ALL ABOUT THE AGES OF WONDER SLOT
On the market, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of video slots with historical themes. The myths and stories of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome, in particular, have provided fertile ground for creators. Cleopatra, the Age of Gods trilogy, Book of Gods, and Rome Rise of an Empire are all classics in this category. Blueprint has gone for a historical mash-up with their latest album, combining four historical periods — the Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Rome, China, and Greece. Consider it a Bill and Ted’s Excellent Trip-style adventure as you zip from one era to the next, maybe seeing all four if you’re lucky enough to trigger each period’s unique free spins feature in a single session.
Blueprint has lately built a name for themselves as a provider of Megaways slots under license from Big Time Gaming, but Wonder of Ages serves as a reminder that they have more than simply a lengthy list of Bonanza reboots up their sleeves. It’s not just a snappy game with good bonus round features; it’s also part of the Jackpot King Progressives slot network, which has three distinct prize pools to play for in addition to the basic game payouts.
GAME SET-UP, SYMBOLS AND GRAPHICS
The historical episodes in Wonder of Ages are set against a backdrop of ancient Egyptian pyramids, Roman ruins, and buildings that must represent the Chinese Ming dynasty (what else?!). All are bathed in a golden glow, which contrasts wonderfully with the 5×3 reel arrangement. At any given moment, there are 20 fixed paylines in play, and to win, you must hit three or more similar symbols (except in the case of the wild which pays out for two or more on a payline).
The Roman numerals I, II, and III are low-value symbols. Historical personalities such as Cleopatra, Caesar, Genghis Khan, Ramses, and Leonidas are used as premium emblems. For five on a payline, Ceasar himself pays out the top payout of 50x. There’s also a bonus prize for lining up all five characters on a single payline — 200 times your bet for that once-in-a-lifetime historical occurrence! There’s also a wild symbol that may replace all other symbols save the Wonder or Ages Scatter and pays out a staggering 500x for five on a payline.
Wonder of Ages is a medium to high volatility slot with a 95.49 percent RTP, making it a difficult game to unlock and one that will test your patience. There is a top payout of 10,000x, but you’ll need to do some lucky hunting in the bonus rounds to come close.
FEATURES AND GAMEPLAY
In Wonder of Ages, there are four bonus round features, one for each time of history, as well as three Jackpot King Progressives to win.
Free Spins Feature
You’ll need three or more Wonder of Ages Bonus Scatters to activate the free spins round.
After that, you’ll see a screen with 20 gold coins on it. Each coin, when clicked, reveals a character from one of the periods; expose three of the same character to activate that function. You’ll also notice Fallen Temple symbols, which should be avoided because exposing three of them will stop your involvement in the bonus rounds. After you’ve completed a free spins round, you’ll be sent back to the coin screen, where you may either activate another round of free spins or reveal Fallen Temples and return to the main game.
Empire of Rome Free Spins – You’ll get nine free spins with a stacked Emperor wild on reel 3 all the time.
Wonder of Egypt Free Spins – Nine free spins with the possibility of up to five symbols becoming wild at random.
Rise of Greece Free Spins consists of nine free spins with a multiplier that increases with each spin. The multiplier starts at 1x and climbs to 2x after 3 spins and 3x after 6 spins. In addition, the center row on reel 3 has an extra wild.
Mighty Dynasty Free Spins– Nine free spins with a 1x to 5x multiplier applied to each one.
Progressive Jackpot King Deluxe
Jackpot King Deluxe is a progressive feature that has been integrated into a number of Blueprint games. To activate the feature, you must land FIVE Jackpot King Deluxe symbols on the reels at the same time. Players must then use crown symbols to ascend a ladder, collecting multipliers along the way. The Wheel King, who may be reached by landing 15 or more crowns, is at the summit of the staircase. To win extra multipliers or one of the Progressive Jackpots, spin the Wheel. Regal, Royal, and Jackpot King are the three options.
OUR OPINION
Wonder of Ages is a visually stunning slot, and the ability to create four separate free spins rounds from a single scatter trigger is intriguing. In reality, it’s doubtful that you’ll get to play all four before the Fallen Temple coins ruin your enjoyment, but you could get fortunate and earn two or three rounds before that. The Mighty Dynasty round is undoubtedly the finest of the bunch, because to the greater value multiplier on offer, and the chance to win one of the Progressives rounds make Wonder or Ages a slot worth playing. Just keep in mind that the higher-than-average volatility may result in some frustrating sessions, and adjust your stake appropriately.
