Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana: Slot Overview

If we had to name two themes that really seem to inspire Play’n GO, they’d be ‘book of’ slots and Arthurian Legends. Sure, there’s more to it, but for this intro those two will do. With that in mind, it’s easy to imagine the studio having a lot of fun putting together Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana, a title that blends both ideas. On the one hand, the free spins round uses expanding pay anywhere symbols that most players will recognise by now. On the other, there’s a tale of Merlin heading into a frozen wasteland to track down Morgana, who escaped Camelot after her brother took the crown. There, he encounters an Ice Queen who rules the realm—only to discover she’s the very person he’s been seeking all along: his apprentice Morgana.

It’s not exactly a twist that requires M. Night Shyamalan levels of imagination, but the narrative does add a bit of flavour, which is welcome when working through yet another ‘book’ themed slot. It also helps that Play’n GO’s artists have built a visually appealing icy world—especially the full reel Morgana wild, which really stands out. Depending on the stage of play, the backdrop switches between indoor and outdoor scenes. Both look good, even if the frosty atmosphere feels a touch chilling. Play’n GO doesn’t often release an unattractive game, and Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana keeps that streak intact.

The format is familiar enough, with gameplay running on a 5-reel, 3-reel layout offering 1-10 paylines. Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana’s maths are equally dependable, delivering an RTP of 96.2% at the best setting and playing out in a medium/high volatile style. To put a number on it, volatility is rated 7 out of 10. Merlin’s quest can be followed on any device, and stakes can be set from 1 p/c to $/€100 per spin. The very low minimum is possible because players can adjust the paylines anywhere from 1 to 10.

Checking the paytable reveals 9 standard symbols, divided into five low-value and four higher-value icons. The lower tier features 10-A card royals etched into stone, paying 1.5 to 2.5x the bet for five of a kind. Above them are rings, cauldrons, books, and Merlin symbols. Because multipliers come into play later, these payouts are smaller than you’ll often see in straightforward ‘book’ slots. As a result, hitting five premium symbols on a payline returns 10 to 250x your stake – assuming all ten lines are enabled.

Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana: Slot Features

In short, Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana sticks to classic Book-style mechanics, but spices things up with full reel wild multipliers that can appear in both the base game and the free spins round.

Morgana Wilds

Morgana Wilds can show up on any reel and may land stacked. When a stacked wild lands, it triggers the Morgana Multiplier. A random multiplier value of x2, x3, x5, or x8 is then activated and applied to all wins on the spin that triggered it. The multiplier also affects any scatter wins.

Free Spins

Hit at least 3 Merlin Staff scatter symbols to receive 10 free spins. Before the round starts, one pay symbol is randomly chosen to act as the special expanding symbol for the entire bonus. After wins are evaluated, if the expanding symbol can form a win, it expands to cover all positions on its reel. Once expanded, these symbols pay across all active paylines and don’t need to land next to each other. For extra help, expanded Morgana Wilds may substitute for special expanding symbols to complete winning combinations.

Gamble Feature

This optional add-on lets players try to boost their winnings. The aim is to correctly predict the colour or suit of a face-down card. Guess correctly to double or quadruple the prize; guess incorrectly and the win is lost. You can gamble up to 5 times or up to a limit of 2,500 coins.

Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana: Slot Verdict

Play’n GO is surely among the most active creators of ‘book of’ slots, and they usually deliver them with polish. Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana follows that pattern, offering quality across the board. The visuals are strong, the gameplay is well implemented, and the studio’s familiarity with this style is clear. That said, like many titles in the genre, Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana doesn’t feel like it demanded a huge reinvention, as it sticks closely to the tried-and-tested “book with a new twist” formula that Play’n GO has mastered.

As for those twists, they’re worthwhile and introduce a bit more uncertainty into how each session unfolds. Symbol payouts are lower than normal, though not to the extreme some games use when extra modifiers are added. Here, the main enhancer is the Morgana Wild. When a reel fills with it, the resulting multiplier can be genuinely exciting. The fact that Morgana Wilds can stand in for expanding symbols during free spins is another pleasant surprise. None of this completely reshapes what a ‘book’ slot is, but it does help push the maximum potential to 20,000x the bet, officially speaking.

Because Play’n GO releases these types of games so frequently, Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana can feel a little like business as usual. Even so, it’s put together so neatly that players who can’t get enough of Book-style slots—or anyone even mildly interested in expanding symbol bonus rounds—should find plenty to enjoy in Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana.