Africa X UP: Slot Overview

Microgaming partner Alchemy Gaming takes players back to the sun-soaked African continent with an exotic-themed slot called Africa X UP. For a newer studio, choosing a familiar setting can make it easy to blend into the crowd unless there’s a strong hook. Here, Africa X UP leans on a scatter collection mechanic that builds win multipliers, which are then put to work once free spins are activated. Borrowing an idea reminiscent of White Rabbit, players can purchase free spins for less if they’ve already gathered some scatters.

On the surface, it’s understandable to think Alchemy Gaming is following the 9 Masks of Fire template, complete with a collection meter and cultural flourishes. Look closer, though, and the trail is used to award multipliers rather than direct cash prizes. Alchemy also commits more fully to the African visuals, presenting a detailed backdrop of dusty plains with tussock grass, acacia trees, and far-off mountains. A Lion King-style soundtrack rounds things out while you spin a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 243 ways to win.

Highly volatile and fully device-friendly, Africa X UP comes with stakes from 30 p/c up to $/€37.50 per spin. A win lands when at least three matching symbols connect left to right starting from reel one. You’ll find 10 paying symbols in total: five 10-A card ranks, plus buffalo, rhinos, elephants, a warrioress, and a warrior. A five-of-a-kind combination pays 3.33 to 4.67 times the stake. In addition, wild symbols can appear on any reel and expand to fill the entire reel whenever they land. They substitute for all paying symbols to form wins and can pay up to 50 times the bet for five of a kind.

Africa X UP: Slot Features

In Africa X UP, the main objective is to gather X UP scatter symbols to raise a win multiplier that becomes available once free spins begin. X UP symbols can land on any reel, and when 2 are in view, they are collected onto a multiplier trail shown on the left side of the reels. The more you collect, the higher the multiplier climbs, starting at x2 and moving through x3, x4, x5, x7, x10, x15, and ultimately x25. Multipliers are saved separately for each bet level, so adjusting your stake resets the trail for that level. If you return to an earlier stake, you pick up again from where you previously left off.

When three X UP symbols land, you receive 8 free spins, and the current multiplier shown on the trail is applied to every win during the feature. While in free spins, landing 2 scatters grants +2 additional free spins and also helps increase the free spins multiplier.

Africa X UP can be a patience-testing title, but if you’d rather skip the base-game collecting, you can buy the bonus game instead. There are multiple choices, and each one still awards 8 free spins. The difference is the starting multiplier: you can begin with x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x7, x10, x15, or x25 for 18.67, 26.67, 38.67, 50.33, 61.67, 86.33, 120, 181, 300 times the base stake. Alternatively, you can pay 80 times the stake for a random starting multiplier between x2 and x25. If you’ve already collected some X UP symbols, the cost of buying the feature decreases.

Africa X UP: Slot Verdict

So far, Alchemy Gaming has mostly been associated with jackpot-style releases such as Goldaur Guardians and Wheel of Wishes. For a young studio still shaping its identity, the positive takeaway with Africa X UP is that despite choosing a well-worn theme, the execution feels fairly inventive. There’s a noticeable Wakanda-like vibe, paired with a semi-spiritual portrayal of Africa’s iconic wildlife. It could have been interesting if the mystical angle had been pushed even further, but even as it stands, Africa X UP includes enough distinctive details to separate it from the packed African slot category.

In play, it behaves exactly like a high-upside, highly volatile slot should—unpredictable and swingy. Africa X UP teases a sizeable x25 win multiplier, but reaching it isn’t a simple, steady climb. Expect plenty of ups and downs, with the game handing out rewards or setbacks along the way. If you’re expected to wait for the strongest moments, it’s important that the potential justifies the time spent. Thankfully, it does, with maximum potential of up to 30,000 times the stake. Having the top multiplier active would obviously help, though smaller multipliers can still deliver meaningful results. It’s also not as simple as spinning until x25 is secured—there’s a strong chance you’ll trigger free spins before that point and need to settle for a lower multiplier.

As an example, it took roughly 500 spins to reach the first bonus game, and by then an x5 multiplier had been built up. That experience put into context how difficult it could be to trigger free spins with the x25 multiplier, and it made the bonus buy option feel very appealing—particularly when a handful of X UP symbols have already been collected to reduce the price.

Overall, Africa X UP is a well-crafted release from Alchemy Gaming with several engaging ideas. It’s arguably their most attractive slot so far, puts a personal spin on a common theme, offers demanding gameplay, and tops it off with a standout max win.