Secrets Of Atlantis Pros & Cons
Secrets of Atlantis delivers classic Aristocrat action with a proven track record. The choice-based free spins and stacked symbols create a good variety, but the RTP and max win won't impress everyone.
- 97.07% RTP — tied with Steam Tower for the highest in NetEnt’s catalog and among the best in any slot at this bet range
- 40 paylines both ways — the Nudge Wilds and Colossal Re-Spin hit harder here than they would on a standard left-to-right layout
- Watching three centre reels light up one by one is genuinely tense — the Highlight Feature creates anticipation that most base-game mechanics don’t
- 4-row grid means more symbol coverage per reel than the standard NetEnt 3-row layout
- No free spins is a deliberate design choice that concentrates all the value into base game events — sessions feel dense rather than waiting for a feature
- Medium volatility with strong RTP — good fit for controlled budget sessions
- No free spins — if you need a dedicated feature mode this slot won’t satisfy that need regardless of RTP
- The Colossal Re-Spin requires all three centre reels to highlight simultaneously — two reels lighting often, three completing rarely
- 1,600x max win — solid for medium volatility but not a jackpot-level event
- No bonus buy — can’t force the Colossal Re-Spin, only the random Highlight Feature can deliver it
- The slot is relatively quiet visually outside the Highlight and Colossal events — regular spins without wild action are routine
Secrets of Atlantis Slot Review
Most players discover Secrets of Atlantis the same way: they filter by RTP, see 97.07%, and open it expecting a dry, mechanically boring slot that trades entertainment for return rate. Then reel 2 lights up. Then reel 4. Then reel 3 — and all three centre columns collapse into one giant symbol covering a 3×4 block while the outer reels spin free. That Colossal Re-Spin on a 40-payline both-ways grid is not what you were expecting from a “high-RTP slot.”
The game launched in August 2016 and uses a 5-reel, 4-row layout — four rows is already less common in NetEnt’s catalog, which gives the grid more symbol coverage than the standard 3-row setup. The two mechanics are Nudge Wilds on reels 2, 3 and 4 (wilds that expand to full reel height when they land) and the Highlight Feature that randomly illuminates centre reels and fires the Colossal Re-Spin when all three complete. No free spins, no scatter trigger, no bonus buy — everything happens in the base game. That sounds like a downgrade until you realise the Nudge Wilds are on three of the five reels and the both-ways evaluation turns every good wild landing into something the paytable didn’t obviously show. 97.07% RTP, medium volatility, 1,600x max win, bets from €0.20 to €200.
| PROVIDER NetEnt | RELEASE DATE August 24, 2016 |
|---|---|
| GRID 5 Reels, 4 Rows | PAYLINES 40 Fixed - Both Ways (left-to-right + right-to-left) |
| RTP 97.07% | MAX WIN 1,600x bet |
| VOLATILITY Medium | MIN / MAX BET €0.20 - €200 |
| NUDGE WILDS Reels 2, 3 and 4- expand to full-reel coverage when they land | HIGHLIGHT FEATURE Random reel lighting - all 3 centre reels = Colossal Symbol Re-Spin |
| BONUS BUY Not available |
Key Features & Mechanics
🌊 Highlight Feature — Watch Three Reels Light Up All 3 Centre Reels Highlighted = Colossal Re-Spin with 3×4 Giant Symbol
This is the mechanic that makes the session feel different from any other NetEnt base-game slot. On any spin, reels 2, 3 and 4 can independently light up — a blue glow around the reel edge that signals it’s part of the active set. One reel lighting is common. Two reels feels close. All three completing on the same spin fires the Colossal Symbol Re-Spin — and at that point the three centre reels merge into a single massive symbol block covering the full 3×4 centre of the grid. That’s twelve symbol positions locked as one matching symbol type. Reels 1 and 5 spin freely during the re-spin with that colossal block fixed in place. If a Nudge Wild comes in on reel 1 or reel 5 during this re-spin — wild coverage on an outer reel plus a colossal matching symbol spanning three centre reels, all on 40 both-ways paylines — that’s the moment this slot was built for. The partial highlights — one or two reels lighting — happen often enough that you’re always paying attention to the centre reels, waiting for the third.
🌤 Nudge Wilds — One Wild, Potentially Four Positions Centre Three Reels Only — Expands to Fill the Full Reel Height
Nudge Wilds land on reels 2, 3 and 4. When one appears on any row of those reels, it doesn’t just sit in its landing position — it nudges, sliding up or down until it reaches its maximum coverage on that reel. On a 4-row grid, a wild that nudges fully covers all four row positions on that reel, turning the entire column into a wild substitute. A single Nudge Wild on reel 3 — the central reel — touches every payline passing through the middle column in both directions simultaneously. Two full Nudge Wilds on reels 2 and 3 create a double wild column through the centre of the grid. The nudge direction is automatic — you don’t choose it — and the game engine selects whichever direction creates the maximum coverage from the landing position. Between Colossal Re-Spin events, this is what makes the regular spins worth watching. A Nudge Wild on reel 3 is not a minor event on a 40-payline both-ways grid.
🐐 Sunken Atlantis — Deep Ocean, No Characters, Just Atmosphere Ancient Ruins — Bioluminescent Glow — Greek-Mythology Symbols
NetEnt went for atmosphere over narrative here — there are no characters, no story, no quest framing. The reels sit against a deep underwater backdrop of sunken stone columns, coral-covered ruins and bioluminescent blue-green light sources. It looks like the ocean floor at depth — dark, pressurised, lit from within. The premium symbols are Greek mythology anchors: a golden trident, an ornate warrior helmet, a clay amphora, a sea horse and pearls. All are rendered in detailed 3D with the same cool blue-green tint as the background. The reel frame is carved stone with Atlantean architectural detail. When the Colossal Re-Spin fires, the centre reels merge with a deep rumble effect and the giant symbol appears with a flash of golden light against the dark water. It’s one of the better-looking base game events in the 2016-era NetEnt catalog. The absence of characters is worth noting as a positive — the setting feels like a real place rather than a themed backdrop with a cartoon figure standing in front of it.
Symbol Values & Paytable
| SYMBOL | 3 OF A KIND | 4 OF A KIND | 5 OF A KIND |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Golden Trident (Top Premium)
|
30x | 120x bet | |
|
Helmet (2nd Premium)
|
20x | 80x bet | |
|
Amphora / Sea Horse / Pearl (3 mid)
|
8-15x | 25-50x bet | |
|
Card Ranks (A, K, Q, J, 10- 5 types)
|
2-6x | 8-20x bet |
Play Responsibly - 18+ Only
Gambling should be entertaining and fun. Remember that slots are games of chance, and there's no guaranteed way to win. Never gamble more than you can afford to lose, and always set limits for yourself. If you feel gambling is becoming a problem, please seek help immediately.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Colossal Symbol Re-Spin trigger?
It triggers through the Highlight Feature, which fires randomly. On any spin, one or more of reels 2, 3 and 4 can light up with a blue glow. If all three centre reels highlight on the same spin, the Colossal Re-Spin fires — reels 2, 3 and 4 merge into a single 3×4 block showing one giant symbol, and reels 1 and 5 spin freely in the re-spin. One or two reels highlighting is much more common than all three completing on the same spin. You can’t do anything to influence when the Highlight Feature fires or how many reels it selects — it’s entirely random.
What are Nudge Wilds?
Nudge Wilds appear on reels 2, 3 and 4. When a wild lands on any row of those reels, it automatically nudges — slides up or down — until it reaches its maximum possible coverage on that reel. On the 4-row grid, this means a single wild landing on row 2 of reel 3 can nudge to cover all four rows, creating a full wild column through the centre of the grid. The game engine picks whichever nudge direction produces the most coverage. Multiple Nudge Wilds can land on the same spin across different centre reels.
Why are there no free spins?
NetEnt built Secrets of Atlantis as a pure base-game experience — no scatter trigger, no bonus mode, no separate feature to enter. The design logic is that Nudge Wilds on three reels and a Colossal Re-Spin already represent significant feature value concentrated into the base game rather than gated behind a scatter. Whether that’s a better or worse experience than a traditional free spins feature depends entirely on your preference. Players who measure a session by what happens during free spins will find Atlantis unsatisfying. Players who engage with every spin as the active game surface tend to rate it highly.
Is Secrets of Atlantis available at Canadian casinos?
Yes — at Ontario-regulated casinos on the NetEnt platform and at most international sites serving Canadian players. The 97.07% RTP is consistent across operators — this is one of the slots where the certified RTP actually matters to look up, because it’s meaningfully higher than the NetEnt average. Bets run €0.20 to €200 with CAD equivalent. All mechanics are active without regional restrictions. No bonus buy available.
What does “both ways” paylines mean in practice?
Every spin evaluates all 40 paylines running left-to-right and all 40 running right-to-left simultaneously. A symbol combination covering reels 1, 2 and 3 pays as a left-to-right win. If the same symbol type also covers reels 3, 4 and 5, that evaluates and pays as a right-to-left win on top — two payline wins from the same set of symbols. For the Colossal Re-Spin specifically, a giant symbol blocking reels 2, 3 and 4 means any matching symbol on reel 1 completes left-to-right combinations and any matching symbol on reel 5 completes right-to-left combinations simultaneously. Both pay. The Nudge Wilds on the outer reels during a Colossal Re-Spin double the evaluation value because wild coverage on reel 1 or 5 connects both directions at once.
How does 97.07% RTP compare to other popular slots?
It’s genuinely exceptional. Most slots sit between 94% and 96.5% — NetEnt’s own portfolio averages around 96.3%. At 97.07%, the house edge is just 2.93%, versus 5% or more on many branded or jackpot titles. For context: at the same bet level over the same session length, a 97.07% RTP slot retains significantly less of your bankroll in the long run than a 95% RTP slot does. It doesn’t mean you win every session — medium volatility produces real variance — but the certified return rate is among the highest available in the regulated Canadian market. Community tracking from long-term player data has recorded effective RTPs even above the stated 97.07%, which is unusual — most games come in at or slightly below their certified figure in practice.