Heroes' Gathering Review
Relax Gaming has carved out a reputation for mechanical experimentation, and Heroes Gathering is a clear example of that instinct. Released in February 2020, this 5x3 video slot wraps a fantasy RPG theme around a literal board game bonus structure — a format that's rare enough in the market to stand out, but demanding enough to polarise opinion. The core loop is straightforward: spin on 20 fixed paylines, collect scatter symbols, and trigger one of two board game free spins modes where multipliers and wins accumulate as your piece moves around the track.
The certified RTP sits at 96.45%, which is a few ticks above the industry average of 96.00%, and volatility is rated medium-high. The stated max win is 400x the stake, though the source paytable data references a 100x multiplier available inside the board game feature that can push total exposure to 4,000x — a figure worth understanding before you set your stake. This review breaks down exactly how that works, who the slot suits, and whether the mechanic holds up over a session.
RTP, Volatility, and Max Win Breakdown
At 96.45%, Heroes Gathering sits comfortably above the market baseline. For context, many Relax Gaming titles cluster around 96.00–96.20%, so this release gives back a little more per wagered unit on paper. That said, RTP is a long-run theoretical figure — what shapes the session experience more directly is the medium-high volatility and a hit frequency of 19.82%, meaning roughly one in five spins produces a paying result.
The max win figure requires some unpacking. The slot's headline max is 400x the stake, but the board game feature includes a multiplier that can reach 100x. When that multiplier applies to accumulated winnings during the feature, the effective ceiling climbs toward 4,000x. This is a meaningful distinction: the 400x figure reflects typical base-game and standard feature exposure, while the 4,000x outcome depends on a specific multiplier event inside the bonus. Players targeting the upper end of that range should understand they're chasing a conditional outcome within an already-gated feature.
Compared to other medium-high volatility fantasy slots, 4,000x is a solid ceiling but not exceptional — Relax Gaming's own Snake Arena, for example, pushes to 10,000x with a similar volatility profile. Heroes Gathering trades raw max-win headroom for a more structured, board-game-driven payout path.
How Heroes Gathering Plays
The layout is a standard 5x3 grid with 20 fixed paylines. Wins require three to five matching symbols on a payline, and the reel set is surrounded by the track of the board game — a visual framing device that signals the bonus is never far from the action. The base game itself is relatively lean: wilds substitute for standard symbols, and scatter symbols are the primary trigger mechanism.
The paytable is led by an armored knight symbol paying 20x for five on a payline, followed by a wizard at 15x and a goblin at 10x. The lower tier — shields, spell books, daggers, and circular shields — pays between 4x and 7.5x for a five-of-a-kind. These are modest base-game payouts, which is consistent with the slot's design philosophy: the real weight sits in the bonus rounds, not the reels.
The fantasy theme covers knights, goblins, wizards, and arcane artifacts — categorical tags rather than anything that needs atmospheric elaboration. The board game track framing is the distinctive visual element, and it functions as both decoration and mechanical context.
Board Game Bonus Features Explained
Heroes Gathering has two board game free spins modes, both triggered by scatter symbols. Landing three scatters on reels 1, 3, and 5 simultaneously activates the main Board Game feature. A second, lighter variant triggers with just two scatters. In both cases, a game piece moves around the board track, landing on spaces that award wins, multipliers, or other outcomes.
There is no fixed spin count in either feature. The number of free spins is determined entirely by how the board game plays out — the feature continues until a specific board condition ends it. This open-ended structure is what creates the potential for extended sessions and large multiplier accumulation, but it also means there's no guaranteed minimum spin count. The 100x multiplier that enables the 4,000x effective max win is reachable within this feature, but it represents the upper end of a wide outcome distribution.
The energy collection mechanic (listed in the features as Symbols collection / Energy) feeds into the board game progression, and the spin-the-wheel and bonus wheel elements add additional variance layers on top of the base board movement. The feature set is more interconnected than a simple free spins round — which is both the appeal and the source of the complexity that some players find tedious over longer sessions.
Paytable and Symbol Values
The full paytable for Heroes Gathering runs seven symbol tiers. At the top, the armored knight pays 20x for five on a payline. The wizard follows at 15x, the goblin at 10x, and the shield at 7.5x. The three lowest-tier symbols — spell book, daggers, and circular shields — pay 5x, 5x, and 4x respectively for a five-of-a-kind.
These numbers confirm that the base game is not where the slot earns its volatility rating. A maximum five-of-a-kind on the top symbol returns 20x the line bet, which on a 20-payline game translates to a relatively modest spin-level return. The medium-high volatility classification comes from the bonus feature distribution, not from base-game symbol variance.
For players who prefer slots where the base game itself delivers meaningful hits between bonuses, this structure will feel thin. The 19.82% hit frequency keeps the reels active, but most of those hits will be small. The slot is built around patience and bonus anticipation rather than frequent mid-session payouts.
Mobile and Platform Compatibility
Heroes Gathering is fully playable on mobile and tablet devices. Relax Gaming builds its titles to render across Android and iOS without a dedicated app, meaning the slot runs through a mobile browser with the same feature set as the desktop version.
The 5x3 grid scales cleanly to smaller screens, and the board game track — the most visually complex element — remains legible on phone displays. For a slot with an interactive bonus structure, mobile playability matters: the board game feature requires following piece movement and outcome sequences, and Relax Gaming's implementation keeps that readable at mobile resolution.
Bet limits are not publicly confirmed in the available spec data, so players should verify the minimum and maximum stake at their specific casino before starting a session.
Who Should Play Heroes Gathering
Heroes Gathering suits players who specifically want a board game bonus structure and are willing to accept that the base game is a holding pattern between feature triggers. The 96.45% RTP is genuinely above average, which makes it a defensible choice on return alone — but the medium-high volatility means that RTP advantage only materialises over a meaningful number of spins.
The slot is less suited to players who want fast-paced action or frequent base-game payouts. The 19.82% hit frequency is moderate, and most hits are small. Sessions can feel drawn out, particularly when the board game feature runs long without landing the high-multiplier spaces. That's a structural feature of the design, not a malfunction.
Players who enjoy Monopoly-style board game slots or who have already exhausted similar titles from other providers will find the Relax Gaming interpretation worth exploring. The two-tier scatter trigger system — two scatters for the lighter feature, three for the main event — also gives the slot a slightly different rhythm than single-trigger free spins games.
Final Verdict
Heroes Gathering is a slot with a clear identity and a legitimate mechanical hook. The board game bonus structure is genuinely uncommon, the RTP is above the provider average, and the 4,000x effective ceiling (via the 100x in-feature multiplier) gives it real upside. Those are meaningful positives.
The honest limitation is pacing. The base game offers little between bonus triggers, and the board game feature itself — while original — can stretch into something closer to a waiting exercise than an engaging mechanic once the novelty fades. The source material notes this directly, and the slot's own structure supports that assessment: wins accumulate incrementally as the piece moves, which is satisfying in theory but slow in practice.
For a demo session to understand the mechanic, Heroes Gathering is worth the time. As a regular play choice, it will appeal most to players who value RTP, accept variance, and have the patience for a slow-burn bonus format.
- +96.45% RTP is above the industry average and above many Relax Gaming titles
- +Two distinct board game free spins modes triggered at different scatter counts
- +Effective max win of 4,000x via the 100x in-feature multiplier
- +Open-ended free spins structure with no fixed spin cap
- +Full mobile compatibility across Android and iOS
- -Base game is thin — most value is locked behind the bonus trigger
- -Board game feature can feel slow and repetitive over longer sessions
- -400x headline max win is modest; the 4,000x figure depends on a conditional multiplier event
- -Bet limit information is not publicly confirmed
- -Medium-high volatility means variance can outpace the above-average RTP in short sessions
Best for
Heroes Gathering is a technically interesting slot with an above-average RTP and a genuinely unusual board game bonus structure. The 96.45% return and medium-high volatility make it a reasonable pick for patient players, but the bonus rounds are slow-burn by design — sessions can stretch long before a meaningful multiplier lands. Worth a demo session; probably not a daily driver.











