Mermaids

Mermaids: Slot Overview

Prepare to take a deep breath as we dive into NetEnt's online slot Mermaids, a game that bubbles away beneath the ocean's surface. As well as being a potential match for gamblers partial to mermaid charm, this could be a possible choice for those who like collecting objects from the reels since doing so can trigger not 1 but 3 different bonus rounds of varying degrees of power, function, and desirability, from a pick 'n click, to a royal symbol free Random Wilds round.

Funny how you rarely, if ever, see unattractive mermaids unless they have been purposefully made to be scary. In the past, they have been portrayed as pretty females who are more than happy to orally transmit oxygen from themselves to submerged humans who are in need of underwater assistance. The four leading characters in Mermaids are no exception to the rule, and they reside in a bubbly domain of glittering light and submerged treasure. NetEnt has put on an inviting underwater world for gamblers to try their luck, though how much assistance these mermaids will offer should the bankroll head south is up for debate.

A 5-reel gaming grid is Mermaids' active area, each reel holding 3 rows covered in 40 paylines, awarding wins that must start from the grid's leftmost side. Bubbling over in a deep dark cavern of its own is the game's highly volatile math model, popping out an RTP figure by default of 96.09%. Should you wish to metaphorically snorkel up for this game, it will mean picking a stake of 10 c to $/€40 per game round.

Mermaid's pay symbols have 9 to A card royals as its lows, then 4 character symbols as its highs. The two most valuable character symbols pay out when 2 or more of a kind hit, while every other symbol type needs at least 3 in a combination to qualify for a payout. The prize for hitting a line of 5 matching royals is 3 to 20 times the bet, increasing to 30 to 100x for getting a line of 5 identical mermaid symbols.

Mermaids: Slot Features

Mermaids might be good if you're the sort of player who likes collecting things. Three Progress Wilds may be collected in this instance, leading to 3 different bonus rounds when the requisite number of collected wilds have piled up.

Wild Symbols

A group of 4 different wild symbols are active in Mermaids - 3 are Progress Wilds and 1 regular wild that only appears through the Random Wilds feature. All wilds are able to substitute for any regular pay symbol in order to help complete winning lines. Each Progress Wild fills part of the Progress Globe it is connected to. When a Progress Globe is filled, it activates its feature. These are the Picker Bonus, Wild Spins, and Mermaid Spins described in more detail below.

Picker Bonus

The game starts with 10 Purple Progress Globes collected, and when reaching 15, players get 3 picks from the Picker Bonus. When entering the Picker Bonus, prizes are randomised, and any of these may be revealed - 2x to 50x the bet, Mermaid Spins, and Wild Spins. Prizes are paid when the picks have been made. Revealed Mermaid Spins or Wild Spins trigger the feature without affecting the Progress Globes.

Wild Spins

The game starts with 10 Green Progress Globes collected. Upon reaching 30 Green Progress Globes, 10 free spins with the Random Wilds feature are activated. Green Progress Wild symbols cannot appear during Wild Spins. The Random Wilds feature awards 2 to 6 regular wilds onto the reels.

Mermaid Spins

The game starts with 10 White Progress Globes collected. When reaching 60 White Progress Globes, 10 free spins with the Random Wild feature activate, and no royal symbols appear on the grid. Like before, the Random Wilds feature awards 2 to 6 wild symbols to the reels. White Progress Wild symbols cannot appear during this feature.

Mermaids: Slot Verdict

Mermaids may have developed a reputation for saving people in dangerous aquatic situations, but Mermaids the slot, ironically, might have benefited from some extra saving of its own. What unfolded on the reels during the review was so-so: the deep sea diving was relatively atmospheric, the mermaid characters were, err, characterful, and the collecting ticked things along. Mermaids is a lightweight slot, however, and the collection element may put some players off. This isn't really a criticism as such but more of a heads-up since some gamblers may prefer a lighter underwater experience to the slot equivalent of being thrown in the deep end and being forced to paddle vigorously against choppy waters.

Mermaids is a slot that can potentially reward patient play, as well. This is because its most sought-after phase, Mermaid Spins, requires the largest number of Progress Wild symbols to trigger it. At 60 collected White Progress Wilds, Maybe don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen, though you might get lucky in the Picker Bonus feature and step into them that way. Reels with Random Wilds and without royals is possibly the best opportunity for achieving Mermaids' full potential or getting somewhere near to it. Though at 1,974.3x the bet, this isn't the sort of lost loot which would have treasure hunters from all corners of the globe scouring the seas using the latest cutting-edge finder equipment to uncover. Pretty much the opposite.

And that was Mermaids. Not a bad wee game if diving into dimly lit waters to swim amongst mythological sea creatures tickles your fancy. It won't hurt if collecting wilds sounds intriguing, either. However, Mermaids is probably not so great if big, raging, relentless gameplay with oomph takes priority.