Kingmaker Megaways Review

Seize the Crown in Big Time Gaming’s Kingmaker Megaways

Long live the king. Kingmaker Megaways is Big Time Gaming’s medieval epic, a regal Megaways™ adventure where four great Houses vie for the throne and the multipliers you forge along the way decide just how rich your reign becomes. Released on August 28, 2019, this five-reel game wraps the licensed Megaways™ engine — with up to 16,807 ways to win — in a world of crowns, shields, dragons and gemstone sigils, and ties its entire feature set to a clever persistent-multiplier mechanic that grows the longer you play. If you appreciate a slot that rewards patience with explosive payoffs, Kingmaker Megaways belongs on your campaign map.

The presentation is steeped in medieval grandeur. The reels sit framed by stone and banners, four coloured House gems flank the grid, and a brooding orchestral score lends the proceedings the weight of a court intrigue. Each of the four Houses is represented by a coloured gemstone — the game’s top-paying symbols — and behind them lurk the creatures of legend, dragons among them, that give the realm its fantasy edge. It is a darker, more atmospheric look than many of Big Time Gaming’s brighter titles, and it suits the high-stakes, slow-burn nature of the gameplay perfectly.

What sets Kingmaker Megaways apart is its Gem Multiplier mechanic. Each of the four Houses has its own multiplier banner that begins at 1x and climbs every time you land a five-of-a-kind win with that House’s gem. These multipliers are persistent — they keep building through the base game — and crucially they carry over into the free spins as your starting multiplier. The longer you go without triggering the bonus, the larger those banners can grow, which means a patient base game can set up a genuinely ferocious free spins round.

With an RTP of 96.65%, high volatility, a maximum win potential of 24,250x your stake, and a betting range running from £0.20 to £20.00, Kingmaker Megaways is unapologetically a high-variance title. The base game can run cold, dead spins are common, and the bonus does not trigger often — but when those four multipliers are stacked high and the free spins serve up a fully expanded Max Megaways™ board on every spin, the payoff can be the stuff of legend.

Whether you are drawn by the 16,807 ways, the strategic build of the House multipliers, or the promise of a 24,250x crown jewel, this is a slot for players who can stomach the swings in pursuit of a throne-room jackpot. Raise your banners — let’s lay siege to every mechanic Kingmaker Megaways has to offer.

Key Stats & Specifications

Key Features at a Glance

Before we storm each mechanic in detail, here is a quick muster of everything that makes Kingmaker Megaways worth pledging your banner to:

• Megaways™ Engine: Up to 16,807 ways to win across five reels showing 2-7 symbols each
• Cascading Reactions: Winning symbols are removed and replaced, allowing chained wins from a single spin
• Four House Gems: Four coloured gemstone symbols act as the game’s top-paying icons
• Gem Multipliers: Each House has its own multiplier banner starting at 1x
• Persistent Multipliers: Banners climb +1 each time you land a five-of-a-kind for that House and persist through the base game
• Multiplier Carryover: The accumulated House multipliers become your starting multipliers in the free spins
• Free Spins: Triggered by 3, 4 or 5 crown scatters, awarding 7, 12 or 20 spins
• Max Megaways™ Bonus: Every free spin plays on a fully expanded 16,807-way board
• Combined Multiplier Wins: The four House multipliers combine in the bonus for towering payouts
• High Volatility: Built for big-hit potential, with a 24,250x maximum win
• Medieval Theme: Rival Houses, crowns, shields, knights and dragons

The Megaways™ Engine: 16,807 Ways to Rule

Understanding Megaways™ in Kingmaker

At the heart of Kingmaker Megaways beats Big Time Gaming’s own Megaways™ engine — the variable-ways system the studio invented and which now defines an entire genre. Rather than fixed paylines, every reel can display a different number of symbols on each spin, and the total ways to win are recalculated dynamically. This is what gives the game its constantly shifting rhythm and its headline figure of 16,807 ways.

How Megaways™ Works in Kingmaker:

• 5 vertical reels, each capable of showing between 2 and 7 symbols per spin
• Ways to win are calculated by multiplying the number of symbols on each reel together
• Maximum ways: 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 16,807 ways to win
• Minimum ways: 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32 ways to win
• Wins pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, regardless of their position on the reel

Win Formation Principles:

• Symbol size and exact row position are irrelevant — only the reel sequence matters
• A winning combination must start on the leftmost reel and run across consecutive reels
• Multiple separate winning combinations can land and pay on a single spin
• Every payout is expressed as a multiple of your total stake, not a per-line bet
• The number of ways changes every spin, so no two spins feel mathematically identical

Note that Kingmaker uses a five-reel layout, which gives a maximum of 16,807 ways — fewer than the six-reel, 117,649-way Megaways slots — but this tighter grid is part of what keeps the multiplier-building mechanic focused on its four key gem symbols.

Cascading Reactions

Like most Megaways™ slots, Kingmaker Megaways employs cascading reactions (also called tumbles or avalanches). When you land a winning combination:

1. The symbols that formed the win are removed from the grid
2. The symbols above them drop down to fill the empty spaces
3. New symbols fall in from above to complete the reels
4. If the new arrangement creates another win, it pays and the process repeats
5. Cascades continue until no further wins land

This mechanic means a single paid spin can produce a chain of consecutive wins. In Kingmaker it is especially valuable during the free spins, where every cascade plays out on a fully expanded 16,807-way board with your accumulated House multipliers attached to every win.

Gem Multipliers: The Four Houses Build Your Fortune

One Banner Per House

The signature mechanic of Kingmaker Megaways is its Gem Multiplier system, tied to the four rival Houses of the realm. To the left of the reels sit four multiplier banners, one for each House’s coloured gemstone. Every banner begins a session at 1x, and the central tension of the game is watching them climb.

How the Gem Multipliers Build:

• Each of the four Houses is represented by a distinct coloured gemstone symbol
• These gems are the game’s top-paying symbols
• Every time you land a five-of-a-kind win with a House’s gem, that House’s banner increases by +1
• The multipliers are persistent — they do not reset between base-game spins
• The banners keep growing for as long as you play without triggering the free spins

Why This Matters:

• Rising Base-Game Payouts: As banners climb, the base game itself becomes more rewarding, because those multipliers apply to the relevant gem wins
• Bonus Setup: The accumulated multipliers become your starting multipliers when free spins trigger, so a long, patient base game sets up a far more powerful bonus
• Strategic Tension: There is a genuine push-pull — you want the bonus, but the longer it stays away, the bigger your multipliers grow
• Four Separate Engines: Because each House builds independently, a session can favour one or two Houses heavily, shaping how your eventual bonus pays

Example Build Scenario:

• You spin the base game for an extended stretch
• The red House gem lands several five-of-a-kind wins, pushing its banner to 6x
• The blue House gem builds to 4x, the green to 3x, the gold to 2x
• When the free spins finally trigger, those exact multipliers carry over as your starting values for the bonus

This persistent-build mechanic is the strategic spine of Kingmaker Megaways. It rewards session commitment and turns what could be a dull dry spell into a deliberate accumulation of firepower for the round that matters most.

Free Spins: Max Megaways™ and Combined Multipliers

Triggering the Bonus

The free spins round is where Kingmaker Megaways earns its high-volatility reputation. It is triggered by landing crown scatter symbols anywhere on the reels:

• 3 scatters award 7 free spins
• 4 scatters award 12 free spins
• 5 scatters award 20 free spins

Because this is a high-variance game with no bonus buy, reaching the free spins is the central challenge — but the reward is substantial.

Max Megaways™ Every Spin

The defining feature of the bonus is Max Megaways™: during the free spins, the reels are fully expanded on every single spin, locking the board to its maximum 16,807 ways to win. There is no waiting for the reels to land tall — every spin gives you the full grid, dramatically increasing the chance of large multi-way combinations and explosive cascades.

Combined Multipliers Carry Over

The genius of the round is how it marries Max Megaways™ to the Gem Multipliers you built in the base game. The four House banners carry over as your starting multipliers, and they continue to grow during the bonus as you land more five-of-a-kind gem wins.

How the Bonus Pays:

• Every spin plays on the full 16,807-way board
• Your accumulated House multipliers apply to the corresponding gem wins
• Multipliers can combine across the Houses for towering values
• Cascades during free spins chain multiplied wins together
• Continued five-of-a-kind hits push the banners even higher mid-bonus

Example Bonus Scenario:

• You enter the bonus with banners of 6x, 4x, 3x and 2x
• £1.00 stake
• On the full board, several gem combinations land and are boosted by their respective House multipliers
• A cascade chains two further multiplied wins
• The combined multipliers and Max Megaways™ board deliver a payout far beyond what any base-game spin could produce

This is where the game’s 24,250x maximum win lives. The bonus frequency is deliberately low and dead spins are common, but a well-built set of multipliers landing on a full board during free spins is precisely the combination that can push toward that ceiling.

Symbols & Paytable

Kingmaker Megaways uses a symbol hierarchy built around its four rival Houses, dressed in medieval finery and topped with the special symbols that drive the features.

High-Value Symbols:

• Four House Gems — four distinct coloured gemstones, each tied to one of the realm’s powerful Houses and to its own multiplier banner. These are the top-paying symbols and the ones you most want to land in fives to grow your multipliers.

The four gems are the strategic core of the paytable: not only do they pay the most, but every five-of-a-kind you land builds the multiplier that can transform your free spins.

Low-Value Symbols:

• The traditional royal card values (A, K, Q, J, 10, 9), styled in carved and gilded medieval lettering to fit the kingdom theme

Special Symbols:

• Crown Scatter — three or more anywhere on the reels trigger the free spins (3/4/5 scatters award 7/12/20 spins)
• Wild Symbol — substitutes for the paying symbols to help complete winning combinations across consecutive reels

Reading the Paytable:

Because this is a Megaways™ slot, all payouts are quoted as multiples of your total stake, and wins are awarded for matching symbols on consecutive reels from the left. With up to 16,807 ways active, even the lower-value symbols can produce respectable returns when they appear across all five reels — but the real money is in stacking the four House gems and growing their multipliers.

How to Win: Strategy & Tips

Kingmaker Megaways is a high-volatility game, so a disciplined, patient approach is essential. Here is how to give yourself the best campaign for the throne.

Bankroll Management

• Build a deep buffer: High volatility means long stretches without meaningful wins. Divide your session budget so you can comfortably absorb several hundred spins while you wait for the multipliers and scatters to align.
• Set firm win and loss limits: Decide in advance when you will walk away. The 24,250x ceiling is a tantalising target, but the majority of sessions will hinge on reaching and capitalising on a single strong bonus.
• Bet within your means: With a range of £0.20 to £20.00, choose a stake that lets you stay in the hunt long enough for the multipliers to build, rather than one that empties your balance before the bonus arrives.

Base Game Strategy

• Embrace the build: The Gem Multipliers reward patience. A long base game without a bonus is not wasted time — it is multiplier accumulation. View rising banners as progress toward a bigger payoff.
• Watch all four Houses: Because each House builds independently, keep an eye on which gems are landing five-of-a-kinds. A session that favours two or three Houses heavily can set up a particularly explosive bonus.
• Let the engine work: Spin outcomes are random, so focus on bet sizing and session length rather than chasing patterns.

Bonus Round Strategy

• The bonus is the goal: With no bonus buy, your entire strategy points toward triggering and maximising the free spins. The more multipliers you have built beforehand, the more powerful the round.
• Hope for higher triggers: Landing 4 or 5 scatters (12 or 20 spins) gives you far more chances to land multiplied gem wins on the Max Megaways™ board.
• Practise in the demo first: Use the free-play version to understand how the four multipliers build and carry over before committing real funds.

Gameplay Experience

Visual Presentation

Kingmaker Megaways leans into a darker, more atmospheric medieval aesthetic than many Megaways titles. The reels sit within a frame of stone and banners, with the four coloured House gems displayed prominently down the left side so you can always track your multipliers at a glance. The backdrop conjures a brooding throne room, and the symbol art — gemstone sigils, crowns, shields and the creatures of the Houses — is rich and legible even on a busy five-reel grid.

Feature moments get appropriate gravity. Watching a House banner tick upward after a five-of-a-kind delivers a small hit of satisfaction every time, and the transition into the Max Megaways™ free spins, with the board fully expanded, carries real ceremony. The cascades are smooth and quick, keeping the pace of play steady through the long base-game stretches.

Audio Design

The soundtrack is built on a brooding orchestral foundation — strings and low brass that evoke courtly intrigue and the tension of a realm at war. Win sounds are crisp, and the audio swells as your multipliers climb and again when the free spins trigger, heightening the drama of the moment you have been building toward. It is an immersive, theme-appropriate soundscape that supports the slow-burn rhythm of the game without becoming wearing over a long session.

Mobile Experience

Kingmaker Megaways is fully optimised for mobile and tablet play, built in HTML5 so it runs seamlessly across desktop and handheld devices. The five-reel Megaways grid scales cleanly, and the symbols — including the all-important House gems and their multiplier banners — remain legible even on a phone in portrait orientation.

Performance is smooth on modern devices, with cascades and the Max Megaways™ free spins running without noticeable lag. Touch controls for spinning and adjusting your bet are responsive and intuitive, and because so much of the game is about tracking your four multiplier banners, the clear mobile layout actually makes it easy to follow your progress on the go. Whether you are at home or playing on the move, the realm loses none of its grandeur.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Kingmaker Megaways?

Kingmaker Megaways has a Return to Player (RTP) of 96.65%. This sits comfortably above the modern Megaways average of around 96%, which is a genuine plus for a high-volatility title where the maths matters over a long session.

What is the maximum win in Kingmaker Megaways?

The maximum win is 24,250x your stake. As a high-volatility slot, this big-hit potential is concentrated in the free spins, where the Max Megaways™ board combines with your accumulated House multipliers to reach toward the ceiling.

How volatile is Kingmaker Megaways?

The game is high volatility. Expect long dry spells and frequent dead spins in the base game; the rewards are real but they are concentrated in the relatively infrequent free spins round, so a patient approach and a deep bankroll are advised.

Does Kingmaker Megaways have a bonus buy?

No. Kingmaker Megaways does not offer a bonus buy feature, so you must trigger the free spins organically by landing three or more crown scatters. This is part of what makes the game a true high-variance experience.

How do the Gem Multipliers work?

Each of the four Houses has its own multiplier banner that starts at 1x. Every time you land a five-of-a-kind win with that House’s gem, its banner increases by +1. The multipliers are persistent through the base game and carry over as your starting multipliers when the free spins trigger.

How are the free spins triggered and how many do I get?

The free spins are triggered by crown scatter symbols. Landing 3, 4 or 5 scatters awards 7, 12 or 20 free spins respectively. During the round, every spin plays on a fully expanded Max Megaways™ board of 16,807 ways.

What is Max Megaways™ in the bonus?

Max Megaways™ means that during the free spins, the reels are fully expanded on every single spin, locking the board to its maximum 16,807 ways to win. Combined with your carried-over House multipliers, this is where the game’s biggest payouts are forged.

Who makes Kingmaker Megaways and when was it released?

Kingmaker Megaways was developed by Big Time Gaming, the studio that invented the Megaways™ mechanic, and was released on August 28, 2019. Note that it is distinct from the later Kingmaker Fully Loaded Megaways, a separate 2021 title with a different multiplier mechanic.

Verdict

Kingmaker Megaways is a smartly designed, high-stakes Megaways slot that rewards patience and commitment more than almost any of its peers. Big Time Gaming has taken its own 16,807-way engine, wrapped it in a brooding medieval theme of rival Houses and gemstone sigils, and built the entire experience around a persistent four-House multiplier system that turns a long base game into a deliberate accumulation of firepower for the bonus.

The free spins are the heart of the game. Max Megaways™ guarantees a fully expanded board on every spin, and when your carried-over House multipliers land on that full grid, the combined values can climb toward the game’s substantial 24,250x maximum win. The above-average 96.65% RTP is a welcome bonus on top of all that potential.

The reservations are the inescapable cost of the design. The high volatility means long dry spells and frequent dead spins, the base game can feel quiet while you wait for the multipliers and scatters to align, and the absence of a bonus buy means the lucrative free spins must be earned the hard way. This is not a slot for players who need constant action.

Weighing it all up, Kingmaker Megaways earns a strong 4.2 out of 5. It is a focused, strategic, high-variance Megaways title that asks for patience and a healthy bankroll and repays both with the chance at a throne-room jackpot. If you relish the slow build, the rising multipliers, and the explosive potential of a well-stocked Max Megaways™ bonus, this realm is well worth conquering. Long may you reign.