Pompeii: Roman ruins, 243 ways and a bonus wheel

Life before the eruption

Pompeii takes Aristocrat to the Roman city frozen in ash by Vesuvius. The volcano looms over a backdrop of columns and temples, and the reels mix Roman figures and objects with card ranks for the smaller wins. The colours are warm and dusty, with a bit of smoke drifting over the scene.

It uses Aristocrat's Reel Power: five reels, three rows, no paylines, 243 ways to win. Any matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left count, which keeps the base game ticking with small wins.

The wheel bonus

The scatter symbols start the feature, and Pompeii adds a step most of its siblings don't have: a wheel. You spin it to set up your free games, and the result shapes the round you are about to play. That moment of watching the wheel slow down is the signature of the game, and it means no two bonuses begin quite the same way.

Once the free spins are running, the wild plays its usual part in completing ways. The paytable in the game lays out the wheel segments and what each one means.

Playing Pompeii free

The Pompeii demo gives you 1,000 virtual credits, without registration or download. To get a good read on it:

• Play at a stake equivalent to £0.25 until you have reached the bonus several times.
• Write down what the wheel gave you each time and how the free games ended.
• Compare the good and bad wheel results: it shows you how much the game depends on that single spin.

For fans of what?

If you like Buffalo's ways system but want a bonus with a little ceremony, Pompeii fits. It is also a good choice if you enjoy history themes without cartoon art. The same game runs for real money at the casinos below.