Age of Discovery Slot Review - 96.62% RTP

Provider	Microgaming

Age of Discovery is a 5-reel, 25-payline video slot from Microgaming built around the golden era of maritime exploration. Think wooden galleons, uncharted coastlines and the thrill of what lies beyond the horizon. It is a classic-feeling game that holds up well as a casual play, backed by a 96.62% RTP and medium volatility.

Game Basics

The reels are arranged in a standard 5x3 grid with 25 fixed paylines. Stakes run from £0.25 up to £125 per spin, with coin sizes ranging from £0.01 and coins per line adjustable up to 10. Autoplay is available for up to 9,999 spins, which is useful if you want to let the Treasure Bonus trigger without babysitting the screen.

The symbols lean hard into the theme. Premium icons include a tall-masted ship, a royal crest and a brass sextant. Lower down the pay table you will find exotic fruit - papaya, pomegranate, mango, avocado and banana - which fits the sense of cargo hauled back from distant shores. Five ships on a payline returns 1,000 coins at maximum coin size.

Wild and Scatter Symbols

The gold coin acts as the wild. It substitutes for all regular symbols and pays 6,000 coins for five on a payline. There is no wild multiplier here - the coin simply fills gaps in winning combinations and can land on any reel.

The sea monster is the scatter symbol. Three, four or five sea monsters anywhere on the reels pay out regardless of paylines - 5x, 20x or 80x your total bet respectively. Landing five scatters at max stake returns the full 80x multiplier on your £125 wager, which is worth knowing. The scatter does not trigger a free spins round; its role is purely as an instant payout symbol.

Treasure Bonus Feature

The compass is the bonus trigger symbol. Land three or more compass symbols anywhere on the reels and you enter the Treasure Bonus game. A large map appears showing 30 dig sites marked with X symbols. You click through them one by one, each revealing a coin prize, until you unearth the skull and crossbones. That ends the round and you collect everything you have found up to that point.

The bonus can pay up to 32,250 coins at maximum bet. There is no minimum guaranteed number of picks - you could hit the skull on the first selection, though you still receive a consolation prize for that attempt. The pick-and-reveal format is simple but it builds genuine tension, particularly when you are a few picks deep and the skull has not appeared.

There are no free spins in Age of Discovery. The Treasure Bonus is the sole feature beyond the scatter payouts, so the game plays as a straightforward spin session punctuated by bonus rounds when the compass symbols line up.

Theme and Presentation

The setting is the deck of an Age of Sail vessel, complete with rolling ocean sounds in the background. The visual style is detailed without being busy - Microgaming have kept the reel area clean so you can focus on the symbols. The fruit icons add a slightly incongruous note against the nautical backdrop, but they are a nod to the kind of exotic goods that explorers brought back from their voyages, so the logic holds.

The game works in browser without a download and is fully compatible with mobile devices on both iOS and Android. The control panel sits at the bottom of the screen and is easy to navigate on a touchscreen.

Verdict

Age of Discovery suits players who want a straightforward medium-volatility session without layers of features to track. The 96.62% RTP is solid, the scatter payouts add regular small wins between base-game spins, and the Treasure Bonus rounds are engaging when they land. It is not a high-octane game - there are no free spins, no cascading reels, no multiplier trails - but what it does, it does cleanly. If you enjoy Microgaming's older catalogue and want a slot with a nautical theme that does not overcomplicate things, Age of Discovery is worth a session.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Age of Discovery?

Age of Discovery has an RTP of 96.62%, which is above the average for online slots and indicates a competitive return rate over the long term.

Does Age of Discovery have free spins?

No. Age of Discovery does not include a free spins round. The main feature is the Treasure Bonus game, triggered by three or more compass symbols anywhere on the reels.

How does the Treasure Bonus work?

Landing three or more compass symbols opens a treasure map with 30 dig sites. You select sites one by one, each revealing a coin prize, until you find the skull and crossbones symbol which ends the round. The maximum bonus payout is 32,250 coins.

What is the wild symbol in Age of Discovery?

The gold coin is the wild symbol. It substitutes for all standard symbols and pays 6,000 coins for five on a payline. It can appear on any reel.

What does the scatter symbol do?

The sea monster is the scatter. Three scatters pay 5x your total bet, four pay 20x, and five pay 80x. Scatters pay regardless of payline position and do not need to be on adjacent reels.