Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake Slot Review

Introduction to Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake

Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake is a 5x3, 10-payline slot from Play'n GO built around Arthurian legends and a familiar expanding symbol idea. I found it pretty easy to get into, mate. The big hook is in the bonus, where a random paying symbol can expand across reels, and that gives the game a decent bit more life than the plain base setup.

Visually, it leans hard into a quiet lake, forest, vines and proper mystical vibes, with Merlin and the Lady doing most of the heavy lifting. I like the mood here. The soundtrack sounds mournful and a bit eerie, which suits the theme well, even if the overall structure stays quite classic.

Theme, Gameplay & Payouts

Gameplay is straightforward. You play on 5 reels and 3 rows with 10 paylines, and bets run from 0.10 to 100. The RTP is 96.20%, though lower versions exist, and volatility is medium-high. Fair enough if you want a session with some quieter stretches, but the base game can drag a bit before the good stuff turns up.

Symbols are split into low and high payers. The low lot are 10, J, Q, K and A, paying 10x to 15x the bet for five on a line. Premium symbols are a shield, wizard's hat, magic staff and Merlin, with five of a kind paying from 75x up to 1,000x. Wild is the Lady framed by vines, and Scatter is Excalibur.

Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Scatter
	5	x100
	4	x10
	3	x1
	Wild
	5	x1000
	4	x100
	3	x10
	2	x1
	5	x1000
	4	x100
	3	x10
	2	x1
	5	x200
	4	x40
	3	x4
	2	x0.5
	5	x75
	4	x10
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x75
	4	x10
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x15
	4	x4
	3	x0.5
	5	x15
	4	x4
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5

Special Features & Slot Mechanics

3, 4 or 5 Scatters anywhere trigger 8 Free Spins and pay 1x, 10x or 100x the bet. During the feature, Scatters also count as Wilds. On every free spin, one random paying symbol is picked as the expanding symbol. If it lands on enough reels for a win, it expands to cover the full reels where it appears, and it pays across all 10 paylines even without the usual left-to-right, adjacent reel rule.

Extra Excalibur Spins kick in if 2 or more Wild Scatters land during free spins. You get as many of those spins as the number of triggering symbols, and the selected expanding symbol from that spin stays locked in place for the whole Excalibur bit. If 2 or more Wild Scatters land again, you get more, and re-triggers are unlimited, which is where the proper potential comes from.

Any regular win can also go into the Gamble Feature. You either pick red or black to double the win, or one of four suits to try for 4x. You can do that up to five times in a row, with a cap of 250x the bet. Nice enough if you like a cheeky risk, though I usually just collect.

Final Thoughts on Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake

Overall, I think this one is a decent shout if you like classic line slots but want a small twist in the bonus round. The random expanding symbol on every free spin is the bit that saves it from feeling too samey, and the Excalibur Spins can make a bonus feel a lot more lively than you'd expect at first glance.

Not everyone will be sold on it, mind. Outside the bonus, it follows a pretty familiar format, and if you're chasing constant action, this might feel a bit too steady. Still, for a relaxed session with a proper British myth theme and a max win of 10,000x, I had a good enough time with it.

FAQ

How do free spins start in Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake?

You need 3, 4 or 5 Scatters anywhere on the reels in the base game. That gives you 8 free spins and also pays 1x, 10x or 100x the bet depending on how many Scatters land.

What does the random expanding symbol do during free spins?

On each free spin, one paying symbol is chosen at random. If that symbol lands on enough reels to make a win, it expands to fill those reels and pays on all 10 paylines, even without the usual adjacent reel rule.

How do Excalibur Spins work?

During free spins, landing 2 or more Wild Scatters triggers Excalibur Spins equal to the number of those symbols. The expanding symbol from that spin stays locked, and more Wild Scatters can re-trigger the feature without limit.

Screenshots