Zuma Wild Slot - Review for Canadians, Demo Play & Payout Info

Game Theme & Storyline

With its fascinating and bloodthirsty history, the Aztec Empire continues to intrigue and enthral. But what makes it such a popular theme for slots is treasure, from ornate golden artefacts to rumours of El Dorado, the fabled City of Gold.

Graphics & Sound

In terms of its visuals, Zuma Wild uses familiar Aztec iconography plus a lush jungle backdrop to capture the look and feel of the ancient civilization. There are five warrior masks on the reels, representing the masks that were central to Aztec civilization used for ornamentation and ritual. The purple mask, with its closed eyes and open mouth, would usually be considered a death mask.

The graphics are well done with plenty of detail, and there’s a nicely atmospheric soundtrack that plays with the usual South American tropes of drums and panpipes.

How to Play

Zuma Wild combines the 243-ways-pays game engine with the cascading reels feature, which CQ9 Slots are calling the eliminating feature. It’s easy to spot potential wins that read left to right from reel 1 as long as the symbols land on adjacent reels.

The random wild is a big feature in this game, and it’s hard to miss as the gold coin really pops off reels 3, 4 and 5. It replaces all other symbols except the Pyramid scatter to form new winning combos if possible. Look out for the red mask on the reels to earn a payout of 500x your stake.

Bet Sizes & Maximum Win

CQ9 Gaming makes setting up your game bets a breeze with a simple and easy-to-use structure. The minimum bet available here is 50 credits, which covers all 243 ways to win on every spin. You can then control the amount you bet by selecting a multiplier of the base tariff up to 2500x your stake for a maximum bet of 125,000 credits per spin.

The maximum base game win is 500x your stake, but a series of game modifiers including increasing multipliers in the free spins feature can push your maximum win even higher. It’s not easy to trigger this feature, let alone string together enough cascading wins to earn the maximum 10x multiplier.

Bonus Features

There’s nothing particularly innovative about the gameplay and bonuses in this slot, but the guaranteed wins from the random wilds have some good potential and the free spins are generous if you can trigger them.

• Eliminating feature: Otherwise known as cascading or tumbling reels, the eliminating feature eliminates all winning symbols from the reels, allowing others to drop in and take their place for a chance at creating new winning combos.
• Random wild: Between three and nine wild symbols can appear during the base game on reels 3, 4 and 5. These guarantee a win but won’t trigger the eliminating feature.
• Free spins: Getting three, four or five of this symbol anywhere on the reels will trigger 15, 20 or 25 free spins plus a prize of up to 250x your stake for five of a kind.

Each win triggers an increasing multiplier with the potential to boost your payouts by up to 10x your prize after five successful cascading wins.

RTP & Volatility

Slots from CQ9 Gaming offer an average RTP to players of 96%, which is slightly above average. Treat this metric with caution as your own RTP can show huge variance based on the denomination you play at and the frequency of spins. This number is best treated as a guideline indication of a possible payout ratio available over the long term.

A medium-volatility slot like Zuma Wild is theoretically the best of both worlds, offering lower-value base game wins and higher payouts from the free spins feature. In reality, this is very tough to land, and the chances of getting five cascading wins and earning a 10x multiplier are even more remote.

Our Verdict

CQ9 Asian-themed slots can be exquisite with some inventive bonus action, but their slots designed for a European audience tend to be more functional. This is a solidly made slot with decent sounds and visuals, and the guaranteed wins from the random wilds is a nice feature. However, there’s nothing here to trouble the mighty Gonzo’s Quest, the undisputed king of Aztec-themed slots.

Disclaimer: Zuma Wild trademark / license is owned by CQ9 Gaming. This site is not endorsed by CQ9 Gaming.