Rome Supermatch

In the online slot world, at least two paths exist for up-and-coming game designers – follow the herd or kick the hornet’s nest by doing something no one else has ever seen before. There are surely other paths, but let’s roll with these two for now. One studio which is rolling with the latter option is Polish outfit Nailed It! Games. We saw the tendency for experimentation creep through in the mining slot Gold Mine Stacks 2, which was more experimental than it initially gave on. The team has followed up by pushing the envelope even further in an Ancient History-themed slot called Rome Supermatch. This one, well, it’s quite different indeed; let’s see what we can make of it.

First, the obvious parts, and anyone who’s played an Ancient Rome slot should feel at home amongst Rome Supermatch’s décor. It’s got smatterings of statues, a warrior, and columns, all pretty tastefully done, with nothing outrageously eye-catching in the background. The most curious item in the room is Rome Supermatch’s game grid, which looks conspicuously empty – at first. The goal here is a sort of reverse Tetris action, where you want the symbols to stack up as high as possible rather than remain stuck at the first row. More on this to come.

But first, stake selection and Rome Supermatch takes bets of 20 p/c to £/€100 per paid game round. Not so much per spin, despite all that game grid real estate, as Rome Supermatch is played on a sort of turn-by-turn basis. It’s also highly volatile, with a theoretical return to player value of 96% at most, with three lower return models available for operators to use – so beware. Playable on any device, it comes with a hit rate of around 22%.

Here’s how it works. Each game round reveals five symbols on the first row. If three or more of those symbols match, then the next row on the grid is unlocked, revealing five more symbols. If at least one matching symbol lands on rows 2-7, the next row above is unlocked, and so. The symbols in Rome Supermatch include J-A royals and four premium gold bust-type objects. Payouts for a regular three-of-a-kind are 0.5 to 2x the bet, while at the top end, a 25+ win pays 150 to 1,000 times the stake.

Rome Supermatch: Slot Features

On top of the Supermatch gaming mechanic previously covered, Rome Supermatch comes with Multiplier Wilds, Spreading Wilds, a Second Chance Bonus, the Mega Respin, and a bonus buy menu.

Multiplier Wild

Multiplier Wilds substitute for the matching symbol and also increase the multiplier by 1. Wilds appear on rows 2 to 8, and the multiplier is applied to the total win.

Spreading Wilds

Spreading Wilds substitute for the matching symbol and cover the entire row with wilds. Spreading Wilds also appear on rows 2 to 8 and do not cover Multiplier Wilds.

Second Chance Bonis

Getting a matching symbol on the fourth row activates the Second Chance Bonus. The Second Chance Bonus will automatically respin one row which did land a matching symbol. If the Second Chance Bonus activates when a Mega Respin triggers, players get a second Mega Respin.

Mega Respin

Getting a matching symbol on the 8th row activates a Mega Respin. For this one, the matching symbols become sticky, and all other symbols respin for the chance of improving the win.

Buy Bonus

If present, the Bonus Store has two buy choices – Second Chance and Always Match. The Second Chance costs 20x the bet, guaranteeing the Second Chance Bonus will activate, while the Always Match guarantees at least three matching symbols on the first row – costing 5x the bet. Only one can be bought at a time.

Rome Supermatch: Slot Verdict

No doubt, a fair whack of creative juices flowed into the making of Rome Supermatch. There’s just nothing really else like it on the market, so kudos to Nailed It! Games for boldly trying something new rather than playing it safe by regurgitating proven crowd pleasers. Of course, living dangerously on the edge of the creative envelope means some may not quite grasp what you are getting at, therefore risking commercial success. On the other hand, who knows? You might have a hit on your hands by producing something players never knew they wanted. Who would have predicted how thoroughly mobile devices and apps would have taken over our lives before just about everyone seems to have one in their pocket? Cast your mind back. What did we use to do on the train to work, pass the time in a queue, or when using the facilities? Read magazines, daydream?

Bringing a more serious focus back to Rome Supermatch, there is a good chance its unique brand of entertainment will appeal to certain players out in the iGaming realm. What helps is that the interesting core idea of the Supermatch mechanic has been joined with useful features and buy options, plus the presentation is a good one, too. Particular mention should be made of the dynamic ladder sitting to the left of the game grid. The values it displays depend on which symbol is the current matching symbol, and it helpfully tracks progress, so you can gauge how much potential winnings may be. Stir in the Second Chance Bonus plus the Mega Respin, and you’ve got a piece of work that’s not only tightly produced but nicely balanced between regular play and bonus segments.

The final piece of the puzzle is winning potential, and at 5,000x the bet, Rome Supermatch is no slouch. Reaching those heights would probably require immense cooperation of matching, respin(ing), and multiplication, so it’s unlikely to be happening a whole heck of a lot of the time. However, the chance is there, working as a possible extra incentive once players have given Rome Supermatch a crack and figured out if they actually like it or not.