John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways Slot Review
Pragmatic Play has built a reputation for delivering Megaways slots that capture player imagination, and John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways continues that tradition. This September 2023 release brings the adventure back to Ancient Egypt with the familiar John Hunter character leading the expedition. The combination of an established character, Egyptian theme, and dynamic Megaways mechanics positions this as a solid entry in Pragmatic Play’s portfolio—one that appeals to experienced players seeking high volatility gameplay with genuine win potential.
Base Game & Features
The game operates on a 6-reel, 2-7 row structure with up to 117,649 ways to win through Megaways mechanics. This dynamic setup means the number of available paylines changes on every spin, keeping gameplay fresh across sessions. Winning combinations form when three or more matching symbols land left-to-right starting from the leftmost reel, following standard Megaways rules.
Wild symbols appear on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 only, substituting for all regular symbols except scatters. This positioning creates strategic win potential across the middle reels without appearing on the extremes. Symbol values split between high-paying icons—John Hunter, Pharaoh, Cat, and Scarab Beetle—and low-paying card symbols (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten). The expanding symbol feature adds genuine excitement: during base game spins, a random pay symbol (either high or low) expands to fill an entire reel if doing so creates a winning combination.
Special Features: Ante Bet
The Ante Bet feature increases your current stake by 25%, boosting the RTP to 96.01%. More importantly, activating Ante Bet naturally increases the frequency of scatter symbols appearing on the reels, which translates to more frequent free spins triggers. This feature works best for players with adequate bankrolls who want to accelerate the pace of feature activations.
Bonus Features & Free Spins
The free spins round triggers when landing 3 or more scatter symbols across the reels. Landing exactly 3 scatters awards 10 free spins with a 3x bet payout. The trigger rewards scale: 4 scatters award 10 spins plus 15x bet, 5 scatters award 10 spins plus 100x bet, and 6 scatters deliver 10 spins plus an impressive 500x bet payout. Before the feature begins, the game randomly selects one pay symbol (high or low) to serve as the expanding symbol for the entire free spins round. This locked symbol expands on every winning opportunity throughout all spins, creating consistent win potential that differs from base game unpredictability.
Free spins are retriggerable: landing 3 or more scatter symbols during the feature awards an additional 10 spins, with no apparent limit to how many times you can retrigger. This open-ended retrigger structure creates genuine excitement during bonus rounds, as sessions can extend significantly with fortunate scatter landings.
Bonus Buy
John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways includes a bonus buy feature (available outside the UK in compliance with UKGC regulations). Players can purchase direct access to the free spins round for 100x their stake. When purchased this way, the RTP increases marginally to 96.06%. This feature appeals to players who don’t want to wait through extended dry spells—the 1 in 400 spins organic trigger frequency means that for many sessions, purchasing free spins becomes an attractive option for experienced high-volatility players.
Our Honest Verdict
John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways delivers a solid high-volatility experience that succeeds more through mechanical excellence than visual innovation. The expanding symbol feature and 117,649 ways to win genuinely impact gameplay, creating natural excitement during base spins. Pragmatic Play has packaged a familiar Egyptian adventure competently, though the theme itself remains oversaturated in the slot market. Where this game truly shines is in its design philosophy—it caters specifically to experienced players comfortable with extended dry spells and the patience required to chase substantial wins.
The volatility rating of 5/5 (high) is backed by authentic mechanics rather than inflated claims. The 10,000x maximum win cap is achievable, though the 1 in 2,607,562 probability makes this a statistical outlier. More realistic base game hits land in the 50x-100x range. Free spins trigger only once in 400 spins organically, which will frustrate budget-conscious players but suits the high-volatility positioning. The John Hunter character and series continuity (this is the ninth game in the John Hunter franchise) provide narrative appeal for returning fans, though casual players seeking frequent bonuses should explore medium-volatility alternatives.
Rating: 7.5/10. John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways is best suited for experienced players with adequate bankrolls who enjoy high volatility, appreciate Megaways mechanics, and value the expanding symbol feature. It will more than satisfy fans of the John Hunter series and players seeking genuine big-win potential, though it won’t revolutionise expectations within the book-slot genre.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the RTP of John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways?
The base game RTP is 96.00%. The RTP increases slightly with Ante Bet feature enabled to 96.01%, and reaches 96.06% when using the Bonus Buy feature. Some operators may offer lower RTP variants at 95.06% or 94.05% for their regions. -
What is the maximum win on John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways?
The maximum win is 10,000x your stake, with a statistical probability of 1 in 2,607,562 spins. Most winning combinations will land in the 50x-100x range. During free spins, triggering payouts can reach 500x your stake (with 6 scatters), plus any additional wins during the feature round itself. -
Does John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways have free spins?
Yes, the free spins round triggers by landing 3 or more scatter symbols. You’ll receive 10 free spins, with triggering payouts ranging from 3x (3 scatters) to 500x (6 scatters) your stake. Free spins are fully retriggerable—landing additional scatters during the feature awards extra spins with no apparent limit. -
Can I play John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways on mobile?
Yes, John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways is fully optimised for mobile play on both iOS and Android devices. The game features responsive web design meaning you can play directly through your mobile browser at any online casino offering Pragmatic Play titles. No app download is required. -
Does John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways have a bonus buy feature?
Yes, the Bonus Buy feature is available outside the UK in compliance with UK Gambling Commission regulations. You can purchase direct access to the free spins round for 100x your stake. When using bonus buy, the RTP increases to 96.06%. This feature is useful for players wanting to skip the extended wait for organic free spins triggers. -
Is John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways suitable for budget players?
This is a high volatility game (rated 5/5), so it’s best suited for experienced players with adequate budgets. The free spins trigger only once in approximately 400 spins on average, meaning you may need 300+ spins to hit a bonus round in many sessions. Casual or budget-conscious players might prefer medium volatility alternatives that offer more frequent smaller wins. -
How often do you win on John Hunter and the Book of Tut Megaways?
The base game hit frequency is approximately 1 in 4-5 spins (roughly 22%), meaning you’ll land some form of win about once every 4 to 5 spins. However, most of these wins are modest. Free spins occur much less frequently at 1 in 400 spins, but when they do land, the potential for substantial wins increases significantly due to the locked expanding symbol and retriggerable nature of the feature.
