Merge Up Slot Review
5.0 /5 
– First released in October 2023, BGaming’s Merge Up takes the concept of the cluster pays slots game to a new level.
Game Screenshots
Play Merge Up at these suggested casinos
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One of the fastest, most action-packed games we’ve ever played, Merge Up features BGaming’s proprietary merging mechanic — this is where symbols in winning combinations merge to create new symbols, after which additional symbols drop down to fill the empty cells, meaning you can pick up many multiple wins from a single spin. There is also a highly lucrative free spins round with multipliers up to 128x, where it is possible to land sequences of impressive wins.
A very high volatility slot with a 97.25% RTP, there is a variety of wager sizes to choose from, and the maximum payout that can be won is £250,000.
If you want to get in on the super-fast action, you can check out Merge Up for yourself at our featured UK online casinos.
How to play
Merge Up is a 6 reel, 6 row cluster pays slot, in which a winning cluster consists of 4 or more vertically or horizontally adjacent symbols (if symbols are adjacent diagonally but do not have adjoining boundaries vertically or horizontally, it is not a winning combination).
On any win, the symbols in the winning combination merge to form additional symbols, with new symbols dropping down to fill any empty cells.
Wagers range in size from £0.20 to £50.
Scatter symbol can appear anywhere on the reels as part of a spin, or be formed when 4+ of the highest value Purple Gem symbols merge
- Hitting 4x, 5x or 6x Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels triggers the Free Spins Bonus Round
- Hitting 12+ Purple Gem symbols = 50x total bet (up to £2,500)
- Hitting 12+ Red Gem symbols = 40x total bet (up to £2,000)
- Hitting 12+ Aqua Gem symbols = 30x total bet (up to £1,500)
- Hitting 12+ Golden Gem symbols = 25x total bet (up to £1,250)
- Hitting 12+ Blue Gem symbols = 20x total bet (up to £1,000)
- Hitting 12+ Green Gem symbols = 15x total bet (up to £750)
- Hitting 12+ Pink Gem symbols = 10x total bet (up to £500)
- Hitting 12+ Orange Gem symbols = 5x total bet (up to £250)
Jackpot
Merge Up is a very high volatility slot with a 97.25% RTP and a £250,000 maximum payout. As this is a cluster pays games, the maximum payout can be won either during base play or the Free Spins Bonus round in a variety of ways (usually when the highest value multipliers are in play during the free spins).
Special features
Merge Up Feature
When a winning cluster of 4 or more vertically or horizontally adjacent symbols is formed , the symbols merge and new symbols are created to take their place (new symbols drop down to fill any empty cells).
The number of new symbols that are formed depends on how many symbols are in the winning cluster:
- 4 or 5 symbol cluster = 2 new symbols
- 6 or 7 symbol cluster = 3 new symbols
- 8 or 9 symbol cluster = 4 new symbols
- 10 or 11 symbol cluster = 5 new symbols
- 12+ symbol cluster = 6 new symbols
- 12+ symbol cluster = 6 new symbols
If 4+ or more top value Purple Gem symbols form a cluster, they merge and form a Scatter symbol.
Free Spin Bonus Feature
The Free Spins Bonus Round is triggered by hitting 4x, 5x or 6x Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. The number of free spins awarded depends on how many Scatters activate the free spins:
- 4x Scatter symbols = 15 free spins
- 5x Scatter symbols = 18 free spins
- 6x Scatter symbols = 20 free spins
The Merge Up feature remains in play during the Free Spin Bonus Feature.
When a cell is part of a winning combination for the first time, it is marked. Each subsequent time it forms part of a win, a multiplier is applied to the next spin, starting at 2x and doubling each time it is part of a win until it reaches a maximum multiplier of 128x. All the multipliers that are in cells forming part of a winning combination are applied to that win, so the payouts can be very substantial.
Graphics and Sounds
What makes Merge Up stand out is the gameplay rather than the design. The look of the game will be familiar to regular slots players, with the coloured gemstone symbols being a common recurring theme. However, the merging cells and symbols are a visual effect that is quite impressive and helps to focus players’ attention during the rapid, fast-moving gameplay.
The music soundtrack is an upbeat jazz funk track, which suits the rhythm of the game perfectly, with winning clusters being punctuated with a range of different sound effects.
Conclusion
This is one of the most enjoyable new slots we’ve played in a long time. Although there is nothing particularly outstanding about the visual design (unusual for BGaming slots, as this is an area in which they usually excel), the gameplay is exceptional. The game never stops moving, and the Merge Up features, where symbols disappear, merge and reappear quickly means it can sometimes be hard to keep up. The Free Spins Bonus Round, with the inclusion of multipliers up to 128x, can be incredibly lucrative, as it is possible to get long sequences of wins from a single free spin.
We recommend Merge Up as one of the best slot game releases of 2023 — find out why at our recommended UK slot sites.
Author
Mark Angus is a professional writer and editor currently based in Adelaide and London. Mark writes on a variety of sports betting and gaming topics, most notably football and cricket (he has been a season ticket holder at Fulham for far too many years), as well as horse racing, in particular jumps racing. In addition, Mark produces website content, blogs and articles for a variety of publications, organisations and businesses, and has extensive experience in writing for all forms of online, print and broadcast media.
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