Olympus Hades Megaways: Slot Overview

At the time of writing, developer iSoftBet seemed to be deep in a mythology phase, first launching Olympus Zeus Megaways and then following it up not long after with Olympus Hades Megaways. Instead of standing atop Mount Olympus, players are dropped into a vast, cavern-like domain governed by the Ancient Greek god of the dead and Zeus’ brother – Hades. So, it’s clearly a very different setting from last time. Still, while some elements have shifted, plenty remains familiar, and Olympus Hades Megaways carries over many of the same features. Not all of them, though, and dedicated underworld explorers will spot a couple of fresh additions. If you’re ready, brace yourself for a trip below and let’s dive in.

It’s also a striking take on the underworld. As before, Hades looms on the left side of the screen, giving the game weight and occasionally stepping into the action during certain features. Around him and the reels, smoke curls through a rocky, low-lit environment that feels like a pretty intense place to hang out. The visuals lean heavily into Greek styling too, with columns and repeating patterns, while the dramatic soundtrack adds another layer of grand, epic atmosphere that suits the theme perfectly.

Compatible with any device, Olympus Hades Megaways accepts wagers across iSoftBet’s familiar range of 20 p/c to $/€20 per spin. Much like the underworld itself, the action runs on a highly volatile setup, and the game provides two return figures depending on how you choose to play. In standard pay-per-spin mode, the theoretical return to player is 95.95%, which increases to 96.43% when using the Hades Bonus Buy. With each spin, 2 to 7 symbols drop onto each of the 6 columns (including the top 4 position tracker reel), delivering up to 117,649 ways to win.

There are ten paying symbols in Olympus Hades Megaways. The first six, which are the lower-value set, pay 0.8 to 1.75 times the bet for a six-of-a-kind winning way, while the four premium icons (a vase, Medusa, Cerberus, and Hades) return 2 to 50 times the bet for a six symbols winning way. Wilds, when they land, can substitute for any symbol except Hades scatters. When a win lands, the winning symbols disappear and new ones tumble in via cascades from above on the main reels or from the right on the tracker reel. These cascading wins keep building until no further winning way is formed.

Olympus Hades Megaways: Slot Features

In addition to Cascading Wins, the other key features to note are Max Megaways, Hades Wilds Modifier, and Hades Free Spins.

Max Megaways

When the Max Megaways animation appears, it indicates that for that spin the reels will force the maximum number of symbols onto the grid, creating 117,649 ways to win.

Hades Wilds Modifier

On random spins, Hades adds wild symbols to the tracker reel. When this occurs, the spin is guaranteed to produce a win.

Hades Free Spins

Hades scatters unlock the bonus, and landing 4, 5, or 6 of them awards 12, 17, or 22 Hades Free Spins. During Hades Free Spins, an unlimited multiplier is in play, beginning at x1. After every cascade, the multiplier rises by +1 and does not reset until the feature finishes. Landing 3 or 4 Hades scatters on the top tracker extends the feature by granting +5 or +10 free spins, respectively.

On any free spin, there’s a chance that Hades places a walking wild in the rightmost position of the tracker reel. Walking wilds move 1 position left on the next spin until they reach the end of the tracker, at which point they vanish. A walking wild can contribute once per spin to a winning cascade; after that, it disappears for that spin. On the following spin, the walking wild shifts one position left from where it previously sat. Hades may add multiple walking wilds during a single Hades Free Spins, with up to four appearing on the top tracker.

To close out this section, the bonus buy option allows eligible players to purchase at least 12 Hades Free Spins for 75 times the bet.

Olympus Hades Megaways: Slot Verdict

Checking out Olympus Hades Megaways brought to mind a line from S. R. Hadden in the movie Contact, ‘First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?’ Released so close together, the pair feels like they were created side by side, almost as a matched set – one reflecting the upper world and the other the underworld, light versus shadow, two sides of the same coin. It’s a neat approach, especially if Ancient Greek mythology is your thing, since both titles are well-made and packed with potential.

Would it have been more thrilling if both games had completely different feature sets? Possibly, and it’s easy to wonder about that, but the two aren’t a perfect copy-and-paste either – this one includes those walking wilds, for instance. Overall, they deliver a comparable experience, complete with the same kind of dips and surges. Looking specifically at Olympus Hades Megaways, there isn’t a great deal to add that wasn’t already true of the earlier release. The potential is substantial, capped at a million coins, and the gameplay remains consistently engaging. iSoftBet has also put serious effort into the presentation, creating a strong audio-visual package that’s easy to appreciate.

In the end, anyone fascinated by the Ancient World – particularly the Greek side of it – has no shortage of themed slots to choose from. With Olympus Hades Megaways, iSoftBet has made that decision even tougher. It may not be overflowing with innovation, and much of what’s here is classic Megaways territory, but it’s hard to criticise when every part feels polished and put together to a high standard.