Pragmatic Play has launched Coven Rising, an unconventional slot that swaps traditional reels for a distinctive 1-4-7-6-7-6-7-4-1 grid layout. At its heart are a coven of witches activating magical powers to drive wins.

How the Grid and Clusters Work

The mechanics centre on cluster wins rather than paylines. Five or more matching symbols award payouts, then trigger a respins feature where winning symbols clear and new ones fall into place. That cascade effect can generate multiple wins from a single spin. Coin symbols landing on the reels can pay up to 500x stake, but here's the catch: blank symbols offer nothing unless triggered by a witch power.

The Four Witch Modifiers

This is where Coven Rising separates itself from standard cluster games. Special witch symbols landing on the central grid position each deliver distinct bonuses:

  • Green Witch: Collects all visible Coin symbols and respins them into new ones. The upgraded version awards up to five additional Coins before collection.
  • Red Witch: Escalates a random paying symbol to the next tier, applying to all respun symbols too. Upgraded version pushes all symbols up a level.
  • Yellow Witch: Converts up to five blanks into paying symbols. Upgraded version transforms the entire grid's blanks.
  • Blue Witch: Transforms the grid's centre into a Wild. Upgraded version adds two extra Wilds.

Free Spins and Enhanced Features

Landing three or more Scatters triggers the Free Spins mode, awarding four times as many spins as Scatters landed, capped at 24. Additional Scatters during the round award two more spins each.

The witches gain enhanced abilities during this feature. The Green Witch can lock the highest-paying Coin symbol after it pays, allowing a second payout of the same value. Red Witch upgrades persist throughout the entire free spin round, creating compounding opportunities.

Players also have the option to buy directly into Free Spins, with a premium Super Free Spins variant that removes blanks from the central position and guarantees regular witch power activations.

Verdict

Coven Rising is a genuinely interesting departure from Pragmatic's usual releases. The grid format feels fresh, the witch modifiers add meaningful strategic variety, and the respins mechanic creates decent payout potential. It's the kind of game that rewards understanding the mechanics rather than just spinning and hoping. That's good design in a crowded market.