Secret of the Stones MAX™ Slot Review – Free Play by NetEnt

Secret of the Stones MAX™ Slot Facts

The Secret of the Stones MAX slot is a 2013 NetEnt release offering a 7000x max win and a 96.81% RTP across 25 paylines. A druidic, stone-circle setting frames a choice between Classic and MAX play styles, each feeding a different set of Free Spins bonuses. It is a game built around picking a risk level before the reels even start turning.

Secret of the Stones MAX Theme & Design

Secret of the Stones MAX sets its reels among misty forests and standing stone circles, leaning on an ancient, druidic mood rather than anything modern. The atmosphere favors mystery over spectacle, with the sense that something old and half-forgotten waits inside the stones themselves. NetEnt carries that theme straight into the bonus round, where a pick-and-click stone game becomes the gateway into Free Spins rather than just a transition screen. The choice between Classic and MAX play styles adds a layer of ritual to the setup, as if picking a mode is itself part of stepping into the legend the reels are built around.

How Secret of the Stones MAX Plays

Across a 5x3 grid with 25 paylines, wild symbols can land on any reel in both the base game and Free Spins, substituting for everything except the Scatter. Three or more Scatters anywhere on the reels award 10 Free Spins, but the interesting decision happens first: a pick-and-click round over 20 stones, with the number of picks equal to the number of Scatters that triggered the round. Each stone hides a bonus feature that carries through the entire Free Spins session, and what those features can do depends on the mode in play. Classic mode draws from a gentler pool, adding small multipliers, extra spins, or turning specific reels and symbols wild. MAX mode pulls from a stronger version of the same pool, with higher multiplier caps, more reels going fully wild, and an extra symbol added to the wild pool. Choosing a mode before the reels spin effectively sets the ceiling for that session’s Free Spins round.

RTP, Volatility & Win Potential

The Secret of the Stones MAX slot returns 96.81% over time, edging past the industry average of around 96%, with medium volatility shaping how the wins arrive. A 39% hit frequency means winning spins come around fairly often, which fits a game whose real upside is loaded into the stone-pick Free Spins rather than the base reels. The 7000x max win is achievable through the stronger combinations available in MAX mode, where extra wild reels and higher multipliers stack together, though reaching it still depends on which stones get revealed during the pick-and-click round.

Our Verdict on Secret of the Stones MAX

The Secret of the Stones MAX slot suits players who like having a say in their own risk level, since choosing MAX mode over Classic mode changes the entire feel of the Free Spins round. The 39% hit frequency keeps the base game moving at a reasonable pace, which offsets the somewhat dated presentation for a 2013 release. Anyone wanting guaranteed big multipliers might be frustrated that the stone picks are random rather than freely chosen. This review rates it worth trying both modes through the free demo on this page to see which style suits you before wagering real money.

Secret of the Stones MAX™ RTP, Payout & Specs

Secret of the Stones MAX™ Bonus Features & How They Work

Wild Substitution

Wild symbols are free to land on any reel, whether the game is running in the base round or during Free Spins, and they substitute for every symbol except the Scatter. This rule holds steady no matter which mode is active, so switching between Classic and MAX does not change how often or where wilds can help complete a line.

Free Spins

Three or more Scatters landing anywhere on the reels award 10 Free Spins, but before those spins begin, a pick-and-click round opens over 20 stones. The number of stones a player gets to choose matches the number of Scatters that triggered the round, and whatever bonus features get uncovered during those picks stay active for the entire Free Spins session that follows.

Classic Free Spins

In Classic mode, the stones picked before Free Spins can reveal a modest multiplier boost of 1x or 2x on top of the base 1x, extra spins of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10, fully wild reels on position 2 and/or 4, or Deer and Owl symbols turned into wilds. It is the steadier of the two modes, built around smaller, more predictable boosts.

MAX™ Free Spins

MAX mode draws from a stronger version of the same stone pool, with multipliers that can add 1x, 2x, or 3x to the base, extra spins of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 10, and the option for reels 2, 3, and 4 to all turn fully wild at once. It also adds Bull symbols to the wild pool alongside Deer and Owl, giving MAX mode a wider ceiling than Classic for the same Free Spins trigger.

Secret of the Stones MAX™ FAQ