Megasaur slot by Realtime Gaming (RTG)

Learning how to play Megasaur takes about a minute: choose a stake, start the spin and read what the reels leave behind. The stake can be changed between spins at any point, and every Megasaur payout moves with it.

A win in Megasaur is a run of matching symbols on one of its 25 lines, counted from the leftmost reel rightwards; a combination that starts anywhere else does not pay. Only the highest win on each line is paid, so two hits on the same line do not add up.

Everything above is stated in full inside Megasaur itself — the paytable button opens the list of symbols and the rules for Megasaur Wild. The numbers there are quoted against the stake you currently have set, which makes them easier to read than any review.

Under the art, Megasaur is a straightforward 5 reels, 3 rows and 25 paylines machine. Wins are read left to right from the first reel, and only the highest combination on each line counts, so a second tyrannosaur further along the same line adds nothing. The tyrannosaur is the top symbol, a triceratops sits under it, and the card ranks below those are what most Megasaur spins return.

Megasaur Wild is the entry to read first — the dinosaur eats symbols and leaves wild positions behind — because it is what turns a near miss on Megasaur into a paid line. The ceiling of Megasaur is a progressive jackpot with no fixed ceiling. Read the meter above the reels rather than looking for a multiple in the paytable; the paytable has none.

On Megasaur one entry does the heavy lifting — Free Games: up to twenty spins under a multiplier that climbs. Practically, that means a session on Megasaur divides into two very different modes, and judging the game on the base spins alone gives you half the picture.

The feature set on Megasaur runs to three rounds, and it repays reading the paytable once before you spin.

Megasaur Wild: the dinosaur eats symbols and leaves wild positions behind. In a high-volatility game like Megasaur that matters more than it sounds: Megasaur Wild is the round the quoted ceiling is calculated from.

Free Games — up to twenty spins under a multiplier that climbs, on the 5-reel grid described above. In a high-volatility game like Megasaur that matters more than it sounds: Free Games is the round the quoted ceiling is calculated from.

Progressive Jackpots (two random jackpots that can land at any stake, on the 5-reel grid described above). Progressive Jackpots does not fire often on Megasaur, and the game is built on the assumption that you are waiting for it.

Taken together the set is what separates Megasaur from the rest of its shelf. The base grid is common enough across the catalogue; Megasaur Wild is not, and it is the reason the game has its own page here.

The stake on Megasaur is 25 lines times whatever you set per line. Playing fewer than 25 is possible but rarely sensible on Megasaur — it lowers the cost and the hit rate in the same step. Because the ceiling is a progressive pool rather than a multiple, raising your stake in Megasaur does not raise it — what the stake changes is how much of the pool your qualifying spin is playing for.

Treat Megasaur as a high-volatility game — it will do very little for a long time and then settle the whole session in one round. Be careful with any RTP figure you find for Megasaur elsewhere. RTG sets the return per operator, not per game, so Megasaur runs differently from one casino to the next. The only figure worth trusting for Megasaur is the one printed in its own paytable.

There is no reason to ladder the stake on Megasaur: each spin stands alone, and its paytable scales linearly with whatever you set. Autoplay handles the base grid of Megasaur perfectly well. Set it to stop on Megasaur Wild and you get the pace without losing the event.

On Megasaur the stake wants to be small relative to the balance: the game can go a long way without paying, and the only protection against that is spin count. Whatever balance you bring to Megasaur, decide in advance what leaves with you; the limit tools sit in the account area.

For wagering purposes Megasaur counts as a slot, which means it contributes at the full rate, and the conditions are set out on the bonus page. The specification sets the frame; Megasaur Wild is what fills it, and that only becomes clear with Megasaur running.

A dry stretch on Megasaur is not a signal. Megasaur Wild does not become more likely because it is overdue, and betting as though it does is the fastest way to shorten a session. The responsible gaming page collects the limit tools and the independent support contacts in one place, and they apply to Megasaur as to every other game here.

Megasaur suits a player who wants a game that can do very little for a long time and then do a great deal at once. It sits in our lobby alongside T-Rex II, which shares the family of mechanics and differs in pace.

Put Megasaur beside T-Rex II and the shared parts fall away quickly. Start with Megasaur if you are prepared to sit through the quiet. Full specifications for Megasaur — the 5 reels, 3 rows and 25 paylines, volatility, the top end (a progressive jackpot with no fixed ceiling), the feature list and the release year — are in the table at the top of this page.

T-Rex II