Around the World Slot Review

Provider	Microgaming

Around the World is a 5-reel, 20-payline video slot from Microgaming inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel Around the World in Eighty Days. The game follows Phileas Fogg's famous expedition, dressing the reels in Victorian-era transport and exotic landmarks from the journey. If you enjoy a slot that blends storytelling with solid mechanics, this is worth your time.

Game Basics

The setup is a standard 5x3 grid with 20 fixed paylines. Coin values run from £0.02 to £25 per coin, and with up to 10 coins per line you can stake up to £500 per spin. That wide range makes Around the World accessible to low-stakes players and high-rollers alike. The RTP sits at 94.84%, which is slightly below the modern average but typical for a Microgaming title of this era. Volatility is medium, so you can expect a fairly steady flow of smaller wins with occasional larger payouts rather than long dry spells.

Symbols and Theme

The reels are packed with imagery from Fogg's journey: a steam train, elephant, camel, sailing ship, ocean liner, hot-air balloon, airplane, globe and compass all appear as paying symbols. The background artwork shows famous landmarks including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids and the Statue of Liberty. It is visually rich without being cluttered, and Microgaming has done a decent job of making the Victorian adventure feel come through in every spin.

High-value symbols are the transport icons, while the lower end of the paytable carries the more generic card-suit symbols. The spread between top and bottom pays is reasonable and rewards players who land several matching symbols across the same line.

Wild Symbols

Around the World has two distinct wild symbols. The Around the World logo acts as a standard wild, substituting for all regular symbols to complete winning combinations. Phileas Fogg himself is the premium wild - when he subs in on a payline, he doubles the win for that line. Getting multiple Fogg wilds in a single spin can produce some very worthwhile hits, and it adds a strategic element to watching where the wilds land.

Scatter Symbol

The compass is the scatter. It pays out anywhere on the reels regardless of payline position. Three or more compasses landing together trigger a cumulative win multiplier, and the direction the compass points affects the multiplier value. A north-pointing compass is the most valuable outcome, and five north-pointing compasses deliver a 32x multiplier on your total scatter win. The scatter payouts can stack up quickly during a good run of spins.

Around the World Bonus Game

The globe is the bonus symbol. Land three or more globes on active paylines and you trigger the Travel Game. This is the slot's centrepiece feature, and it puts a decision in your hands rather than just awarding an automatic prize.

When the bonus starts, you receive an instant cash award. At that point you can collect and walk away, or choose to gamble. If you decide to travel, you pick one of four routes around the globe. Each route takes you through a series of locations where you collect coin multipliers along the way. The catch is the Shipwreck symbol, which ends your journey early if you encounter it. Reach London safely after completing the circuit and a 4x multiplier is applied to your accumulated bonus prize. The risk-reward dynamic here works well - cashing out early is often the safe play, but the 4x multiplier at the end is a meaningful incentive to keep going.

Auto Play and Controls

The control panel sits along the bottom of the screen and is laid out clearly. A 25-spin auto play function is available if you prefer to sit back and watch the reels run. Bet adjustments are simple, and the paytable is easy to access mid-session. Nothing about the interface gets in the way of playing.

Overall Verdict

Around the World holds up well as a classic Microgaming slot. The dual-wild mechanic, compass scatter with stacking multipliers, and the interactive Travel Game bonus give it more depth than many titles from the same period. The 94.84% RTP and medium volatility profile make it a reasonable choice for extended sessions. It is not the flashiest game you will find, but the Jules Verne theme is handled with care and the bonus feature has genuine replay value. If you are browsing the Microgaming catalogue, this is one worth stopping at.

Who made the Around the World slot?

Around the World was developed by Microgaming, one of the longest-established names in online slots. The game draws on Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days for its theme and follows Phileas Fogg's famous expedition.

What is the RTP of Around the World?

Around the World has an RTP (return to player) of 94.84%. This is the theoretical long-run return percentage and is set by Microgaming. It falls slightly below the current industry average but is standard for a classic Microgaming release.

How many reels and paylines does Around the World have?

The game uses a 5x3 reel grid with 20 fixed paylines. All 20 lines are always active, so every spin covers the full set of winning combinations.

What does the bonus game involve?

The bonus game is called the Travel Game and is triggered by landing three or more globe symbols on active paylines. You receive an instant bonus prize and can choose to collect it or gamble by picking a route around the world. Each route passes through several stops where you collect multipliers. Completing the full trip without hitting a Shipwreck symbol awards a 4x multiplier on your accumulated prize.

What are the wild symbols in Around the World?

There are two wild symbols. The Around the World logo acts as a standard wild and substitutes for all regular symbols. Phileas Fogg is a premium wild that doubles any win it helps complete. Both wilds substitute for regular symbols but not for scatters or bonus symbols.

What is the volatility of Around the World?

Around the World is a medium-volatility slot. This means wins appear with reasonable frequency and are distributed fairly evenly across sessions, rather than coming in large but infrequent bursts. It suits players who prefer a balanced experience over the extremes of low or high volatility games.