Mermaids™ Slot Review – Free Play by NetEnt

Mermaids™ Slot Facts

The Mermaids slot from NetEnt pays up to 2,007 times the stake on a 5x3 grid with 20 paylines and four distinct Wild symbols to track. Released in 2024, it swims squarely into High volatility water, built around three Progress Wilds that quietly fill glowing globes toward three separate bonus rounds.

This is one of NetEnt’s own Most Volatile Games picks, so the swings run deep, but the payoff is a genuinely layered bonus structure rather than a single repeated free spins round.

Mermaids Theme & Design

NetEnt sets Mermaids beneath the waves, in an underwater realm built around glowing globes rather than traditional bonus symbols, which gives the whole game a sense of collected magic rather than sudden luck. The mermaid theme leans into color-coded charge meters, Purple, Green, and White globes each tracking their own slow build toward a payoff, which fits a game about gathering ocean secrets piece by piece. Wild symbols do double duty here, functioning as regular substitutes while also feeding the globes that eventually crack open into full bonus rounds. The overall mood stays mystical and aquatic, favoring patient discovery over flashy one-off moments, in keeping with a game that rewards watching those globes fill up over many spins.

How Mermaids Plays

Every spin has a chance to nudge one of three colored globes closer to full, since the three Progress Wild symbols each feed their own meter every time they land, while a fourth Wild is reserved strictly for the Random Wilds mechanic that shows up during both Wild Spins and Mermaid Spins. Purple globes are the quickest payoff, reaching 15 charges opens the Picker Bonus, a pick-and-reveal round dishing out multipliers or, occasionally, one of the other two rounds without losing progress on that globe. Green globes need a longer 30-charge climb before unlocking 10 Wild Spins stacked with Random Wilds, while White globes take the longest at 60 charges but pay off with 10 Mermaid Spins where royal symbols disappear entirely and Wilds take over the board. Because all three globes fill simultaneously in the background, a session often builds toward more than one bonus at once, and High volatility means the wait between them can stretch out before paying off.

RTP, Volatility & Win Potential

A 96.09% RTP sits just above the industry average of around 96%, though the number that matters more here is High volatility, confirmed by Mermaids’ own spot among NetEnt’s Most Volatile Games. A 22.36% hit frequency means winning combinations land a bit more often than the volatility label alone might suggest, close to one spin in every four and a half, but the size of those wins swings widely rather than staying predictable. The 2,007x maximum payout rewards patience through the globe-charging system described above, and because three separate bonus rounds compete for the same spins, the path to that ceiling can take a while to arrive.

Our Verdict on Mermaids

This Mermaids slot review favors players who enjoy tracking long-term progress rather than chasing an instant bonus, since watching three separate globes creep toward Picker Bonus, Wild Spins, and Mermaid Spins gives every session a reason to keep going. High volatility is the honest tradeoff, a 96.09% RTP and 22.36% hit frequency will not feel generous during a cold run, and the 60-charge climb to Mermaid Spins can test patience. Players who like a slow-burn structure should try the free demo on this page before wagering real money.

Mermaids™ RTP, Payout & Specs

Mermaids™ Bonus Features & How They Work

Wilds and Progress

Four different Wild symbols appear across this game, three Progress Wilds plus a separate Regular Wild that only shows up inside the Random Wilds mechanic. Like any Wild, they substitute for paying symbols and always complete the strongest possible combination on a line. What sets the Progress Wilds apart is that each landing also adds charge to its own matching globe, and once a globe fills completely, the bonus round tied to it kicks in.

Picker Bonus

Purple globes start their climb at 5 charges, and reaching 15 opens a round of 3 picks. Each selection uncovers a random reward, anything from a x2 multiplier up through x3, x5, x10, x12, x15, x20, x25, or the top x50, though a pick can also surface Mermaid Spins or Wild Spins instead of a straight multiplier. Landing either of those rounds this way triggers it immediately without touching the progress already stored on that round’s own globe.

Wild Spins

Green globes begin at 5 charges and need to reach 30 before this round opens, paying out with 10 spins built around Random Wilds landing across the board. One quirk worth knowing: Green Progress Wild symbols sit out entirely once Wild Spins begins, since their job of charging the globe is already finished.

Mermaid Spins

White globes carry the longest charge requirement, starting at 5 and climbing all the way to 60 before awarding 10 Mermaid Spins. Royal symbols disappear from the reels entirely during this round, leaving more room for Random Wilds to land, and just like the Green globes, White Progress Wild symbols stay out of the action once their globe has already done its job.

Mermaids™ FAQ