Pragmatic Play’s Coven Rising drops players into a woodland ritual circle where four witches govern the action from the centre of an unusual grid. It’s a slot that leans heavily into its theme, but the mechanics underneath are just as unconventional – a diamond-shaped cluster-pay layout, a five-tier symbol levelling system, and four distinct witch modifiers that each reshape the spin in a different way. There’s a lot going on, and Coven Rising makes no particular effort to ease newcomers in gently. Players willing to invest a few spins learning the system will find a layered game with genuine mechanical depth; everyone else may bounce off the complexity before it clicks.
Play Coven Rising Demo
Play Coven Rising for free using the demo below. The demo uses the same math model and features as the real-money version.
Grid & Math Model
Coven Rising is played on a 1-4-7-6-7-6-7-4-1 diamond-shaped grid – a far cry from the standard 5×3 layout. Symbols pay in clusters of 5 or more when connected horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When a winning cluster forms, those symbols pay out and then respin in place, revealing new symbols that can extend the sequence.
Key numbers:
- Medium Volatility
- Theoretical RTP of 96.42% in the base game, rising slightly to 96.50% with the Ante Bet, 96.48% when buying Free Spins, and 96.49% when buying Super Free Spins
- Maximum win capped at 5,000x base bet – if a feature round hits that ceiling, it ends immediately with the win awarded and remaining features forfeited
Symbols & Levelling System
There are six regular pay symbols, each rendered as a coloured gemstone, and each exists across five levels. Every symbol starts at Level 1 and can be upgraded during play through spins, respins, and features. The value scaling is dramatic: a Level 1 symbol in a 5+ cluster pays between $0.10 and $1.00 per symbol, while the same symbol at Level 5 pays between $10.00 and $100.00 per symbol. The final win for any cluster is determined by multiplying the per-symbol value by the number of symbols in the cluster.
Blank symbols can also land on the grid. These carry no value and cannot form winning combinations, but they interact with several of the witch modifiers described below. A Wild symbol substitutes for all regular pay symbols but not for Scatters, Coins, or Witch symbols.
Coin symbols appear with random values drawn from a predefined set: 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, or 500x base bet.
The Four Witches
The centre position of the grid is reserved for four Witch modifier symbols, each of which can land in a normal or upgraded version. When winning symbols respin, the modifier in the middle position also respins, potentially triggering additional effects in the same sequence.
Green Witch – Collects and pays the values of all Coin symbols on screen. The collected Coins then respin into regular pay symbols. The upgraded version adds 1 to 5 extra Coins to blank positions before collecting, provided at least one blank is available. During Free Spins, after collecting, the total amount gathered also accumulates on the highest-value Coin, which remains on the grid until it is collected, replaced by a higher-value Coin, or the round ends.
Red Witch – Increases a random pay symbol to the next level. The upgrade applies to the current result and carries forward after winning symbols respin. The upgraded version increases all pay symbols by one level. During Free Spins, level increases from the Red Witch are persistent until the end of the round.
Yellow Witch – Converts up to 5 Blank symbols on screen into random pay symbols. The upgraded version converts all Blanks into random symbols.
Blue Witch – Turns the middle grid position into a Wild. The upgraded version does the same and also places 2 additional Wilds at random positions on the grid.
Free Spins
Landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatter symbols triggers 12, 16, 20, or 24 free spins respectively. During the round, all Witch symbols and their modifiers are available and can hit randomly, with the persistent upgrades noted above (the Red Witch’s level increases carry through, and the Green Witch’s Coin accumulation mechanic is active). Hitting 2 or more Scatters during the round retriggers the feature, awarding 2 additional free spins per Scatter. Special reels are in play during the feature.
Ante Bet & Buy Feature
The Ante Bet triples the stake (from a 20x to a 60x bet multiplier) in exchange for a 7x higher chance of triggering Free Spins. Two Buy Feature options are also available: 100x base bet to trigger the standard Free Spins round, or 200x base bet to trigger Super Free Spins, a premium version of the bonus where Blank symbols cannot land in the middle grid position.
Verdict
Coven Rising is one of the more experimental slots in Pragmatic Play’s recent catalogue. The diamond-shaped grid, the four-witch modifier system, the five-tier symbol levelling, and the Coin collection mechanic all layer on top of each other to create something genuinely different – but that complexity is a double-edged sword. The learning curve is steep enough that players may not immediately see where the value lies, and with a 5,000x max win and medium volatility, the ceiling is modest by current standards. Where Coven Rising earns its keep is in the Free Spins round, where persistent Red Witch level upgrades and the Green Witch’s accumulating Coin can compound across a long session to produce meaningful payoffs. It’s a slot that rewards patience and understanding over quick-hit dopamine, and that will split players cleanly between those who appreciate the depth and those who’d rather spin something more intuitive.
