Merlin’s Grimoire: Slot Overview

Merlin, the famous figure from Arthurian legend, has been described as a wizard, prophet, enchanter, and even King Arthur’s trusted adviser. It’s easy to picture someone with that kind of knowledge keeping a private Grimoire packed with myths, spells, and hidden truths. To explore what could be tucked inside, Play’n GO created Merlin’s Grimoire, an online slot that borrows the expanding-symbol mechanic typical of the ‘book of’ genre, then layers in splitting symbols and a ways-to-win format to deliver something a little different from the standard formula.

What is familiar—in a positive way—is Play’n GO’s talent for building an atmospheric setting for this Merlin-themed adventure. The action plays out on a 5-reel, 3-row layout carved in stone and wrapped in ivy, with a dense woodland of trees, mushrooms, and foliage surrounding it. Don’t expect constant flashy spellcasting; if you wanted Merlin to go full Dumbledore with fire and fireworks, you may be disappointed. Part of that is because Merlin’s Grimoire acts like a prequel, following a younger Merlin on his path to becoming the world’s most powerful wizard. The visuals are attractive, and it shows that this isn’t Play’n GO’s first attempt at a Merlin slot.

In the realm of ‘book of’ slots, Merlin’s Grimoire is a serious contender. Not in a blunt, smash-and-grab way, but in a more cunning sense, since its mechanics are more thoughtfully layered than you often see. Under the hood, it uses a highly volatile math model and offers a return to player of 96.0% at the top end. It supports wagers from 10 p/c to $/€100 per spin across devices and gives Grimoire hunters some hefty win potential to chase.

Wins are formed by landing at least two high-paying symbols or three low-paying symbols from the leftmost reel across adjacent reels. With the standard layout, that equals 243 ways to win, though once splitting symbols begin appearing, the number of ways can surge rapidly, reaching up to 7776 ways. Among the low pays are six mysterious-looking tokens, paying 0.8-1x the bet for five of a kind, while the higher-value symbols—scrolls, potion bottles, gems, and Merlins—pay 2.5-4x the bet for five of a kind. The only remaining symbol is the Grimoire itself, explained next.

Merlin’s Grimoire: Slot Features

As far as we can tell, this is Play’n GO’s fourth clearly Merlin-themed slot, following Rise of Merlin, Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana, and Lord Merlin And The Lady of the Lake. Each of those leaned on expanding symbols in one form or another, so it’s no surprise Merlin’s Grimoire continues that tradition—while also introducing splitting symbols to help it stand apart.

Splitting Symbols

On any base game spin, there is a chance 1, 2 or 3 of the middle three reels activities. When it does, any symbol landing on an active reel is split into two, increasing ways to win.

Free Spins

In Merlin’s Grimoire, the Grimoire serves as both the wild and scatter symbol. When acting as a wild, it substitutes for any regular paying symbol to help complete winning ways. As a scatter, landing 3, 4, or 5 triggers 10 free spins and awards 0.8, 1.6 or 4 times the stake. Before the free spins begin, one pay symbol is randomly selected to be the special expanding symbol. Whenever expanding symbols can form a win, they expand to cover all positions on their reel and pay from any position – they do not have to be adjacent. Importantly, during free spins, every reel can produce splitting symbols when activated, rather than limiting it to only the middle three. Of course, the dream scenario is hitting expanding symbols on all five reels while they’re active, which would create 7,776 ways to win.

Merlin’s Grimoire: Slot Verdict

Nolimit City may be best known for splitting symbols, but Play’n GO proves it can put that mechanic to strong use too. Up to now, it’s most often appeared in their Gems series—Forge of Gems, Prism of Gems, Frozen Gems, and others—though those titles tended to be more intricate than Merlin’s Grimoire. By streamlining the design, Merlin’s Grimoire keeps the number of elements you need to track lower, while still having enough going on to deliver standout moments. It avoids feeling too repetitive thanks to the random splitting symbols and gentle audio-visual presentation, although activating free spins can take a little persistence.

It’s amusing that we described Merlin’s Grimoire as simpler than its Gem predecessors, because its bonus round is actually more involved than the typical Book of Ra free spins setup. Still, the overall rhythm—the peaks, dips, excitement, and frustration—will feel familiar. If anything, Merlin’s Grimoire can be especially intense, with the volatility making the ride more sharply up and down. Big hits are possible, and the slot can deliver wins up to a remarkable 30,000x the bet, far beyond what you usually see in a standard expanding-symbol game.

Merlin’s Grimoire’s main hooks should easily attract ‘book of’ fans, along with anyone drawn to Arthurian lore. It is a touch more involved than many classic ‘book’ slots, since several mechanics need to align before it really kicks into gear. Some players may find that a bit fiddly, and that’s fair. Even so, there’s no denying Merlin’s Grimoire has enough power to outshine most ‘book’ slots when it’s in form. Overall, it’s a well-built slot that should suit ‘book of’ players who want something more original to experiment with.