How It Pays – Bet Range and RTP
This slot runs a tight 0.1 to 100 per spin, with a maximum win of x5000 your stake. The headline RTP sits at 98.5% – well above the 94-96% industry standard – paired with low volatility that keeps wins frequent and steady. Hit Frequency clocks 41.2%, meaning roughly 2 in 5 spins land something. The muted 15th-century map aesthetic doesn’t shout, but the math underneath rewards patience.
Expanding Wilds – Reels 2 / 3 / 4 Only
The Ship Wild is the engine. When it lands on reel 2, 3, or 4 – those are the only reels it appears on – it expands to fill the entire reel with 3 stacked wilds. This mechanic runs in both Base Game and Free Spins, so a lucky spin with multiple Ship symbols can chain wins across the paylines fast. No wild on reel 1 or 5, and it doesn’t substitute the Compass Bonus symbol – that’s by design.
Free Spins Bonus – Trigger and Retrigger
Land 3 or more Compass symbols anywhere on the reels and the Free Spins Bonus fires. The payout table is clean:
| Compass Symbols | Free Spins Awarded |
|---|---|
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 50 |
Free Spins retrigger – land 3+ Compass again during the bonus and the spin counter climbs. Maximum cap is 50 total spins across all retriggered rounds. Expanding Wilds stay active throughout, so the real damage happens when Ship symbols stack during free play.
Symbol Payouts and Theme
The Mermaid is the premium symbol, hitting 50x your bet for 5 of a kind. The design blends historical Age of Discovery facts – 1429 marks Columbus’s voyage – with maritime fantasy: mermaids, giant squids, sea monsters fill the reels alongside period ships and compasses. The hand-drawn, muted colour palette is a deliberate break from the neon-bright slots that dominate. Compass is the Bonus (no cash value). Ship is the Wild. Everything else pays in coin.
Volatility and Session Length
Low volatility with 98.5% RTP is a rare combo. This slot stretches a session – frequent small-to-medium wins keep the bankroll ticking over. Base Game can feel flat between bonus triggers, but the Expanding Wilds mechanic fires often enough to hold attention. When Free Spins land, the stacking wilds and retrigger potential mean a single bonus round can turn a dull streak into a solid win.
