Ancient Tumble joined Relax Gaming’s Tumble collection in July 2024. This slot uses the developer’s signature mechanics, featuring a shifting grid and the potential for big wins through bonuses. If you’re a fan of the series and missed this new release, read my full review. If you’ve never played these slots, you’re missing out, and now’s the perfect time to change that.
Like all the games in this collection, Ancient Tumble is characterized by high volatility. This isn’t a drawback, as you understand the risks involved and their reasons. The payouts are substantial, and the potential of this slot machine is truly impressive.
Symbols and prices
The Ancient Tumble slot machine features classic payout mechanics. The game grid consists of 6 reels, each displaying 6 symbols. Winning combinations can be formed across 46,656 paylines. The grid is unstable: on each spin, some symbols are blocked. Winning combinations destroy adjacent blocks, while cascading reels reappear. The more cascades you get, the more symbols are unlocked on the grid, thus increasing your chances of winning.
All winning combinations are formed from left to right, starting with the leftmost reel. All symbols must be on adjacent reels. A winning combination consists of 3 to 6 symbols per payline. Your bet can be set at the start of the game and before each new spin, from $0.20 to $100 per spin.
Symbols
The highest paying symbols offer payouts ranging from 0.2x to 1x the stake. While the payouts aren’t the highest, cascades and other bonuses significantly increase the potential winnings as the game progresses.
Gems are medium value symbols, offering payouts ranging from 0.1x to 0.5x the stake.
Low-value symbols are traditionally represented by playing card symbols. They offer small payouts ranging from 0.05x to 0.2x the stake.
The Relic Hunter, the main character of the slot machine, acts as a Wild symbol and appears on all reels.
Features and bonuses
Ancient Tumble is full of bonus features, and these are what allow you to win big.
Unbreakable Wilds
This is a special Wild symbol, appearing on reels 2 through 6. Any locked symbol on these reels can transform into an Unbreakable Wild. On each spin, the Unbreakable Wild moves down one position, destroying symbols on the paytable. However, it cannot destroy locked symbols. This Wild symbol disappears immediately after reaching the bottom row of symbols.
Coin symbols
Coin symbols appear in the bonus rounds. Some stone blocks in these rounds may contain hidden coins, revealed by cascading effects. At the end of the round, a coin toss determines the payout, which can range from 1x to 25x your stake. You receive instant wins calculated based on the total value of the coins on the game board.
Coin multipliers
Another special symbol can appear in bonus rounds. You can unlock a multiplier by creating cascades. The multiplier generated by this symbol will be applied to the total winnings of the round once all cascades have been completed.
Colossal symbols
Some symbols can expand to 2×2 and 5×5 sizes. The larger the symbols, the greater your chances of winning big. These large symbols also appear in the bonus game.
Free tours
This is the slot machine’s main feature, and its full potential is revealed during the bonus round. To activate the free spins bonus game, you must destroy all the hidden blocks in a single spin of the base game. You will then have a choice of four bonus round options. At the start of the bonus round, you receive 6 free spins.
Choosing a specific door triggers a bonus round with specific bonuses and features:
- Classic Free Spins – an increased number of free spins and additional multipliers on the game grid.
- Coin Free Spins – on each spin, 3 to 14 coins will be distributed onto the game board.
- Colossal Free Spins – enlarged symbols in 2×2 and 5×5 formats appear on the game grid.
- Multiplier Ladder Free Spins – a progressive multiplier appears above the game board, increasing from x1 to x100. This multiplier increases by 1 with each spin and each cascade. It does not reset between spins and increases all bonus game winnings.
By choosing a specific door, you manage risks and anticipate potential gains based on your unique strategy.
Super Free Spins
This is a special bonus round where you do not need to select specific boosters, as they will all be active during bonus rounds.
Buy bonuses
Activating the standard bonus round with booster selection costs 50 times your stake. To activate Super Free Spins, you must wager 400 times your stake.
Spins Upgrade Function
In the special menu, you can increase your stake by 50%, 500%, 700% or 1000% by activating guaranteed bonuses or increasing the chances of their activation.
RTP and Volatility
Ancient Tumble is characterized by high volatility and an RTP of 96.1%. With a relatively low win frequency, you need to take greater risks to hope for bigger payouts. This slot is clearly aimed at experienced players with a medium to high budget. By using the spin upgrade options or purchasing bonus spins with real money, you’ll quickly unlock the game’s full potential.
Conclusion
Ancient Tumble is an excellent sequel to the popular Relax Gaming series. This slot stands out for its superb graphics, wide range of bonuses, expanded grid, and impressive winning potential. However, the risks are significant: a long losing streak can wipe out a considerable portion of your bankroll. Choose appropriate strategies, test the game in demo mode, and play responsibly.