Treasure of Aztec Z

The Treasures of Aztec slot has an authentic Aztec-inspired theme with features that took me deeper into ancient civilization. The symbols, icons, backdrop, and music speak volumes about the mystical and wealthy vibe of this slot. The Scatter symbol is in the form of a pyramid, while the Wild symbol takes the form of Aztec princess. I do feel that considerable historical research was done to create the theme and matching elements in the game.

PG Soft is known for the stunning graphics of its slots. However, after playing Treasures of Aztec, I felt that it had a lot of scope for improvement. Although the game succeeds in providing an authentic Aztec experience through its theme, more effort could have been directed to creating graphics. They could be on par with Aztec themed slots like Temple of Treasures Megaways and Towering Ways Aztec.

The soundtrack is nice and succeeded in transporting me back to Aztec habitat. The light drumming and percussive beats enhance the sense of ancient rituals and ceremonies, and the rhythmic beats keep the pace lively. The music also built tension during big bonus rounds or free spins.

Animation is simple and unfolds effortlessly. It matches with the game’s theme and keeps the focus steady. I won’t say that it is brilliant, but since it matches well with the Aztec theme and the game mechanics, it keeps the dynamism in the game alive.

RTP: The RTP of the game is 96.71%. It does not make Treasures of Aztec a high RTP slot, like Bloodsuckers and Starmania. We would consider it as a balanced slot.

Payout: The slot’s maximum exposure in simulations reaches up to 100,000 times the bet. Its top-paying symbol, which is the gold mask rewards up to 80 times the stake for landing six of a kind across adjacent reels. It could be more, as there are slots like Max Megaways with 139,200x bet max wins.

Volatility: Treasures of Aztec has a medium volatility. It doesn’t give long periods of no wins, unlike high volatility slots). However, there are also no small, frequent wins similar to low volatility games.

Treasures of Aztec has a simple gameplay, similar to many other slots by PG Soft. You adjust your wager and spin the reels. The reels will start spinning and if matching symbols show up on consecutive reels, a payout will be earned. Matching symbols on adjacent reels land you with winning combinations. The symbols needed to win depend on the paytable of the slot.

I love how the game has used symbols that align with Aztec culture. It enriches the game, making it immersive. The highest-paying symbols include:

• Golden mask
• Stone idol in blue
• Stone idol in green

Medium-paying symbols include:

• Stone idol in red
• Gold coin
• Purple coin

Low-paying symbols include:

• Green coin
• Blue coin

The Temple Pyramid Scatter activates the primary bonus feature. It awards generous free spins, as follows:

• 3 Scatters gives 8 Free Spins
• 4 Scatters gives 15 Free Spins
• 5 Scatters gives 20 Free Spins

The Free Spins bonus feature is thoughtfully included to intensify the winning potential of players. This happens through special multipliers that range from 2x to 5x. Multipliers can even stack up during specific combinations.

The features of Treasures of Aztec are interesting, and while they bring much excitement, some elements are common in other modern slot games. For example, the cascading reels mechanic is similar to the one found in Reactoonz (Play’n GO) and Gonzo’s Quest (NetEnt). However, the combination and the way the features are used in Treasures of Aztec is quite unique.

Base Game and Modifiers

Treasures of Aztec is played over a 6×5 reel set up. There is an escalating upper reel, which adds extra row above reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. Rows that can show up in the standard six reels change with every spin. Thus, the game is capable of producing between 2,025 and 32,400 ways to win on any spin.

A winning connection on this reel setup needs three matching symbols to land on adjacent reels. The win should start from the leftmost reel.

Cascading Reels and Win Multiplier

If you land a winning combination of symbols in the base game, the cascading reels mechanic will begin. It removes every winning symbol from the reels before dropping new ones. So, you gain an extra chance to win. Every successful cascade causes the win multiplier to increase by x1. The cascades end once you fail to connect a new win and the multiplier resets to x1.

Wilds On The Way Feature

During some spins, some symbols, apart from Wild and Scatter in reels 2, 3, 4 and/or 5 that occupy 2 to 4 symbols’ spaces can have a silver frame. At every new round after the new symbols have cascaded, any silver-framed symbol(s) that were a part of a win in the previous round will change into a randomly selected symbol (other than Wild symbol and Scatter symbol). They will have a gold frame.

At every new round after the new symbols have cascaded down, any gold-framed symbol(s) that were a part of a win in the previous round will change into Wild.

This Wilds on the way feature is certainly an ingenuous one. I have witnessed similar wild transformations, but the way the feature is designed and employed in Treasures of Aztec has no comparison.

Free Spins

The free spins feature is not totally unique and is typical of many modern slots. In this game, it is used with some distinct elements.

4 Scatter symbols trigger 10 free spins. Additional Scatters award 2 extra free spins each. The win multiplier starts at x2, which increases with each cascade during the free spins.

After each cascade during the free spins, the win multiplier’s value raises by x2 for every win. So, with each subsequent win, the multiplier can keep growing. Also, free spins can be retriggered.

Bonus Features

Landing 4 scatter symbols triggers the bonus feature. It awards 10 free spins with a starting win multiplier of x2. Each additional scatter that comes after adds two more spins to your initial total.