Reel King Megaways: Overview

It feels like almost every legendary slot is destined to get the Megaways makeover sooner or later. Now it’s the UK favourite Reel King’s turn. Spend even a short time playing online slots and you’ll almost certainly come across this series in one form or another. Players can credit—or curse—Barcrest/Novomatic for creating it way back in what now feels like an Edwardian age of gaming. It clearly struck a chord, going on to produce plenty of follow-ups.

Red Tiger attempted a refresh with Reel King Mega (so close, only missing the “ways”), which excited existing fans but didn’t do much beyond that. Inspired Gaming, however, went all-in with a two-part plan: first acquiring Novomatic’s Gaming Technology business, then bolting on Big Time Gaming’s licensed Megaways engine. The outcome is exactly the kind of hybrid you’d expect—classic DNA remains, but there’s also a hefty set of new mechanics that significantly change how it plays. Too much, or finally the update it needed? You’ll find out soon enough.

At the heart of it all is the Megaways system. In Reel King Megaways, that translates to 6 rows with 2 to 7 symbols per reel. Each spin reshuffles the reel heights, creating win ways as ‘low’ as 324 and as high as 117,649. Despite the huge range, it’s simple to follow: land three or more matching symbols left to right on any row to score a win (starting from the leftmost reel).

On the visual side, Inspired Gaming does a strong job of capturing the feel of the older titles. A simple blue wall sits in the background, while the symbols appear on clean white tiles, evoking the old-school era nicely. But glance to the left at the multi-part meter and it’s clear the King has a few surprises lined up. One thing they didn’t nail, though, is the Megaways logo’s aspect ratio. Not a major problem, but it’s noticeable.

Sound-wise, the base game is fairly restrained, aside from a slightly hypnotic tune each time the reels spin. Beyond that, it’s calm and quiet. Once features kick in, the mood shifts completely—suddenly it feels like you’ve wandered into a high-society ballroom, complete with some of the most cheerful Back-style harpsichord you’re likely to hear in a slot.

With stakes from 20 p/c to $/€20 per spin and a respectable 96.23% RTP, Reel King Megaways isn’t especially volatile as standard. However, thanks to the gambling options available, it can become extremely volatile if you choose—borderline brutal, in fact.

The pay symbols will be instantly familiar: cherries, plums, watermelons, 9-A royals, and bags of coins. Coin bags lead the pack because only 2 are needed for a payout, while 6 deliver 50 times the stake. Above the main reels sits a horizontal 4-position reel, where jester hat wilds can land and substitute for any other paying symbol.

Reel King Megaways: Features

Reel King Megaways blends familiar and fresh mechanics, featuring Cascades, Lit Reels, the Reel King Feature, and Free Spins. Cascades work exactly as you’d expect from a Megaways title: every win triggers a cascade, removing the winning symbols so new ones can drop in and potentially create additional wins. Cascades keep going for as long as new winning combinations appear.

A signature element of the series is the Lit Reels. In the base game, anywhere from 0 to 6 reels can light up yellow, paired with that classic ‘Ding!’ sound. With each following cascade, one additional reel turns yellow. If all reels become yellow, players move into the Reel King feature. Land another cascade to access the Super King feature. Then, one or more cascade after that can activate the Mega King feature.

Each Reel King feature comes with its own Free Spins trail and a set number of Reel Kings, as follows:

• Reel King – 8 to 12 free spins + 1 to 2 Reel Kings.
• Super King – 8 to 20 free spins + 2 to 3 Reel Kings.
• Reel King – 8 to 25 free spins + 3 to 6 Reel Kings.

Reel Kings appear above the reels and spin their own single-line mini slot. Wins of 1x, 2x, 5x, or 10x are awarded for mixed, blue, yellow, or red ‘Seven’ symbols. If the mini-slot reels show yellow, the player advances along the Free Spin Trail. If a Reel King hits a losing result and has fewer than 3 lit reels, he is removed from play. The feature finishes once all Reel Kings have been removed. If the round ends on a Free Spins trail position that shows a number, that number of Free Spins is awarded.

Before Free Spins start, players can choose to collect or gamble their free spins. A wheel is spun: landing on green awards the displayed number of free spins, while landing on red reduces them, potentially down to none. The Gamble option can award up to 25 Free Spins in total.

Free Spins include a win multiplier that begins at x1 and increases by +1 with every cascade. There’s no cap on how high it can climb, and it never resets. Cascades also light the reels red one by one, starting with the leftmost reel. The reels stay red until the sixth reel lights up. When that happens, the Reel King appears on the reels to boost Free Spins by 1-3 and increase the win multiplier by 0-3x.

Reel King Megaways: Verdict

Inspired Gaming has managed a smart balancing act with Reel King Megaways. On one side, it remains unmistakably Reel King, from the stripped-back (but sharp) presentation to the familiar pub-like sound cues.

There are also small details that add extra personality, like the coin pile at the bottom of the screen that helps recreate a tangible arcade feel. And the ways the original is revived—such as the lit reels—are plentiful. The real finishing touch is how naturally the features are woven into the Reel King/royal concept.

If you’re not utterly fed up with the King, this is a decent Megaways slot. Reel King is a genuine classic, and some players will feel it was due a dose of Megaways sparkle. That said, purists may wince at seeing their beloved Humpty Dumpty-style character reworked with modern mechanics.

In a way, the split opinions around Reel King Megaways reflect the Reel King catalogue itself. For some, Reel King is the definitive classic that will never fade. For others, they’d happily perform a slot voodoo ceremony to finally put the franchise to rest.

Ultimately, Reel King Megaways is a fun, well-crafted modern take on one of the most iconic land-based machines ever produced. If anything could pull Reel King out of its retro corner and into a wider mainstream audience, it’s the Megaways engine.