Merlin's Alchemy Slot by Bullshark Games: Free Demo & Review 2024

Merlin's Alchemy Review

Remember Merlin, the legendary sorcerer cloaked in mystery and always attempting to create gold from baser metals? He looks almost like an intellectual in Bullshark Gaming’s depiction, with framed glasses perched on his nose as he scrutinizes the swirling depths of his magic potion. The whole range of metals he’s created serve as premium symbols on the 6x5 grid, from iron to shining gold. The laboratory is lit up in the bonus round, where items are floating in the air as you’re taken deeper into his mysteries.

The pay anywhere system is graced with several different wild symbols in this game, which is a tad unusual, and the mystery symbols are all-important. They turn into wilds or wilds that absorb the global multiplier built by special potions. The multiplier keeps building without resetting in the bonus round, and you can expect even more mystery symbols during the main attraction. The base game can be a walk in the desert, however, so don’t expect to close in on the 10,000x potential outside of the bonus round.

Bullshark Games - Slot Developer

Bullshark Games is a new developer with only 2 slot releases thus far. This Hacksaw Gaming partner utilizes the same interface as Hacksaw and Mafia Clash was their debut release.

Slot Theme And Storyline

You’re taken into the dimly lit laboratory of the legendary alchemist, Merlin, and the sorcerer himself is admiring his shimmering potion on the left-hand side of the grid. He shakes it with a circular motion while studying it with intense eyes. The bonus round takes you into another room with items hovering in the air, but Merlin is still focused on the same potion. It’s a solid visual presentation overall, but the symbols are a bit too similar.

Merlin's Alchemy RTP, Volatility, And Max Win

The top-tier Merlin's Alchemy RTP of 96.25 % is well above average. However, operators can adjust the RTP down to 94.28 % as they see fit. This is a high volatility installment from Hacksaw partner, Bullshark Games, and the game scores 4 out of 5 on their own volatility scale. The Merlin's Alchemy max win is 10,000x your stake, which is a bit above the industry average according to our research.

Merlin's Alchemy Slot - Reels Screen

Merlin's Alchemy Rules And Gameplay

You win by landing 8 to 15+ matching symbols anywhere on the 6x5-sized grid, and winning symbols are removed via the Cascading reels mechanic. You can play with bet levels between €0.1 and €100 per spin, which is a solid range that should suit most player types. There are several different wild symbols in this game, but they all have in common that they step in for any pay symbol to help create or improve wins. Wilds also pay the same as the top-tier symbol if you land a full grid of wild symbols.

Symbols And Paytable

Merlin's Alchemy Bonuses And Special Features

Mystery symbols take center stage in Merlin's Alchemy slot, as we shall see below, but there are some other features to look into as well.

Mystery Symbols

You will land Mystery Symbols in all stages of the game, and they come in the form of small bags with a question mark tag. Mystery symbols will either reveal a pay symbol or a special symbol, and if a pay symbol is revealed it will be the same across all mystery symbols. This is not the case with special symbols, however, and these are as follows:

• Wild - substitute for any pay symbol and pays the same as the top-tier symbol if the grid is filled with wilds.
• Activator Wild - absorbs the current global win multiplier to boost wins it partakes in. If more than one Activator Wild is part of the same win the multiplier values are added together.
• Sticky Activator Wild - does the same as the activator wild, but remains in play for the duration of the bonus round. This symbol cannot be revealed in the base game.
• Green Potion - adds +1 to +100 to the global win multiplier.
• Red Potion - boosts the global win multiplier by x2 to x10. Additive values are applied before the multiplier boost, if present.

Merlin's Alchemy Spellbook Free Spins

The Spellbook Bonus Round triggers from 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols in view in the same cascading sequence. This awards 8, 10, or 12 free spins, respectively, and you can expect more mystery symbols to land in the bonus round. The global multiplier does not reset between cascading sequences like in the base game, so it will keep growing the more it is upgraded.

Merlin's Alchemy Bonus Buy (not UK)

Eligible players can take advantage of the bonus buy menu, and it comes with 3 highly volatile options as follows:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins (RTP of 96.23 %) - pay 2x your stake to increase your bonus round chances by 3x.
• Spellbook Bonus Round (RTP of 96.27 %) - pay 100x your stake to get 8, 10, or 12 free spins.
• Super Spellbook Bonus Round (RTP of 96.36 %) - pay 200x your stake to get 8, 10, or 12 free spins with an x10 starting global multiplier.

The 200 Spins Merlin's Alchemy Online Slot Experience

We didn’t land anything significant in the base game, and the bonus round is purchased around the 1-minute mark. We went with the regular bonus round, and it plays out for the remainder of the 3:43-minute highlights video. You can see for yourself how we fared by hitting the play button below.

Merlin's Alchemy Review Summary And Verdict

Most developers avoid the wild symbol like the plague when creating a scatter pay grid slot, so seeing so many wilds in Bullshark Games' scatter pay debut is a bit surprising. The alchemy theme is nicely done with Merlin shaking his potion presumably in an attempt to create pure gold. The symbols ranging from base metals to gold indicate as much, but they are still a bit too similar to truly liven up the grid. The good news is that the mystery symbols stick out like a sore thumb when they appear, and you’re going to need some of those to make a dent in the base game.

Many times they are ineffective, however, as nothing connects when they turn into different special symbols, wilds, or regular pay symbols. The base game is mostly a tease in our experience, giving you a taste of what the bonus round has to offer. With more mystery symbols and a multiplier that keeps growing, things heat up significantly when the feature triggers. The 10,000x potential is solid as well, and overall, Merlin's Alchemy game is an enjoyable second release from an interesting new developer.

Pros And Cons Of Merlin's Alchemy Online Slot

How To Play Merlin's Alchemy At An Online Casino

You can follow the instructions below to get started with Merlin's Alchemy real money play at a casino immediately if you wish. We have already given you our take on the game in the review verdict above, and we hope you also have taken the time to try the free Merlin's Alchemy demo game for a while. If so, you are good and ready to take things to the next level, and here’s how:

• Click this link to find a confirmed Merlin's Alchemy casino at the top of this page.
• Register with your chosen casino and deposit money to claim your bonus.
• Head to the slot lobby and search for Merlin's Alchemy.

Similar Slots To Try

If you like Merlin's Alchemy, you should also check:

Alchemy Fortunes - is a colorful magic potion installment from All41 Studios, and it’s a cluster pays grid slot with rolling reels. Winning symbols fill the 5-tier magic potion meter, and this meter will unleash 5 different modifiers depending on how much you fill it. The meter modifiers are enhanced in the bonus round.

Sweet Alchemy 2 - is a candy alchemy game from Play’n Go, and it comes with cluster pays wins that remove blocker tiles. This can increase the grid size up to 9x9, and you’ll benefit from special wilds as well. Clear the grid to get the bonus round which comes with big symbols in 3 levels, and win up to 10,000x your stake.

Elemento - is a cluster pays installment from Fantasma Games, and you can look forward to plenty of wild modifier action. The 4 unique element wilds appear in the special area surrounding the 7x7 grid, and you get a progressive multiplier bonus round for payouts up to 16,000x your stake.

Book of Ra - is an intriguing slot machine from Greentube, set in a world of archaeological research and ancient mysteries. Spin the reels to discover ancient artefacts and trigger special bonus features that can lead to big wins.

Play Merlin's Alchemy Slot On Your Mobile

Cast your spells on the go with Merlin's Alchemy mobile play, available on both Android and iOS devices. No app download is needed; you can simply conjure up your mobile browser and step into Merlin's magical laboratory wherever you are. Craft potions for potent wins, stir up free spins, and unleash the power of the global multiplier on any mobile or tablet device that suits you. Play the free Merlin's Alchemy demo to see how it works, and you’ll find casinos to play at below the demo game.

Strategy And Tips For Winning

You should make sure to play the top-tier RTP version of Merlin's Alchemy slot as part of your overall strategy. Other than that, you should be mentally prepared for a base game that seldom delivers anything significant. The bonus round hit rate is not disclosed, but you can test the free Merlin's Alchemy demo game to get a sense of how often it triggers. This is a good idea before you play for real money at a casino.

Merlin's Alchemy Demo Version And Free Play

You’ll find the free Merlin's Alchemy demo game via this link to the top of the review page. We recommend that you play the risk-free demo for a while, or at least long enough to get a sense of the ebb and flow of the game. You can count spins between bonus round triggers to pinpoint the hit rate as best you can, and then you’ll find casinos confirmed to carry this game right below the demo game when you feel ready.