Mount M

Mount M is an ambitious and visually captivating online slot from Play'n GO Games, transporting players back to the frozen, prehistoric world of the Ice Age where ancient men worship the mighty Mammoth Spirit. Released in September 2022, this game is built on a unique, innovative grid structure that combines a traditional 5-reel setup with dynamic expanding reels in the Free Spins round, increasing the ways to win exponentially. The narrative is deeply woven into the mechanics, as players collect Orbs to perform symbol upgrades and expand the grid in their ascent of the mountain. With high volatility and a colossal maximum win potential of 13,000x the stake, Mount M is designed for the adventurous online gambling enthusiast who favors feature-rich, high-risk video slots and mythological themes.

The Mammoth's Domain: Grid Structure and Ways to Win

The Mount M slot starts on a standard 5-reel, 4-row layout which provides an initial 1,024 ways to win. This "ways to win" structure means that winning combinations are formed by landing matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel, regardless of their vertical position. This structure is a fundamental part of the gameplay, offering more flexibility than traditional paylines. The theme is expertly rendered with the reels framed by sinew and bone, set against an icy, mountainous backdrop. High-value symbols are the majestic creatures of the era: Rhinos, Bears, Saber-toothed Tigers, and Wolves, with the Mammoth as the highest-paying symbol. Low-value symbols are stylized card ranks made from tusks. The high variance of the game is immediately apparent, focusing all action toward the immense payout potential of the expanding grid.

The Wild Power and the Orb Collection

The Wild symbol in Mount M is represented by a piece of Shamanic Bone and substitutes for all regular paying symbols to complete winning combinations. The Wild symbol plays a vital role in both the base game and the bonus feature, but its function is heavily tied to the Orb mechanic. The Wild is the key to unlocking the grid expansion:

• Orb Collection: In the Free Spins round, every Wild symbol that lands brings an Orb overlay symbol with it. These Orbs are collected in a meter, and their accumulation is the primary method for upgrading the grid.

This interconnected mechanic ensures that every Wild that appears in the bonus round contributes directly to the feature's progression and maximum potential.

The Campfire Scatter: Triggering the Evolution Free Spins

The core bonus feature, appropriately named Evolution Free Spins, is triggered by the Scatter symbol, represented by a Campfire. Landing three, four, or five Campfire Scatters anywhere on the reels will award the player 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins, respectively. This initial large number of spins hints at the multi-stage nature of the bonus. The Evolution Free Spins is where the slot’s unique expanding reels mechanic and massive payout ceiling come into play, providing the primary avenue for achieving the game's spectacular 13,000x max win.

The Evolution Spins: Expanding Reels and Symbol Upgrades

The Evolution Free Spins round is a dynamic, multi-level feature where the player literally expands the game grid as they play. The three middle reels (Reels 2, 3, and 4) are the focus of this expansion, with the possibility of expanding up to four times:

• Orb Collection Threshold: Collecting a sufficient number of Orbs (typically five) during the Free Spins will trigger an expansion.

• Grid Expansion: The collection of Orbs unlocks an additional top row on the middle reels, increasing the potential ways to win. The number of potential ways to win can increase from 1,024 up to a staggering 8,192 ways if all four additional rows are unlocked.

• Symbol Upgrade: Alongside the grid expansion, a random lower-value animal symbol (Rhino, Bear, Tiger, or Wolf) is permanently upgraded to the highest-paying Mammoth symbol for the remainder of the feature.

• Extra Spins: Each time the grid expands due to Orb collection, the player is awarded 1 extra Free Spin, extending the highly lucrative bonus round.

This combination of grid expansion and premium symbol upgrades creates a powerful, snowballing effect designed to deliver high-value combinations across exponentially increasing ways to win.

The Shatter Respin Feature: Base Game Expansion

The Shatter Respin Feature is a unique base game modifier that gives the player a taste of the expanding reels mechanic. This feature is triggered randomly on any base game spin:

• Glow Activation: The three middle reels (2, 3, and 4) can randomly start to glow, indicating the feature is active.

• Wild Trigger: If a Wild symbol lands on one of these glowing middle reels, the Shatter Respin is activated.

  

• Respin and Expansion: The Wild symbol "shatters" the ice/rock covering one to four of the potential top expansion rows, instantly unlocking those rows and awarding a Respin. This temporarily increases the ways to win for the duration of the respin, providing a chance for a high-value combination.

This feature is critical for maintaining engagement and reminding players of the immense potential locked within the full Evolution Free Spins feature.

High Volatility and the 13,000x Max Payout

The Mount M slot is firmly established as a High Volatility offering, which is appropriate given the potential for the grid to expand dramatically. This profile dictates that wins may be infrequent, but when they occur—especially during the fully expanded Evolution Free Spins—they have the potential to be truly colossal. The enormous 13,000x maximum payout is primarily achieved in the bonus round when the grid is fully expanded (8,192 ways), and multiple lower-paying symbols have been permanently upgraded to the premium Mammoth symbol, leading to multiple high-paying combinations. This requires strict bankroll management to sustain play until the highly rewarding bonus is triggered.

RTP and Play'n GO's Variable Rates

The default theoretical RTP (Return to Player) rate for Mount M is set at a competitive 96.25%, which is in line with the high-quality standards expected from Play'n GO Games. However, it is a crucial point for online gambling enthusiasts that Play'n GO utilizes multiple RTP settings for their games (sometimes significantly lower, e.g., 94.25% or 91.25%). Given the high volatility of Mount M, players should always verify the specific RTP configuration offered by their chosen online casino to ensure they are playing with the most favorable long-term mathematical return.

Strategic Ascent: Focus on Orb Collection

The core roulette strategy for Mount M must be concentrated on maximizing the Evolution Free Spins. Since the grid expansion and symbol upgrades are cumulative and permanent throughout the bonus, the primary goal is to trigger the feature and then focus on collecting the necessary Orbs early in the round. A high number of initial spins (up to 20 from five Scatters) significantly increases the chance of hitting the Orb thresholds and reaching the maximum 8,192 ways to win. Consistent bankroll management and a sustainable bet size are vital to endure the high variance base game while waiting for the Campfire Scatters to land.