Player return
96.12%
Minimum bet
0.10
Slot category
Video Slots
Volatility
High
Reels
5
Progressive jackpot
No
Popularity
Maximum bet
75
Game Provider
NetEnt
Bonus features
Yes
Paylines
10
Theme
Adventure
Rise of Maya online slot
Al Buraq Regina presents Evan Carrington’s review of Rise of Maya, released in Feb 2020. It covers the bonus bet, free spins, expanding and stacked wilds, and Scatters as players pursue the riches of a Mayan temple’s gods.
Theme and Storyline
The story unfolds in the temple of a Mayan god. Players return to an era when the Maya sought to appease their gods through demanding, bloodthirsty rituals. The aim is to join serpents and other symbols of Mayan culture while plundering the temple’s riches.
Graphics, Sound, and Animation
The slot’s 3D presentation sets the action inside an eerie Mayan temple, with animated torches burning behind masks representing the gods. Dark tones contrast with the fire’s golden glow. The reels feature ornate symbols with intricate masked designs that stand out on mobile and desktop screens.
There is no theme tune, but light, pounding drums and Mayan wind instruments shape the soundscape. Their calls seem to summon the gods to the paylines, creating the impression that players might leave the temple laden with NetEnt coins.
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Gameplay
Rise of Maya uses 5 reels and 10 paylines. At the time of the review, it was one of NetEnt’s newest releases, combining engaging gameplay with several ways to win despite its relatively small number of paylines.
To set a bet, adjust the ‘coin value’. Each line uses 1 coin, and this cannot be changed, so every spin costs 10 coins. The total wager appears in the ‘BET’ box as coins or cash. The settings menu includes ‘Show bet in cash’, ‘Quick Spin’, and ‘Spacebar to Spin’.
Selecting ‘bet in cash’ displays symbol payouts in cash rather than coins in the paytable. Across Rise of Maya’s 10 paylines, combinations include the Wild, which pays 5000, 1000, 100, or 10 coins when 5, 4, 3, or 2 appear on a payline. Wilds can also land stacked and expand.
The reels also have 5 different Mayan mask symbols, which pay when 2, 3, 4, or 5 appear on a payline. The 5 lowest-paying symbols pay in combinations of 3, 4, or 5: A, K, Q, J, and 10. The next section covers Rise of Maya’s features and bonuses.
Bonuses and free spins
Wild Symbols: The golden serpent Wild substitutes for any regular symbol, but not Scatters. It pays the highest available combination and can expand to turn a reel Wild. During free spins, it stays permanently stacked in sets of 3.
Free Spins: Landing 3, 4, or 5 Wild or Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels awards 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. Every reel containing one of these symbols becomes a ‘hot reel’. Any unstacked Wilds expand when they land on a ‘hot reel’.
Bonus Bet: The second-chance Scatter re-spin is available only with the bonus bet option, which doubles the bet. If 2 Scatter/Wild symbols land, reels without Scatters or Wilds re-spin. The aim is to land a third Scatter/Wild and trigger free spins.
Bet sizes, RTP and volatility
Only 10 coins are active on each spin, and each coin can be valued from 0.01 to 7.50. The resulting cash wager per spin ranges from 0.10 to 75.00. With just 10 paylines, the review does not suggest that large wins will come regularly. It associates bigger results with accumulated free-spin wins and retrying the bonus bet feature. Combining the base game and features, the review lists Rise of Maya’s expected RTP at 96.12%, calling it low for a NetEnt slot.
Conclusion
Evan Carrington’s review describes the Mayan theme as enduring and presents NetEnt’s newest online slot, released in Feb 2020, as a familiar setting with updated features. Free spins and expanding or stacked wilds are established mechanics, while the bonus bet adds another option. The review calls its return on investment pretty decent but cautions that the bonus bet increases both the stakes and the risk.
Evan Carrington brings more than 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry, specializing in online casino reviews, slot game analysis, and player safety assessments. Their expertise includes casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus terms, and withdrawal policies. Combining hands-on reviews with independent research, Evan provides clear, evidence-based coverage to help players understand gambling platforms, their features, and possible risks.
