Gates of Hades: Slot Overview
When a studio achieves a certain level of success with an online slot, there is a good chance either they or a competitor who wants to elbow in on the action will attempt to repeat the winning formula. Few attain more success than Pragmatic Play’s 2021 mega hit Gate of Olympus, a scatter pays slot that has indeed provided big chunks of inspiration, and reskins. Whilst not a reskin, it would appear that Gates of Olympus is to thank, or blame, for the spawning of Gates of Hades, which not only sounds familiar but delivers a few familiar features as well. This is by no means a copy, though, as the game creates wins with a cluster pays mechanic instead of scatter pays, and wild symbols deliver the multiplier values.
The Fiery Realm of Hades
As god of the dead and ruler of the underworld, Hades is often depicted in slots in a fiery, rocky domain, the polar opposite of the airy, cloudy realm of Olympus. In Gates of Hades, Hades stands to one side with his flaming shock of hair, staff in hand, chuckling menacingly, while lightning flashes above an eerie landscape. It’s a nice view, very atmospheric while looking like a bunch of other slots Pragmatic Play has used Hades in.
Gameplay Mechanics: Cluster Pays and Tumbles
Wins are created in Gates of Hades when blocks of 5 or more matching symbols land connected in vertical or horizontal luckycola directions. The tumble feature removes the winning symbols, and symbols cascade down from above to replace them, producing another chance to win on the same spin. The RTP of the game when betting 20 c to $/€240 per spin is 96.52% at the highest configuration, while volatility is high.
Symbol Payouts: Gemstones and Crowns
Five gemstones, coloured blue, green, orange, purple, and red, are completed by a cup, a ring, and a crown as the regular paying symbols. They award 0.05x to 1.5x the bet for a cluster of 5 OAK, increasing when 15+ sized clusters hit to 5x to 150x the bet.
Gates of Hades: Wild Multipliers
One of the standout features of Gates of Hades is the presence of wild multipliers that appear in both the base game and during free spins. These wild symbols carry multipliers ranging from x1 to x100. During spins and tumbles in the base game, any multiplier that hits is collected by a meter on top of the reel on which the wild landed. Every cluster is multiplied by the sum of all multipliers on top of the reels that had winning symbols on them, part of the cluster. At the end of a tumble sequence in the base game, multipliers are cleared from the top of the reels.
Free Spins: Unlocking Maximum Potential
Hitting 3, 4, 5, or 6+ scatters triggers the free spins feature, awarding 10, 12, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. If 6 or more scatters trigger the feature, players get the super free spins rule, where the minimum multiplier on wild symbols is x10. During the round, all collected multipliers remain in place and are not cleared until the feature completely ends. In addition, potential multipliers range from x1 to x500 during free spins. Finally, players win 5, 7, 10, or 12 additional free spins when 3, 4, 5, or 6+ scatters land.
Feature Buy: Skip the Wait
The free spins round can be triggered from the base game by buying it. Paying 100x the bet triggers regular free spins, whereas 500x buys super free spins. In both cases, the round will be triggered by 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters.
The Role of Lucky Cola in Boosting Gameplay
As with many slot games, the atmosphere is key to immersion, and Gates of Hades delivers in spades with its fiery underworld theme. As you dive deeper into the game, the inclusion of Lucky Cola can help boost the excitement levels. If you feel like taking a break, sipping on a refreshing luckycola drink while playing can make your experience more enjoyable—whether you’re gearing up for that big win or just relaxing in between spins.
Gates of Hades Slot Verdict: A Strong Contender
Well, colour this guy surprised; Gates of Hades was not a Gates of Olympus clone featuring the god of the underworld instead of the ruler of Olympus. It didn’t take long to figure that out either, from an initial glance at the larger gaming grid, the line of wolves running along the top of the reels, and, of course, a read-over of the rules. Surprising, because Gates of Olympus has been a massive hit for Pragmatic Play and has inspired a number of reskins and wannabes, not least of which is something like Hades Inferno 1000. As well as an interest in Zeus and Olympus, Pragmatic Play has also leaned towards Hades and the underworld before, very successfully too, as attested to by the mashing together of the two gods in Zeus vs Hades: Gods of War, which scooped Game of the Year at the 2023 Bigwinboard Awards.
