Pragmatic Play Launches Coven Rising: A Witchcraft Slot That Does Things Differently
Pragmatic Play has added a distinctly occult flavour to its portfolio with Coven Rising, a new online slot built around four witches performing rituals in a secluded woodland setting. According to a detailed review published by Bigwinboard, the game makes a genuine effort to build atmosphere — but its unusual mechanics mean it will take some players a little time to find their footing.
An Unconventional Grid and Cluster Pays
Rather than a standard rectangular layout, Coven Rising uses a circular-style 1-4-7-6-7-6-7-4-1 pattern, which fits the witches’ ritual circle theme but is far from what most UK slot players will be used to. Wins are formed in clusters of five or more connected symbols — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — and winning symbols then respin to reveal new ones in those positions, giving each spin a rhythm of its own.
There are six regular symbol types, each available across five upgrade levels. Level one symbols pay between 0.05x and 0.5x the bet, while level five versions are worth 5x to 50x — meaning the potential value of your cluster grows significantly as symbols level up. A wild substitutes for all regular pay symbols, though blank (valueless) symbols can also land, adding an extra layer of variance to proceedings.
Witch Modifiers and Free Spins
The four witch characters aren’t just decorative. Each can land in the central grid position and apply a modifier to the active spin, with upgraded modifier versions also available. This integration of theme and mechanics is one of the more thoughtful design choices in the game.
In the base game, landing three, four, five, or six scatter symbols triggers 12, 16, 20, or 24 free spins respectively. Any two or more scatters during a free spins round add a further two spins each. Players who want to skip ahead can use an ante bet — which triples the stake for seven times the normal free spins trigger chance — or purchase the feature outright for 100x the stake, or a blanks-free central-position version for 200x.
What UK Players Should Know
The game carries a medium volatility rating, a top RTP of 96.24%, and a bet range of £0.20 to £240, with a maximum win of 5,000x the stake. Bigwinboard notes the theme sits atmospherically somewhere between NetEnt’s What’s Up Witches? and Nolimit City’s True Kult — distinctive enough to stand out, without going to the darker extremes of the genre.
For UK players weighing up whether to try it, the core question is whether the learning curve is worth the effort. The mechanics are genuinely original, but they do require patience. If you’re comfortable with cluster-pays formats, our guides section covers the key things to understand before spinning. For more on the latest slot releases, head to our casino news hub.
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