The theme of a slot like Pompeii shouldn’t need much of an explanation. The game is themed around the famous Roman city which was buried and destroyed by the eruption of a volcano, of Mount Vesuvius. It was uncovered by archaeologists, from under the many tons of ash which covered it. The Ancient Roman theme used in this game feels appropriate for a slot inspired by Pompeii. As for the designer behind this particular title, it’s called Aristocrat and it’s a newcomer in the online world, but a veteran of the casino industry.
Pompeii uses the Reel Power feature, so it offers 243 ways to win and it has 5 reels to host them all. Other features will give you free spins with wilds which can multiply prizes by up to 15x, scatter symbols and base game wilds. $12,500 is the biggest prize mentioned on the paytable.
Features of Pompeii
The ways to win are an important part of this game, along with the free spins, the scatter symbols and even some wilds with multipliers.
The system which replaces the paylines with ways to win is becoming more and more popular these days. It’s called Reel Power in the slots designed by Aristocrat and instead of asking you for the symbols of a combo to be on predetermined positions on certain reels, you only need them to be on adjacent reels. Having the same symbol on the first two or three reels, going from left to right, will be enough to bring you a prize. A total of 243 ways to win are used, the standard number for 5 reels which have 3 symbols each one.
The wild symbol would be an important features, but not as powerful in this game as it is in others. It only appears on reels 2 and 4 and from there it can substitute for other symbols. Since ways to win are used, it’s easier for the wild to be of help, since being on the right reel is all that is needed.
The scatter symbol has the Gold Coin representing it. This icon has to be present in at least three locations, in order to be able to bring you a prize or the free spins. Payouts of 125x to 1,250x will be offered by it. These symbols need to appear from left to right, just like regular symbols.
Free Games Feature
Get the three or more Gold Coins at the same time, and you will get 10, 15 or 20 free spins. Getting the wild symbol to substitute for another during the free spins will also bring a 3x or 5x multiplier.
The wild from the 2nd reel applies the 3x multiplier, while the 4th reel wild increases the payout by 5x. Get both wilds to help out in the same combo, and you win 15x the regular prize.
Betting options and jackpots
Like in every other slot with ways to win, you use paylines when it comes to betting. 25 lines are used for this purpose, with wagers using 25 to 125 coins each round (1 to 5 coins per line). The coins have a minimum denomination of $0.01 and a maximum of $1. You can wager up to $125.
The game’s paytable will change the number of coins which can be won as you modify the wager. The top payout gives you 2,500x the line bet, or up to 12,500 coins/$12,500.
Design and symbols
The Ancient Rome theme is quite clear in Pompeii. You can see the city behind the reels, as it probably looked like before the volcano erupted and covered it with ash. You see temples, buildings and pillars, while further away there is Vesuvius, the volcano that is erupting. The reels have a tile like background, with symbols being inspired by Rome or being classic poker cards.
Symbols: Mount Vesuvius (wild), Gold Coin (scatter, 1,250x), Two Snakes Logo (2,500x), Roman Helmet (2,000x), Sword and Shield (1,000x), Horse Chariot (1,000x), Ace (200x), King (200x), Queen (100x), Jack (100x), 10 (100x) and 9 (100x).
Is It Worth Playing?
While not 100% original, Pompeii offers you a decent game and some very cool features, with multipliers of 15x being possible when the wilds help out during the free spins.
The Pompeii slot machine is offered through the Aristocrat platform, so if you want to play it for real or just to practice, look out for casinos that use it.
