.

Any win will trigger a cascade in this slot, but that’s just the beginning. You also get more ways to win than regular Megaways slots and roaming wilds on every spin. The deadly grizzly bear will sink its claws when you fire the slot up, after which you’re left with a grid full of beautifully designed beasts of nature.

The slot’s numerous features and the max Megaways modifier that can trigger on any spin make it a game well worth the investment. On top of that, you have wild modifiers and other bonus features, which is why it’s one of my favorite slots based on the North American wilderness. Read my Roar of the Bear Megaways review below and see why you should try it.

Roar of the Bear Megaways is one of the best Megaways slots to play. It has 6 reels with up to 7 symbols each. The wolf is the highest-paying symbol of them all, followed by the mountain lion, moose, owl, and raccoon. Unlike many of its counterparts, this slot decided to go with realistic symbols instead of a cartoonish crew.

In the background, you’ll see the sights and sounds of nature somewhere in the North American mountains. A relaxing soundtrack and cool sound effects tie it all together. The setup makes the slot very easy to play. You have the bet tool and spin button on the right side for easy access across all devices.

To start this nature adventure, you’ll have to place a bet first. Choose between 20c and $20 per spin, then hit the spin button to begin. You can also choose to play up to 100 automatic spins if you don’t want to mash the space button on your keyboard. Once the action starts rolling, you’ll see the number of winning ways change depending on how many symbols there are per reel. The max Megaways modifier can strike randomly on any spin, increasing the number of winning ways up to 200,704.

To hit a win, you’ll need at least 3 matching symbols on adjacent reels. Wilds can link wins, replacing any of the regular symbols. There are also two so-called tracker reels above and beneath the original grid where you can land eagles (top) or salmon (bottom) to activate the special modifiers.

The wild eagle modifier can turn symbols below it into wilds. Landing a salmon on the bottom tracker reel does the same but from below. This is a nice feature that can turn your fortunes around as they leave a slew of wilds in their wake.

From time to time, the bear can roar and randomly trigger the max Megaways, with up to 200,704 ways to win. With that many winning ways, your chances of landing an epic win are much higher.

The Roar of the Bear Megaways slot also features mystery symbols. They appear in the form of a moon. When you hit several on the grid, they will turn to a matching symbol, in that way possibly completing a great win.

The danger zone sign is the slot’s scatter, and you need at least 4 to trigger the bonus round. You get a single spin before the bonus round begins to determine the number of free spins and golden claws to start with. These claws are required to upgrade the roaming wild to a larger size. The bear plays that role, and in the beginning, it’s 2 symbols high. Collect 3 golden claws to double their size, which also increases your chances of winning.

Everything else remains the same, so you have cascading wins that can keep you alive further in the bonus round. Every time the bear grows in size, you receive a pair of spins, so you have a chance to prolong your journey as well.

The bonus buy round costs 100x. There’s also a wild bet option, which costs 50% extra but increases the chance of hitting modifiers and the free spins round.

I was surprised at how realistic the Roar of the Bear Megaways slot is. I love the fact the studio didn’t opt for cartoonish visuals as the realistic graphics give it an edge over the competitors. In my experience, so do the special features, as the wild salmon and eagle were more than generous in my case.

I also got a preview of the mystery symbols, although they didn’t bring the return I hoped for. On one occasion, the slot granted the max Megaways feature, which resulted in a win over 50x. I had to buy my way into the bonus round, but I wasn’t lucky enough to receive my investment back. I only managed to upgrade the wild once, and that might have played a role.

iSoftBet’s Roar of the Bear Megaways slot has an RTP of 96.01%, which is the average for highly volatile slot games. It has a maximum of 200,704 ways to win, which can lead to cash prizes up to 10,000x the bet.

Roar of the Bear Megaways is one of the better nature/native American slots I’ve played so far. It’s surely not reinventing the wheel, but it does a great job with its random feature and the bonus round. The bonus didn’t work out great for me, but the base game was more than rewarding.

If you’re looking for alternatives, there are plenty to pick from. iSoftBet’s Majestic Megaways Extreme 4 comes close to this one, celebrating the majestic animals of the African savannah. If you prefer something without multi-way mechanics, NetEnt’s Silverback Gold is a good pick.