Athena’s Wisdom is a slot game by Pragmatic Play that combines two beloved traditions in the world of gambling. Firstly, it draws inspiration from the fascination with mythology, particularly the ancient Greek beliefs. Secondly, it follows the scatter pays slot format, which owes its popularity to Pragmatic Play’s groundbreaking games like Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus. In fact, Wisdom of Athena can be seen as a variation of Gates of Olympus, featuring a new deity and a twist in reel expansion.
While Gates of Olympus showcased Zeus, the king of Olympus, Wisdom of Athena places the spotlight on Athena, the goddess of warfare, handicraft, and wisdom. Athena takes her place on the right side of the screen, radiating power and grace, in a golden realm adorned with steps, statues, columns, and clouds. The overall essence of Wisdom of Athena closely resembles that of Gates of Olympus, but Pragmatic Play has added new elements to make the experience feel fresh. The result is a mix of familiarity and innovation.
Wisdom of Athena Slot
In the base game of Wisdom of Athena, players have three betting options. The regular mode allows bets ranging from MYR0.20 to MYR200 per spin. The second option is the Ante Bet, which increases the stake by 25% and adds extra scatter symbols to the reels. This theoretically increases the chances of triggering free spins, but the game’s information lacks specific figures to support this claim. The third option allows players to buy a free spin entry for 100 times the bet. The normal gameplay offers a maximum RTP of 96.07%, while the other two options have a return value of 96.08%. Regardless of the chosen mode, the game maintains a high volatility.
At the beginning of each paid spin and the bonus round, the active game area consists of 6 columns, each holding 5 symbols. Landing at least 8 identical symbols anywhere on the board results in a win. Winning symbols disappear, making room for new symbols to tumble in from above. This tumble sequence continues until no new wins occur. The low-paying symbols, representing various aspects of ancient Greek culture, offer payouts ranging from 0.25x to 0.75x the bet for 8-9 matching symbols, and 2.5x to 7.5x the bet for a hit of 15 or more symbols. The premium symbols include a scroll, a pot-like object, a helmet, and a golden image, which pay from 1x to 5x the bet for 8-9 symbols, and 10x to 50x the bet for 15 or more symbols. However, it’s important to note that Wisdom of Athena does not feature wild symbols.
Wisdom of Athena: Slot Features
Wisdom of Athena Slot
For players familiar with Gates of Olympus or its derivatives, much of the Wisdom of Athena gameplay will feel familiar. However, there are notable differences in the use of multipliers during free spins, and a new feature called the grid unlock. Let’s explore these features:
Grid Unlock:
A row of symbols displaying the numbers 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 runs along the top of the 6×5 grid. At certain points, a blocker symbol is removed, allowing an active symbol to appear in its place. After the first tumble, the first symbol is unlocked, followed by the unlocking of the symbols on reel 2 after 3 more tumbles, reel 3 after 6 more tumbles, reel 4 after 9 more tumbles, reel 5 after 12 more tumbles, and finally reel 6 after 15 more tumbles. In the base game, blocker symbols reset between paid spins.
Multiplier Symbols:
Multiplier symbols with values ranging from x2 to x500 appear on all reels. At the end of a tumble sequence, the values of all visible multipliers are summed up and applied to the total win.
Free Spins:
When at least 4 scatter symbols land on the screen, 10 free spins are awarded. The top row is initially locked and unlocked progressively through tumbles. Progress made in unlocking positions is saved throughout the free spins round. The multiplier symbol feature in free spins operates differently from the base game. When a multiplier symbol appears, its value is added to a persistent total multiplier that does not reset. This total multiplier is then applied to subsequent wins. If 3 or more scatter symbols appear during the free spins, an additional 5 free spins are awarded.
Athene’s Judgement on the Slot Machine
Gates of Olympus’s gameplay has been quite successful for Pragmatic Play and has been well received by gamers. Numerous sequels, such as Gates of Gatot Kaca and Gates of Aztec, have appeared in the wake of its first release. With Wisdom of Athena, we circle back to the beginning, this time looking at the ancient Greek topic through the eyes of a goddess. There’s no reason why fans of the series shouldn’t find Wisdom of Athena to their liking as well.
Pragmatic Play might have relied on the popularity of the original formula and launched a reskinned version of the game. But they pleasantly surprised gamers by adding something fresh to investigate. However, when the row of unlocked places does make a difference, it may considerably improve results. Tumbling several times to unlock all six spots is a difficult task in the main game barring exceptional conditions. Gains achieved in the bonus round, such as the cumulative multiplier and the number of levels unlocked, are preserved. Fans of the Gates of Olympus series will enjoy the added thrill of free spins with multipliers that work differently each time.
