Not just another 5×3 slot with a free spins bonus game by WMS (Williams Interactive), Montezuma puts a unique “spin” on free spins with a free spins award wheel and a free spins multiplier wheel.
It’s easy to see why Montezuma has been a long-time player favorite online and at land-based casinos. This game offers much more than it appears to at first glance.
Game manufacturer: | WMS |
Number of paylines: | 30 |
Game theme: | Montezuma, Aztecs |
RTP: | 95.86% |
Reels: | 5 |
Min/Max bet: | 0.30 / 60.00 |
Progressive jackpot: | No |
Regular jackpots: | No |
Coin denominations: | 0.01 |
Maximum standard win: | 600 |
Free spins: | Up to 25 |
Theme and visuals
Montezuma, the last ruler of the storied ancient Aztec empire, met with an unfortunate fate, but these reels show him in all his glory. Montezuma symbols are the highest paying symbols on the reels, adorned with Montezuma looking noble in an ornate feathered headdress.
Montezuma’s Queen joins him on the reels, surrounded by valuable Aztec artifacts like gold masks, ornate headdresses, and double-headed serpent sculptures. Aztec temple symbols are wild and can appear stacked on the reels for more chances at multiple wins on the same spin.
Although not Aztec symbols, playing card symbols are thrown in as the lowest paying symbols on the reels.
Aztec wheels are scatter symbols that trigger the free spins bonus feature, which is where Montezuma starts to differentiate itself from other WMS 5×3 slots with free spins bonus features. Once the free spins feature is triggered, a scatter win multiplier is awarded, a big version of the Aztec wheel determines the number of free spins awarded, and during the free spins, a multiplier wheel awards a multiplier on every spin.
Montezuma also differentiates itself with exceptional reel play features. The reels expand on a spin to fill the entire screen, for superb visibility. When a winning combination hits, the combination (or combinations) expand out of the reels with a 3D effect so the winning combinations are unmistakable.
The reels then contract and a win info bar is displayed above the reels that show all of the winning combinations, which lines they hit on, and what the payout is on each line. These features are so practical and well done; we would really like to see this in more games.
The lush tropical rainforest filling the background and the accompanying rainforest sounds are striking. As the reels spin, tribal music with flute accents plays in the background, which becomes deeper and more textured when the free spins reels play.
Those game-specific sounds suit the game very well. The standard WMS win jingles sound out of place against the rainforest vibe, though.
Betting options and paying Combinations
Montezuma offers 30 lines of Aztec action across five reels and three rows (5×3). The 30 lines are fixed, so you must play all 30 lines, but you can change the value of the bet per line to suit your bankroll.
Minimum bets start at 0.01 per line for a total bet of 0.30 and go up to 2.00 per line for a total maximum bet of 60.00.
Change your bet per line value by using the up and down arrows on the Bet/Line box, and the Total Bet amount will update automatically. Instead of using the arrows, you can choose your total bet value in one click using the QuickSet function.
Click on the Total Bet meter to open up the QuickSet panel, then choose the Total Bet amount you want to play from the provided options. The Total Bet amount (and the associated Bet/Line value) will update instantly, and you’ll be all set to start playing.
Montezuma is the highest paying symbol on the reels, with a five-of-a-kind combination paying out 10x your total bet, which is 3.00 on a minimum bet and 600.00 on a maximum bet. The playing card symbols are the lowest paying symbols on the reels, with three-of-a-kind combinations paying out 0.05 on a minimum bet and 10.00 on a maximum bet.
Maximum payout values (for five matching symbols on a maximum bet):
- Montezuma – 600
- Queen – 500
- Eagle – 500
- Headdress – 250
- Mask – 200
- Double Headed Serpent – 200
- A/K/Q/J – 100
The in-game paytable is dynamic, meaning that it updates automatically to display the payout values for your current bet value. If you change your stake, check the paytable to see how it affects the payout values.
Click on the autoplay button to select how many auto-spins you’d like to play, or click on the Options button to customize your auto spins based on how much time you play, how much you win, or how much you bet. The auto spins run fast in this game, making it hard to see exactly how much a winning spin pays out before the next spin starts.
Montezuma offers a solid 95.86% RTP (Return-To-Player), which is slightly below average compared to other WMS games that average around 96%.
What jackpots are available?
Unfortunately, there are no jackpots available in this game.
Additional features and bonuses
The features in this game are limited; outside of the free spins feature game that awards scatter win prizes, free spins, and multipliers.
Wild Symbols / Stacked Wild Symbols
Aztec temple symbols are wild and substitute for all symbols except the Feature (Aztec wheel) symbol. Wild symbols are on reels two, three, and four only, and can appear as stacked symbols on the reels.
Feature Game (Free Spins Bonus Game)
At least three Aztec Wheel symbols scattered on the reels trigger the Free Spin Feature Game.
Scatter Wins Prizes
When the Feature Game is triggered, a multiplier is awarded and applied to your total bet. The payout amount depends on the number of triggering scatter symbols on the reels.
- Three scatter symbols awards a 3x multiplier on your total bet.
- Four scatter symbols awards a 10x multiplier on your total bet.
- Five scatter symbols awards a 10x multiplier on your total bet.
Spin Montezuma’s Wheel to see how many free spins you win, ranging from three up to 25 free spins.
Free Spins Multipliers
On every free spin, a multiplier wheel spins automatically and awards a multiplier for that spin. Possible multipliers are x2, x3, x5, and x10.
Free Spins Retriggers
Free Spins can be retriggered when two or more Aztec wheel symbols land on the reels. Additional spins will be added to the number of remaining free spins and are automatically awarded the same multiplier as the triggering spin.
Feature Game Bonus Guarantee
The Free Spins Feature offers a Bonus Guarantee that pays out a minimum of 10x your bet on any free spins Feature Game if your total win, including triggering the scatter pay award, is less than 10x your total bet.
Who is this game ideal for?
This online slot would be ideal for fans of the land-based Montezuma slot game by WMS, which is essentially identical to the slot’s online version. It would also be perfect for fans of Aztec culture and aficionados of ancient culture themed slots.
Otherwise, this slot should appeal to a wide variety of players thanks to its combination of easy gameplay, clear game information, and interesting bonus features.
Similar games from WMS
It was a challenge to find games from WMS that are truly similar to Montezuma, given its unique theme and features.
Journeying to the African Savannah, Raging Rhino shares some of the same reel features that we appreciate about Montezuma, like the 3D win line effects, win info bar, free spins bonus guarantee, and scatter win prizes when free spins are awarded.
Raging Rhino does not offer any of the wheel spin features and multipliers that Montezuma does, however. Instead, Raging Rhino awards a set number of free spins depending on how many scatter symbols trigger the free spins feature. Raging Rhino is also a 6×4 game that boasts 4096 ways to win instead of standard win lines.
What’s hot:
Unique Free Spins Bonus Game – With a fun take on standard free spins games, free spins awards, retriggers, and multipliers are all awarded by spins on a wheel, helping to make every bonus game unique.
Montezuma’s Wheel – Up to 25 free spins can be awarded by a spin on Montezuma’s Wheel when the free spins bonus game is triggered.
Multipliers – A multiplier wheel spins at the beginning of every free spin to award a multiplier for that spin.
Stacked Wilds – Stacked wilds can help to add multiple winning combinations on a spin.
Bonus Feature Guarantee – A minimum payout of 10x your bet is guaranteed on the free spins feature regardless of the outcome of your spins.
3-D Reel Effects – Winning combinations pop out from the reels with a 3-D effect to show the win clearly.
Win Line Info Bar – We love that the game displays winning combinations, the win lines, and the payout amounts above the reels on every win.
What’s Not:
Low Payouts – The payouts on winning combinations are low compared to other WMS games, on both the low and high ends. The multipliers awarded on every winning spin during the free spins bonus helps to compensate, but there are no multipliers to offset the low wins during the base game when your bankroll can get depleted.
Limited Base Game Features – The main action is wrapped up in the free spins feature, leaving a fairly flat base game apart from the stacked wilds.
Final ratings
- Graphics and Design – 3.75/5: The graphics are solid, but nothing remarkable. The game design is nicely done with cool reel features, though, so we are rating the visuals as well above average.
- Sound Effects – 3.5/5: Apart from the win jingles that don’t mesh with the rest of the sounds in the game, we like the game-specific audio and soundtracks. They work well with the game theme and enhance the playing experience, so we’re giving the audio a relatively strong rating.
- Jackpot Value – 0/5: There are no jackpots in this game.
- Replay Value – 3.75/5: Despite the low combination payout values and the variable experiences we had playing the game, we are awarding a relatively high replay value rating due to the long list of features that we do like. For example, the 3D win effects and the win line detail on the reels, and of course, the unique free spins bonus game with the free spins award wheel and the multiplier wheel. Features like these have hooked us enough to become repeat players.