Mayan Ritual

Enter the mystical world of the Ancient Mayan people in Wazdan’s Mayan Ritual. This maximalist slot features big and giant gaming symbols, a massive variety of bonuses, and rich design steeped in the mythological and spiritual traditions of Mayan society.

Theme

Though the Mayan people were nearly wiped off the face of the earth by conquistadores and the diseases they brought to the new world, this once-mighty civilization has endured in the popular imagination. From the tiered pyramids still extant in their former territory to the haunting practices of human sacrifice, this society provides ample thematic material for an online slot, and Wazdan takes full advantage. The five reels stand before an area filled with beetles, greenery, human skulls, lit candles, feathered masks, and hissing snakes. Gaming symbols include an impressive array of animals and deities, including Itzamna, the cosmic god and creator, Kinch Ahau, the sun god, Yum Kaax, the god of wild plants and animals, warrior howler monkey gods, the feathered serpent Kulkulkan (also known as Quetzalcoatl), others Ixtab, the suicide goddess, among others, as well as the high priest, high priestess. A gleaming Mayan pyramid acts as wild, while a blue-green orb acts as scatter. Drums and flutes do their best to conjure the feeling of another era.

Betting Options, Functions, and Features

Wazdan’s slogan is “passion for games,” and in this case, their passion might have gotten the better of them… there are more bonuses here than most players will be able to count, understand, or trigger. Still, attention to detail is strong in this game’s fundamentals. There are 40 total fixed paylines, each paying from left to right. Coin value can be set from 0.01– 0.25 for a total per-spin bet adjustable from 0.40–10.00 times the betting currency. Autoplay is available up to 100 spins at a time, with optional limits for feature triggers or wins or losses above a certain size. A quick spin feature is available for players who prefer a quicker tempo. In a classic Wazdan feature, players can select low, standard, or high volatility, each resulting in a slightly different ratio of win regularity and size. Game rules, paytable information, and player settings are available on separate screens. The theoretical RTP is quite strong at 96.18%.

The Mayan spiritual tradition, as most other religions, was enormously complex: an overlapping system of deities, mythological figures, rituals, and taboos. The array of bonus features availlable here are provided in a similarly overwhelming way. For starters, all gaming symbols can occur in normal size, a big 2x2 symbol, or a giant 3x3 symbol. This includes wilds, which become very powerful indeed when appearing larger than usual, and bonus symbols. When the giant bonus appears, it triggers a bonus feature all its own.

Here, the part of the Giant Bonus symbol that appeared on the reels turns into 3, 6, or 9 individual Bonus symbols. These spin individually, revealing either free spin symbols, extra spin symbols, scatter symbols, or rose symbols. Wins from rose symbols are expressed as multipliers of the current bet: red roses are worth 1x, pink roses 3x, and white roses 5x. Should three or more free spin symbols appear, the free spin feature is awarded. Taking place on a separate set of reels with only bronze roses and extra spin symbols, this feature provides a delightful change of pace from base play… though big payouts aren’t likely to occur on any single free spin, the aggregate win can be very handsome indeed.

A traditional free spin feature is also included here. Ten free spins are awarded whenever three or more scatter symbols appear on the reels in base play. Before the feature begins, a bonus symbol is selected at random: this symbol will pay in any position, and may expand to fill entire reels.

Our Take

The Wazdan team has packed more features into Mayan Ritual than in any slot of recent memory. If the result is a bit overwhelming, it is sure to be a favorite among players who favor large-scale online slots.