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Call of the Colosseum Slot Review
Call of the Colosseum is a five-reel video slot from NextGen Gaming that drops you into ancient Rome, where gladiators, emperors and hungry tigers fill the reels. Released in 2013, it runs on 25 paylines across a standard 5x3 grid and carries an RTP of 95.3%. The theme is executed with enough detail to feel cohesive - this is not just a generic Rome skin slapped over a generic slot engine.
Bets start at £0.01 per line, with 25 lines giving a minimum total stake of £0.25 per spin. The upper limit of £50 per spin gives it reasonable range for different bankroll sizes. The game works on desktop and mobile without compromise.
Theme and Symbols
The visual design leans into the spectacle of the arena. Symbol set includes grapes, sandals, coins, a chariot, a helmet, a shield, a bag of gold, the Colosseum structure itself, a tiger and a female onlooker. The higher-value symbols are well drawn and slot into the Roman setting naturally. Low-value symbols use styled playing card ranks rather than the usual flat card faces, which keeps the visual register consistent across the whole grid.
The Emperor acts as the wild symbol and only appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 - a deliberate design choice that concentrates wild potential in the centre of the grid. He substitutes for all standard symbols except the scatter. The animation when he lands is a regal wave, which fits the theme rather than just flashing an icon.
The Shield is the scatter, and it drives the main bonus round.
Paylines and Betting
The 25 paylines are adjustable, so you can reduce the active line count if you want to lower your total stake below the 25-line minimum. That said, playing fewer lines narrows your coverage of the grid and reduces your chances of hitting the scatter combination needed for free spins. Most players will leave all 25 active and adjust bet-per-line instead.
Wins pay left to right from reel 1 on active paylines. The Lady symbol is the highest-paying standard icon, worth up to 5,000x your bet per line at maximum stake - a meaningful top prize for a slot with a lower RTP floor.
Gamble Feature
After any win, you have the option to gamble it. This is the standard card-colour/suit mechanic - guess correctly to double or quadruple the win, guess wrong and you lose it. The gamble feature has no thematic dressing to connect it to Roman spectacle; it is a plain card game overlay. It is entirely optional and has no bearing on the main game mechanics.
Free Spins Round
Landing three or more Shield scatters anywhere on the reels triggers 10 free spins. During the round, all wins are doubled from the outset - a 2x multiplier on everything that lands. That alone makes the free spins significantly more valuable than the base game.
The Emperor plays a bigger role during free spins. When he appears on the middle reels, he delivers a verdict - thumbs up or thumbs down. A thumbs-up awards between one and three additional free spins, extending the round. A thumbs-down means no extra spins. The random nature of the verdict adds an element of anticipation each time the wild symbol lands.
There is no upper cap stated on how many times the Emperor can award extra spins during a single round, which means a good run of thumbs-up verdicts can stretch the feature considerably beyond the initial 10. Combined with the 2x multiplier, this is where the session high points are most likely to come from.
What Works and What Does Not
The Roman theme is well-executed and the symbol design is a step above average for a 2013 release. The Emperor wild mechanic - restricted to middle reels with an animated reaction - adds character without overcomplicating the game. The free spins multiplier and Emperor extra-spin mechanic interact well, making the bonus round feel genuinely rewarding when it runs long.
On the downside, the RTP of 95.3% sits below the 96%+ you would find on more recent slots from the same provider and on modern NetEnt and Pragmatic titles. The gamble feature is functional but bare. And while 25 adjustable paylines give flexibility, the base game can feel straightforward between bonus triggers.
This is a medium-high volatility slot. Expect the base game to produce a mix of small wins and dry patches, with the free spins round carrying the bulk of the bigger return potential.
Verdict
Call of the Colosseum is a well-made slot that does its job cleanly. The Roman arena setting is handled with more care than the genre average, the Emperor wild is a genuine mechanical highlight, and the free spins round - with its 2x multiplier and variable extra-spin mechanic - has enough going on to hold your attention. The RTP is lower than you will find on newer titles, which is worth factoring in for longer sessions. As a mid-2010s NextGen slot, it holds up, particularly if you enjoy Roman-themed games or want a free spins feature with some built-in unpredictability.
Where to Play Call of the Colosseum
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