Aftermath Slot Review
A wrecked car sits half-sunk in grass, two skeletons still belted into the front seats, barbed wire lashed along the reels around them. Aftermath is the rare post-apocalyptic slot that plays as well as it looks: underneath the scrapyard dressing, NetEnt have built one of the most mechanically dense games in their catalogue.
A scatter pays model sits on a 4-reel, 6-row grid that can grow to 6 reels by 8 rows, with avalanches, an escalating multiplier and four special symbols all working at once. The result feels closer to Nolimit City’s quirky, feature-heavy output than the polished restraint NetEnt are known for.
The numbers are serious: 96.05% RTP in its default UK configuration (operators can run settings as low as 92.04%), high volatility, and a 25,000x max win. Stakes run from 0.20 to 20 per spin.
It’s a lot of moving parts for one slot. Whether they cohere is the question this review answers.
Base Game & Features
Avalanche Feature
Any win starts an Avalanche. The winning symbols disappear, and a new set falls into the gaps. Avalanches keep running for as long as new wins form, so a single spin can chain several payouts in a row.
Each link in the chain matters beyond its own payout, too. The Avalanche is what the multiplier and several of the special symbols hang off, so a long cascade is rarely just about the symbols that started it.
Escalating Multiplier
Each winning combination bumps the multiplier by x1. It holds through the whole Avalanche chain, then resets on the next spin. In Bonus Spins and Super Bonus Spins, it carries over until the round ends instead.
Expanding Reels
The play area starts small and earns its size. Bomb and Purge features can unlock extra positions, up to a maximum of 6 reels by 8 rows. During the bonus rounds, any expanded positions stay open until the round finishes. When it happens, it lands as a real moment rather than background noise, and the bigger grid stays easy to read.
Wild Symbols
Two Wild types exist. The Regular Wild appears in the main game only. The Special Wild appears in the bonus rounds and carries a multiplier of its own: +2 in Bonus Spins, or a random value from +3 to +10 every spin in Super Bonus Spins, where it also sticks through Avalanches and can feed several wins in a row.
The Four Special Symbols
Four modifiers can land during play, and each is unmistakable the moment it arrives. None of them feels like padding; all four can extend a game round on their own.
- Bomb – explodes to remove itself, all regular symbols in the 8 surrounding positions, and any locked positions. It doubles the multiplier for that spin, and each additional Bomb doubles it again. The Bomb also stays put through Avalanches.
- Upgrade – replaces itself and a random number of low-pay symbols with the highest or second-highest pay symbol on the reels.
- Change – swaps itself and all regular symbols around it for one symbol type chosen from those surrounding positions, or the top payer if none qualify.
- Purge – clears itself, all wall portions, and every medium and low-pay symbol from the grid, opening space for a fresh Avalanche.
Aftermath Bonus Spins & Super Bonus Spins
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Scatter symbols in the main game awards 8, 10 or 12 Bonus Spins. The escalating multiplier no longer resets: it climbs for the whole round, and Special Wilds carrying a +2 multiplier can land to push it along faster.
Retriggers keep the round alive. A Scatter during the round adds 3 extra spins, and a Super Scatter adds 3 spins and upgrades the round to Super Bonus Spins on the spot.
Super Bonus Spins
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Scatters including a Super Scatter skips the standard round entirely. Here, one Special Wild with a random +3 to +10 multiplier is guaranteed every single spin, and those Wilds don’t vanish after a win. They stick, stacking into repeated Avalanche payouts.
The two modes run on the same bones, and the standard round can still pay handsomely with a good cascade flow and enough +2 Wilds. But the guaranteed multipliers are where the game comes alive. They don’t have to land well, and that makes Super Bonus Spins the more volatile of the two by some distance.
Elevate Feature
Five purchase tiers are available, all capped at the maximum bet of 20:
- Scatter Hunt (5x bet) – 7x more likely to enter Bonus Spins or Super Bonus Spins
- Feature Hunt (10x bet) – guarantees at least one special feature activates
- Power Boost (25x bet) – starts the spin with a random x5 to x10 multiplier
- Bonus Spins (100x bet) – guarantees at least 3 Scatters land
- Aftermath Spins (500x bet) – guarantees 3 Scatters including a Super Scatter, activating Super Bonus Spins
Scatter Hunt costs a little more than comparable ante-bet options elsewhere, though the increased Scatter frequency is noticeable. At the other end, the 500x jump to guaranteed Super Bonus Spins buys access to the game’s best features, and it’s priced accordingly. It’s a volatile purchase, and it deserves caution.
Our Honest Verdict
Playing Aftermath is a long climb in a scrapyard that keeps handing you better tools. The base game drips, the special symbols arrive one at a time, and the whole point of a session is reaching the round where the multiplier stops resetting and the Wilds start sticking. That’s the one reason you’d pick it over the dozens of other scatter pays games on the shelf: the bonus round doesn’t just pay differently, it plays differently.
The four special symbols are the best thing here. Each has its own job, each can rescue a dead spin, and together they make the grid feel alive in a way most avalanche games never manage. The weakness is the wait. Everything worth having sits on the far side of a volatile trigger or an expensive buy, and a bad Super Bonus Spins round can pay a fraction of what it cost to get there.
If you like high-volatility scatter pays with genuine depth, this is one of the better ones you’ll find, and it rewards repeat visits. If you want paylines, simple spins or predictable sessions, it isn’t for you. On NetEnt’s own record, this lands strong: the quirks are the game, not the decoration.
Aftermath FAQs
-
How do you trigger Bonus Spins in Aftermath?
Scatter symbols in the main game do the work: three of them award 8 Bonus Spins, four award 10, and five award 12. If the triggering set includes a Super Scatter, you’re taken straight into Super Bonus Spins instead. -
Can Bonus Spins retrigger in Aftermath?
Yes. Extra Scatters landing mid-round add 3 spins apiece, and a Super Scatter does the same while also upgrading the entire round to Super Bonus Spins. -
What does the Bomb symbol do in Aftermath?
The Bomb blows up its own position plus every regular symbol in the 8 spots around it, and it clears locked positions too. On top of the clear-out, the current spin’s multiplier gets doubled, and two Bombs in one spin double it twice over. Bombs don’t disappear during Avalanches either. -
How big can the grid get in Aftermath?
The starting layout is 4 reels by 6 rows, and Bomb or Purge hits can open up more space, all the way to a full 6 reels by 8 rows. Inside the bonus rounds, whatever positions have been unlocked remain in play until the mode ends. -
What is the difference between Bonus Spins and Super Bonus Spins?
Both run on the same rules, but Super Bonus Spins guarantee one Special Wild with a random +3 to +10 multiplier every spin, and those Wilds stick through Avalanches. Standard Bonus Spins offer Special Wilds with a +2 multiplier instead. -
How much do the Elevate Feature buys cost in Aftermath?
There are five tiers: Scatter Hunt at 5x bet, Feature Hunt at 10x bet, Power Boost at 25x bet, Bonus Spins at 100x bet, and Aftermath Spins at 500x bet. All purchases are capped at the maximum bet of 20. -
What is the maximum win in Aftermath?
The maximum win is 25,000x your bet. Aftermath is a high volatility game, so wins of that size are rare. -
What is the RTP of Aftermath?
The default RTP is 96.05%, which is standard for UK operators. Operators can also run configurations at 96.08%, 94.06%, 92.06% or 92.04%, so it’s worth checking the figure at your chosen casino.
