3 Mermaids Slot Review
Jellyfish drift in from the edges, light slants down through deep blue water, and coral fans line the seabed beneath three small reels. Plenty of three-reel games treat the format as an excuse to do very little; 3 Mermaids is the opposite, a compact underwater slot from Tom Horn Gaming that gives every reel its own job and lets that structure carry the whole game.
The maths is a 92.06% RTP on a 3×3 grid with 27 ways paid left to right, and that RTP sits some way below the modern norm. The three-reel format puts it in the same neighbourhood as Flaming Wild 27, while the studio’s wider catalogue runs through titles like 3 Pots of Aladdin and Book of Aladdin.
How the Small Grid Pays
3 Mermaids runs on three reels and three rows, with nine symbols in total. Wins are paid across 27 ways, left to right, and all wins are multiplied by the total bet rather than a line stake. Only the highest win is paid per way, but wins on multiple ways are added together and shown in the win box.
It’s a simple machine on the surface. What gives it texture is that each of the three reels carries its own special symbol, and the three of them can’t substitute for each other. That turns the reel layout into the whole game: with only three reels in play, which special lands on which reel decides what a spin is worth.
Betting couldn’t be simpler. You pick a stake with the plus and minus buttons under the bet box, or hit Bet Max to jump straight to the top stake, then spin. Autoplay is there too, spinning a fixed number of ways at a fixed bet until it runs out or you hit stop. On mobile, the autoplay controls sit inside the options menu rather than on the main screen.
Paytable
Symbol pays are multiples of the total bet, and with three of a kind the only combination that pays, the ladder is short:
- Seahorse – 15x
- Orange Anglerfish – 10x
- Pearl/Shell – 3x
- Green Pufferfish – 1x
- Starfish – 0.5x
- Shell – 0.2x
Those figures are the whole prize structure. There’s no bonus round, no jackpot ladder and no separate feature pays, so everything the game returns comes through these six rows plus whatever the wilds add to them. The seahorse is the one worth watching, at fifteen times the bet for a full row.
The spacing tells its own story. The top two symbols pay in solid multiples of the stake, the pearl sits in the middle, and the bottom three return a fraction of the bet for a full row. On a 27-way grid where three of a kind is the only winning combination, the gap between the seahorse and the starfish is the difference between a memorable spin and one that barely registers.
The Three Reel Wilds
Every special symbol in 3 Mermaids is locked to a single reel, and each does something different. None of them substitute for each other, so a spin can combine at most two of the three. Between them they replace the free spins and bonus rounds this game doesn’t have.
- Reel 1 – Nudging Octopus Wild, which expands to cover the reel
- Reel 2 – Sticky Jellyfish Respin, which locks the reel and respins the others
- Reel 3 – Wild Shark Multiplier, which doubles any win it forms part of
Nudging Octopus Wild
The octopus only ever shows up on the first reel, and only when there’s a win to build on. When it lands, it nudges up or down to cover the entire reel, pushing the other symbols aside as it goes. It substitutes for everything except the Sticky Jellyfish Respin and the Wild Shark Multiplier, so a full reel one of octopus gives every way a running start.
That first restriction is the interesting one. Because the octopus occurs only in winning combinations, you’ll never see it fill reel one for nothing; it arrives when the other two reels already have something worth connecting to. The nudge itself is decided by where it lands: up if there’s room above, down if there isn’t.
Sticky Jellyfish Respin
The jellyfish appears only on the second reel, landing anywhere on that reel. When it does, it expands to cover the whole of reel two and locks in place while the other reels respin. There’s a maximum of one respin, and it plays at the same bet as the round that triggered it.
As a wild, it stands in for everything except the octopus and the shark. It’s the only feature in the game that gives you a second shot at a combination, and because the reel it holds is already fully wild, that second shot only needs the outer reels to cooperate.
Wild Shark Multiplier
The shark lives on the third reel and carries a payout boost rather than a second chance. Any win it forms part of has its way win multiplied by x2. Unlike the other two, it doesn’t need to expand or stick around; it’s a flat doubling on whatever it touches.
Put the three together and the structure is clear: reel one offers coverage, reel two offers a respin, reel three offers a double. A spin that catches an octopus and a shark in the same win is the best this game can do, and it’s a combination the 27-way grid can genuinely build towards. The shark is also what lifts the top of the ladder: the seahorse’s 15x is the biggest number on the paytable, and the doubling applies on top of it.
One housekeeping detail worth having: if you quit mid-spin with a win waiting, the game stores it and pays it out next time you open the slot. The same applies to an interrupted feature, which resumes where it left off.
Our Honest Verdict
Overall Rating: 6.1/10
Playing 3 Mermaids is a quick, undemanding spin with something to watch on every reel. The draw is the wild design: with only three reels in play, each special lands somewhere that matters, and a spin that catches the octopus and the shark together feels earned rather than lucky.
That structure is the strength. Three specials that can’t stand in for each other means each reel genuinely plays differently, which is rare in a game this size. The weakness is the return: 92.06% is a poor number by any modern measure, and a 15x top symbol with no bonus round keeps the ceiling low however the wilds line up.
It suits players who like classic three-reel pacing with a modern idea behind it, and it’s happiest in short, low-stakes sessions where rhythm matters more than return. Big-round hunters will find nothing for them at this depth; everyone else can enjoy the swim.
3 Mermaids FAQs
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What is the RTP of 3 Mermaids?
3 Mermaids runs at an RTP of 92.06%, which is below the modern industry average. -
How many paylines does 3 Mermaids have?
The game has 27 ways, all paid left to right, with wins multiplied by the total bet. -
What is the grid size of 3 Mermaids?
3 Mermaids uses a 3×3 grid: three reels and three rows. -
Who makes 3 Mermaids?
3 Mermaids is made by Tom Horn Gaming. -
When is 3 Mermaids released?
3 Mermaids’ release date is 12 September 2022. -
What does the Nudging Octopus Wild do?
It appears only on reel 1, and only in winning combinations. It nudges up or down to cover the entire reel and substitutes for all symbols except the Sticky Jellyfish Respin and the Wild Shark Multiplier. -
How does the Sticky Jellyfish Respin work?
The jellyfish lands anywhere on reel 2 and expands to cover the whole reel, staying in place while the other reels respin. The respin is played at the same bet as the triggering round, and the maximum count is one. -
What does the Wild Shark Multiplier do?
It appears only on reel 3. Whenever it forms part of a win combination, the way win is multiplied by x2. It substitutes for all symbols except the Sticky Jellyfish Respin and the Nudging Octopus Wild.
