Towering Ways Aztec: Slot Overview

Anyone who’s been keeping tabs on provider GamesLab will already know the studio’s Towering Pays mechanic from titles such as Towering Pays Excalibur and Towering Pays Valhalla, two slots that didn’t exactly set the world alight. Now there’s a spin-off called Towering Ways Aztec, built around a Mesoamerican theme, and with Mega Tower Magic, Morphing Symbols and Grid Expansion, plus the Big Bonus feature, it aims to do more than its predecessors.

Early impressions were split. The backdrop shows an intensely lush jungle, but it also has a soft, slightly blurred look that some players may find appealing while others might find it distracting. It brings to mind grainy photos from early expeditions through untouched wilderness, or that strange, hazy feel of the first moon-landing footage. Either way, the stone carvings and thick vegetation do a good job of setting the scene, so before writing it off—or getting drawn in—let’s see what Towering Ways Aztec offers.

Before heading into the jungle, players will want to set a wager of 25 p/c to $/€25 per spin and decide whether to play with standard spins or purchase the bonus. If opting for the latter, buying 6 free spins costs 48 times the stake, although when the bonus is bought, the maximum reference stake is 1 credit. The return rate depends on which bonus rule set is selected, ranging from 95.21% to 95.42%, and the math model is classed as medium-high volatile.

At the start, Towering Ways Aztec uses a grid with 5 columns of symbols, where 2-3-4-3-2 positions are initially active. Wins pay when matching symbols land on adjacent reels beginning from the left, giving 144 ways to win, which can climb to 2,400 ways to win once every position is unlocked. Symbol-wise, clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds make up the low pays, followed by 6 animal-themed premium symbols. A 5-of-a-kind win returns 0.16 to 0.2x the bet for the card suits and 0.28 to 0.8 times the bet for the higher-value icons. The wild symbol pays the most, but at 1.6 times the bet for 5 OAK it’s not exactly huge—still, wilds also substitute for any symbol except the Tower, which helps.

Towering Ways Aztec: Slot Features

With symbol payouts on the modest side, the game leans on its feature set to add some punch, bringing in Mega Tower Magic, Morphing Symbols and Grid Expansion, Big Bonus feature, Free Spins feature, Shaman feature, Warrior feature, and Win-Win feature.

Mega Tower Magic

Tower symbols act as mystery symbols and appear grouped on reels 1, 2, and 3. If any Towers are visible when the reels stop, they all reveal the same random symbol type.

Morphing Symbols and Grid Expansion

Whenever wins land, two effects kick in. First, locked positions are unlocked, expanding the reels and increasing the number of ways to win; second, the winning symbols morph into new symbols after the payout is awarded. A win at Stage 1 expands the grid to 2, 3, 6, 3, 2, a win at Stage 2 expands the grid to 2, 4, 6, 4, 2; a win at Stage 3 expands the board to 3, 4, 6, 4, 3; a win at Stage 4 expands the board to 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, while a win at Stage 5 expands the board to 4, 5, 6, 5, 4. Morphing and grid expansions continue as long as wins keep landing or a bonus is triggered. Winning at Stage 6 triggers free spins. The grid resets when no further wins occur (after the Big Bonus Feature) or once free spins finish.

Big Bonus Feature

If a morph fails to create a win at Stage 6 in the base game, a Big Bonus chance can trigger. When it does, players may win the Mini, Minor, Maxi, Major, or Grand worth 5x, 50x, 500x, 5,000x, or 25,000x the bet, respectively.

Free Spins Feature

Free spins activate by landing a win at Stage 6 in the base game. After that, players choose between the Shaman feature or the Warrior feature. During free spins, wins are counted, and an extra free spin is granted on every third win from the win count tally.

• For the Shaman feature, 6 free spins are awarded, and each free spins starts on the Stage 3 grid.
• For the Warrior feature, 6 free spins are awarded, and each spin starts on a Stage 1 grid – however, a win multiplier is used, starting at x1 and increasing by 1 after every 3rd win from the win tally. When buying free spins, the Warrior feature rules apply, except each spin starts on a Stage 3 grid. The RTP for the bonus buy is 96.04%.

Finally, the Win-Win feature can activate if the free spins payout is 10x the bet or less. To take part, a wheel spins and, if it lands successfully, the feature retriggers; if not, the feature ends. Win-Win can also trigger after any bonus feature when the win is 10x the bet or less.

Towering Ways Aztec: Slot Verdict

Aztec-themed slots are everywhere, yet GamesLab has produced one that does manage to stand apart—though not always in the best way. On the plus side, Towering Ways Aztec packs in plenty for players to work through, from staging up and adding more symbols to the reels, to increasing the ways to win, and eventually pushing through into free spins. Once there, players can decide whether the Shaman feature or the Warrior feature is the better fit, with the Big Bonus feature sitting in the background ready to potentially appear.

The Big Bonus feature is a strong hook thanks to its 25,000x the bet top prize, especially for those who like having a constant set of big targets while spinning. Even without the jackpot-style prizes, Towering Ways Aztec can still put up sizeable figures, including a 20,000x the bet (excluding wins from the Big Bonus feature) potential. So the headline numbers are solid, and the features combined with Morphing Symbols and Grid Expansion read as quite engaging—on paper. In actual play, though, and this is purely personal opinion, Towering Ways Aztec felt slow in a way that repeatedly risked becoming distracting. The reels chug along, the visuals range from okay to decent in spots, but it was difficult to settle on whether the game’s unusual look is genuinely appealing or not. Maybe that uncertainty is part of the Mesoamerican mystery.

Put everything into one jungle-flavoured mix and you end up with a slot that’s close to unplayable, and one that’s outshone by others in the same space such as Gonzo’s Quest Megaways from Red Tiger. One feels polished, charming, and highly playable, while the other—respectfully—comes across like it was built by a team still sharpening their skills.