Updated
Lisa Michaels
Grab your goggles and flippers! Games Global and Microgaming welcome you to an aquatic adventure in this high-definition mermaid-themed mobile slot with 25 fixed paylines, five reels and three rows. Ariana is a medium variance, non-progressive slot which yields frequent wins and promises great entertainment. If you love the deep ocean and mermaids, this is for you. Try the Ariana free demo or read our thoughts in this slot review.
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When you load up the game, you’ll dive into the ocean's depths, discovering five reels and three rows. To the right of this playing area is the control panel, which features a spin button, autoplay option and bet size setting.
You’ll find the spin button in the centre of the control, with the autoplay feature directly above it. Set this to complete up to between ten and 100 spins automatically. Below it is the lightning button, which activates quick spins, and below is the bet size control.
At the top of the control panel, you can open a menu to view the game’s paytable, information on bonuses, game help and sound settings.
The paytable in Ariana features a total of eleven symbols. The bottom feeders are the A-10 playing card symbols, which pay between 1x and 2.4x for five of a kind. The payouts increase as you swim further up, and some symbols are stacked on certain reels.
The coral reef appears stacked on the first reel and will reward you with 5x your bet if you land five of a kind. The sunken treasure chest seems stacked on the first reel and will pay up to 6x your stake. The sea dragon is also stacked on the first reel and pays out up to 7x your bet. Last, Ariana appears stacked on all the reels and will reward you 8x your bet if you land five of a kind.
That equals nine, leaving us with just the two bonus symbols. The game’s logo acts as a wild and substitutes for all regular symbols while paying up to 10x your bet. You can also encounter starfish as you explore the depths, with this brightly coloured sea creature acting as the scatter and paying up to 100x your bet.
There are 25 paylines in this slot, and to win a payout, you need to match three or more symbols along one of them. Combinations must be made from the left of the reels to the right, and the only symbol that doesn’t require a payline is the scatter.
Wilds show up on any reel throughout the base game and bonus round. Like in other slots, these symbols will substitute for others, helping to create winning lines and boosting your chance of winning on each spin.
Whenever a whole stack of symbols appears on the first reel, all matching symbols and wilds on the other reels will also expand if there are winning combinations to be made.
The free spins feature is triggered when you land three or more starfish scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. Fifteen free spins are awarded and can be retriggered should you get three scatters during the feature.
During this bonus round, the first reel is stacked with wilds on every spin, increasing the winning potential significantly as you’ll only need to land two or more symbols from the second reel onwards to land a win.
This slot has a maximum payout of 240x your stake. While this doesn’t seem that high compared to other games, the maximum bet of $250 means you could still potentially hit some very high payouts if you’re lucky. Playing at the highest bet, the maximum potential is $60,000.
The RTP rate for this slot is 95.48%, slightly below average compared to other online slots but still well within the acceptable range. The volatility is rated at medium, which implies that win frequency and the payout size are average.
While the slot is rated as average, you may experience higher or lower returns depending on your luck. It’s important to remember that the RTP rate is calculated when playing the game for thousands of spins, so it’s not reflective of a typical short session. I had great luck when I played Ariana and hit some sizeable wins, but your results may differ. Always play responsibly, and manage your bet sizes to ensure you don’t overspend.
When you load up this slot, you’ll be greeted by a breathtaking scene of an underwater kingdom. The area behind the reels is teeming with life as colourful fish swim through a dense coral reef. Meanwhile, the symbols help to add to the underwater theme, with various sea creatures and even lost treasure for you to uncover. Low pay is essential, but the premium symbols are well-designed and unique.
Games Global kept things simple when creating the game’s soundtrack, opting for basic reel noises for each spin. There’s no background music, and the sound of the reels does get grating. As a result, it’s better to mute it, in my opinion. However, there are at least some extra sounds that play each time you land a win.
You don’t have to risk your money when playing with Ariana. If you’re still unsure whether this is a suitable game, why not give our free demo a go? It’s available on this page and lets you test the expanding symbols, wilds and free spins before committing real money.
The demo works precisely like the real money version, with the same features and payout rate. Of course, you won’t be able to win real money, but it’s a great way to learn more about the features before deciding whether you want to risk real cash.
If you love the deep blue sea, mermaids and sea life, you’ll be happy to hear there are plenty of other exciting games you can play. Thanks to online slots, you can explore the mysteries of the ocean and all it has to offer without leaving your home. There are even big payouts to be won if you’re lucky. Here are some of the best options:
Ariana is a fun, slow-paced, easy-to-play video slot ideal for beginners. Winnings are decent and can be attained anytime during the game, not just during the free spins feature. While the low maximum win might put some players off, it’s still a lot of fun to play, and the theme is perfect for anyone who loves spending time in aquariums and looking at all the brightly coloured fish that live in our oceans. Try out the demo on this page to see what you think.
Lisa started off as a croupier at her local casino. However she found her niche in writing and has subsequently used her real-world gambling experiences to help produce and review the many online slots that are released monthly. Lisa also contributes to keeping you up to date with Canadian newsworthy stories.
