Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | AGS (American Gaming Systems) |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 95.89% |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 (expandable to 5 × 4 or 5 × 5 in free spins) |
| Ways to Win | 243 (base game); increases during free spins |
| Min Bet | $0.88 |
| Max Bet | $176.00 |
| Max Win | 800x stake |
| Features | Wild, Scatter, Free Spins (choice-based), Jackpot Pick Bonus, PowerXStream, Four-tier Jackpot |
| Theme | Ancient Greece / Greek Mythology |
| Release Date | July 2019 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Olympus Strikes?
Olympus Strikes is a five-reel pokie set on Mount Olympus, built around Zeus — the Greek god of sky and thunder. AGS designed the game around two core ideas: a flexible free spins round where you choose your own reel layout, and a jackpot bonus that can trigger from a single wild symbol. Those two features give the game its identity.
The game uses PowerXStream instead of fixed paylines. That means wins pay left to right across adjacent reels, and the payout is multiplied by the number of matching symbols per reel — not just whether they land on a line. It’s a more generous way to count wins than traditional payline slots.
The split-screen layout is unusual. Zeus stands on the left side of the screen alongside four jackpot meters. The reels sit on the right. It takes a few seconds to orient yourself the first time, but once you’ve played a few rounds it becomes second nature. This pokie suits players who want meaningful decisions mid-session — specifically, the free spins layout choice — rather than completely passive gameplay. It’s not for players who need fast, frequent wins to stay engaged. High volatility means long stretches between bonuses.
RTP and Volatility
The official RTP is 95.89%. One source lists 95.85%, but the 95.89% figure is confirmed by multiple independent operators including BetMGM and Borgata Online, and is the more widely cited number. Think of it this way: over tens of millions of spins, the game returns roughly $95.89 for every $100 wagered. In a real session of 200 spins at $1 per spin, that long-run average means almost nothing — you could finish up 300% or down 80% depending purely on when the bonus triggers.
The volatility is high, and that’s not marketing language — it’s the defining feature of your actual experience. Wins in the base game are small and infrequent. The real money lives in the free spins and Jackpot Pick Bonus. If you go 100 spins without a bonus, that’s normal. If you’re budgeting for a session, build in the assumption that you may burn through 40–50% of your stake before anything meaningful happens. Players who expect regular base-game hits will find this pokie frustrating.
Watch for this: the RTP places Olympus Strikes in the average range (95%–96.49%). That’s not exceptional, but it’s acceptable for a high-volatility game where the upside is a four-tier jackpot.
Betting Range
The minimum bet is $0.88 per spin and the maximum is $176. That’s a wide spread — casual players can stretch a $20 session reasonably well at lower stakes, while higher rollers have room to move. The DENOM buttons in the bottom-right corner of the screen control the coin value, while the number row at the bottom-left sets the bet level. Your total stake is the product of both.
Start with smaller bets until you’ve seen at least one free spins round and one Jackpot Pick trigger — you’ll then have a better sense of how the game behaves before committing to higher stakes.
How to Play Olympus Strikes
- Set your bet level. Use the row of numbers at the bottom-left of the screen to select a bet level.
- Adjust the denomination. Click the + or – buttons under “DENOM” at the bottom-right to change the coin value. Your total bet equals bet level × denomination.
- Check the paytable. Hit the Help button at the bottom-left before your first session. It shows symbol values and the exact jackpot rules.
- Spin. Press the large Spin button at the bottom-centre. Wins pay left to right across adjacent reels using PowerXStream.
- Watch the wild reels. A lightning bolt wild on reels 2, 3, or 4 substitutes for standard symbols — and a single wild can trigger the Jackpot Pick Bonus.
- Watch the scatter. Three or more flaming torch scatters trigger the Free Spins selection screen. You choose your preferred layout before the round starts.
- Use autoplay with limits. The autoplay feature lets you set a maximum loss or win threshold. Given the high volatility, setting a loss limit is worth doing.
Try this: Set a session budget, choose a stake that gives you at least 100 spins, and use the 5×4 (10 free spins) option if you trigger the bonus — it’s the middle ground between raw spin count and ways to win.
Symbols and Paytable
Olympus Strikes has 11 paying symbols. The high-paying group includes Zeus himself, Pegasus, an eagle, and a warrior’s helmet. The low-paying group is four card symbols (A, K, Q, J) plus a vase, a laurel wreath, and sandals. One reviewer confirmed that landing five Zeus symbols pays 1,000 credits, five Pegasus pays 500 credits, three helmets pays 25 credits, and three eagles pays 40 credits — though these credit values depend on your coin denomination.
The inclusion of card suits drew criticism from several reviewers, and it’s a fair point. The Greek mythology theme is rich enough to support a full set of thematic low-pays, but AGS went the standard route. It doesn’t break the game, but it’s a missed opportunity.
The lightning bolt wild appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4. It substitutes for all standard symbols. The flaming torch is the scatter — it pays independently of paylines (landing three pays 440 coins, four pays 880, five pays 4,400) and triggers the free spins feature.
Bonus Features
Free Spins Bonus
Three or more flaming torch scatters trigger the Free Spins selection screen. You choose from three distinct layouts before the round begins:
- 15 free spins on a 5×3 grid — the standard grid, 243 ways to win
- 10 free spins on a 5×4 grid — one extra row, more ways to win
- 5 free spins on a 5×5 grid — maximum rows, maximum ways to win per spin
The trade-off is straightforward: more spins or more ways to win per spin. The 5×5 option is the most aggressive — five spins sounds few, but each spin covers significantly more symbol combinations than the base game. The free spins round can retrigger if additional scatters land during play.
There is no guaranteed payout in this feature. The round can end with a modest return if the grid doesn’t connect. On the other hand, the expanded grid options give the feature real upside potential that a standard free spins round wouldn’t have.
Your bet size during the base game determines the stakes inside the free spins round — a higher base bet means a proportionally larger reward when the bonus pays.
Jackpot Pick Bonus
A lightning bolt wild landing anywhere on reels 2, 3, or 4 during the base game can randomly activate the Jackpot Pick Bonus. When it triggers, 12 gold coins appear on screen. You pick one coin at a time until you’ve matched three identical jackpot icons. The four jackpot tiers are Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand.
Note: jackpot values are tied to the casino operating the game and may vary. Borgata Online has published example values of $200 (Mini), $500 (Minor), $16,000 (Major), and $16,000 (Grand) — though these figures apply to their US market and will differ on other platforms. The jackpots in this game are not progressive in the traditional sense; they reset and refill according to the casino’s configuration.
The Jackpot Pick Bonus does not guarantee a major win. You could match three Mini icons. But a single wild is all it takes to get into the pick screen, and that’s a relatively achievable trigger compared to jackpot games that require five dedicated jackpot symbols on a payline.
PowerXStream Pay System
PowerXStream isn’t a bonus feature in the traditional sense — it’s the underlying win calculation for every spin. Standard paylines pay based on a fixed line; PowerXStream pays based on adjacent reels, multiplied by the number of matching symbols on each reel. If two symbols of the same kind land on reel 3, that multiplies the award accordingly. Only the highest-paying combination per set of matched symbols is paid. In practice, this means the base game generates more diverse win amounts than a fixed-payline system.
Is Olympus Strikes Worth Playing?
Pros:
- The three-way free spins choice gives you meaningful agency during the bonus round — not common in this format
- 243 base-game ways to win, expandable to significantly more during free spins
- Four-tier jackpot triggered by a single wild symbol, without needing to bet max
- Wide betting range ($0.88–$176) suits a broad range of budgets
- Retrigger mechanic in free spins adds extra upside
Cons:
- RTP of 95.89% is mid-range — better options exist if RTP is your primary criterion
- Card suit low-pay symbols feel lazy for a game with this much mythology to draw from
- High volatility means the base game can feel dry for long stretches
- Published max win of 800x is modest compared to modern high-volatility competitors
- Some players report the split-screen layout takes time to get used to
Olympus Strikes earns its place for players who want a high-volatility pokie with a genuine decision inside the bonus. The free spins layout choice and four-tier jackpot give it more depth than most mythology-themed slots at this price point. It’s not the best RTP on the market and the base game is lean, but if you’re chasing a jackpot or want a bonus round that asks something of you, this AGS slot holds up.
Responsible Gambling
Olympus Strikes uses a certified Random Number Generator (RNG). Every spin is independent — past results have no effect on future outcomes, and no strategy can influence the RTP or predict when a bonus will trigger. Set a budget before you play and stick to it. If gambling is affecting your finances, relationships, or wellbeing, please contact a local responsible gambling support service for help.
