Pirate Pays Megaways is an excellent new release from Big Time Gaming. The slot takes players on the adventure of a lifetime as they cut through the water with ease on a giant pirate vessel complete with cannons on its sides. The gameplay is equally entertaining, with some popular features players will likely recognise from other games.
We break down these features in our review below.
| Game Type | Video Slot Game |
| Release Date | 13/10/2021 |
| RTP | 96.23% |
| Volatility | High |
| Slot Build | Six reels, up to 117,649 paylines |
| Features | Wild Symbols Free Spins Pre-Bonus Round Multipliers Scatters |
| Jackpot | No |
| Available on Mobile | Yes |
| Default Min / Max Bet (€) | 0.2/ 20 |
Players should ready themselves for a rollicking good time on the tumultuous sea with Big Time Gaming’s Pirate Pays Megaways!
The slot is, of course, pirate-themed and greets players with a massive pirate boat and a variety of attractive symbols. These include a variety of nautical-themed icons, such as an anchor encrusted with a large sapphire and crossed swords featuring a bright ruby. Among the most impressive of these symbols is the chest icon. The treasure chest is styled in bright gold and opens just enough for players to get a peek of the riches that lay inside.
As for the pirate ship itself, the design is quite well-done. The grid is topped by a Megaways counter that rests just underneath the vessel’s bow and is bordered by elaborate gilded designs that encompass both sets of grids (more on that later). The game’s background fits in just as well, with the roiling waters an appealing bright blue-green hue and the sky behind the ship either the bright blue of midday or the dusky purple and orange of sunset depending on the round.
Mobile gamers are in luck with Pirate Pays Megaways, too, as the game is available on mobile devices as well as desktops or laptops. This means that players can easily take the game on the go wherever they have internet access.
Would you like to learn more about Pirate Pays Megaways and the features it offers players? We take a closer look below.
Big match bonus for new players
First, we’re looking at the basics, and then we will explore the special features and how they might help you win big. Pirate Pays Megaways is, as the title suggests, a Megaways game. This means that while there are a set number of columns to the reels, the rows are variable. Players can expect six static reels and an additional set of four symbols resting beneath the grid. The slot is highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.23% and a relatively modest bet range of €0.20 to €20 per spin.
In addition to the game’s core mechanics, Pirate Pays Megaways also offers players a variety of special features designed to take you on a ride through the rocky seas in search of gold! These include the reaction and wild compass mechanics and scatters, a Kraken bonus round, and free spins.
Reactions
The first Pirate Pays Megaways feature we will explore is the reaction mechanic. When winning combinations are formed, the grid removes the symbols in question and replaces them with new ones. The process repeats until no more winning combinations are formed. You might think of this feature as a cascading win mechanic – the core principles are the same.
The wild compass
Pirate Pays Megaways features a special compass symbol that only lands on the four-spot reel that rests beneath the main six-reel grid. When it hits, the compass will spin until a direction is revealed. Possible directions include north, east, south, and west, and all of the positions in the way of the needle’s direction turn into wild bird symbols. These wilds behave as you would expect and substitute for all symbols but scatter symbols.
Scatters
Players will find two different types of scatters in Pirate Pays Megaways. These include regular scatters, symbolised by gold chests, and special scatters symbolised by purple chests. Regular scatters land only on reels one through five, while special scatters only land on the sixth.
Scatters can trigger two different bonus rounds. When at least three regular scatter symbols land, the Kraken bonus round is activated. The enhanced bonus round begins if at least two regular scatters and a special scatter land on the reels.
Kraken bonus round and enhanced bonus round
The next notable feature to discuss is the Kraken bonus round. This pre-bonus game is relatively straightforward but is irresistible fun. At the start of the round, 20 prize outcomes appear on the screen. Each outcome features some free spins along with a starting win multiplier. For every scatter beyond the three needed to trigger the round, one of these is removed from the board. Next, cannons remove anywhere from one to five additional outcomes.
At this point, the mighty Kraken appears and offers players a free spin offer which they can accept or reject. If the player rejects the offer, the cannons return and remove outcomes until the player either accepts a free spins offer or run out the clock until only two outcomes remain. Players who held on until just two results were left will open one of two chests and receive a new random outcome. The free spins begin immediately after.
If you trigger the enhanced bonus round instead of the regular Kraken bonus round, players follow the same steps until the 20 outcomes appear on the screen. The lowest ten of these will be removed before the cannons begin to pick off outcomes one by one. After this, the round proceeds the same way the Kraken bonus round does.
Free spins
The free spins round increases the multiplier rewarded in the pre-bonus round by one after every reaction, and there is no limit to how high the multiplier can go. Landing three or four scatters on the bottom reel will award an additional five or ten free spins, respectively.
Pirate Pays Megaways Verdict
We think that Pirate Pays Megaways is an excellent title with something for everyone. The spins are exciting and highly volatile, but the potential max win of 104,400x makes it worth it. Pair that with a decent RTP and excellent graphic design, and you have a winning combination.
Thanks for Subscribing to NetEnt Casino!
Thanks for Subscribing to NetEnt Casino!
We use cookies to offer you a full range of functions when you visit our website, recognise your preferences and make the use of our website more comfortable and convenient.
A cookie is a small file or piece of information saved on your computer or device when you visit the website. We can also use similar technologies (e.g. pixel tags). Such technologies enable us to remember your actions and preferences (such as login, language, amount of time you interact with us, etc) over a period of time.
You can generally view our website without cookies but certain parts of the website may not work properly or navigation may be slower. If you do not want cookies to be stored on your computer or device, you can deactivate the relevant option in your browser’s system settings. You can also delete stored cookies by visiting your browser’s system settings at any time. More information on how to deactivate or delete cookies can be found here: https://www.aboutcookies.org/cookie-faq/. However, please bear in mind that if you do not accept any cookies, this may restrict the functionality of our offerings.
Information on third parties and our most common cookies:
We may display advertisements from third parties and other content that links to third-party websites. If you click on a third-party advertisement or link, please be aware that you are leaving our site and that any data you provide will be processed in accordance with said third party’s respective privacy and cookie policies, which we advise you to consult beforehand.
If you would like to contact us or find out more about how we process your personal data, please consult our Privacy Policy.
Version 2.0 February 2022
