John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches Review
Pragmatic Play's John Hunter series takes a sharp mechanical turn with John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches — the franchise's first cluster pays grid slot, built on a 7x7 layout with Avalanche wins, a Money Symbol collection system, and a bonus wheel that decides whether your accumulated pot carries over at the end of free spins. Released in October 2021, this is a notably different beast from the book-mechanic entries in the same series.
The RTP is listed at 95.5% on the base configuration, though the game carries adjustable RTP ranges — the highest published figure reaches 96.51%, which is worth checking before you commit to a session. Volatility is high, scoring 4.5 out of 5 on Pragmatic's own internal scale. The 5,000x max win is the studio's standard ceiling at this volatility tier, and while it's a respectable number, it's worth knowing that sister title John Hunter Tomb of the Scarab Queen pushes to 10,500x on a comparable mechanic — making Bermuda Riches the more conservative bet for ceiling-hunters in the same franchise.

RTP, Volatility, and Max Win
The headline RTP for John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches sits at 95.5%, which is below the 96% threshold most players use as a baseline. The critical caveat is that this game operates with adjustable RTP ranges — operators can configure a higher return, and the top published figure is 96.51%. That gap matters: if your casino is running the lower configuration, you're giving up roughly one extra percentage point per session compared to a player at a higher-RTP venue. Always check the in-game paytable or the casino's listed RTP before playing.
Volatility is rated 4.5 out of 5 on Pragmatic Play's own scale, firmly in the high tier. Hit frequency data isn't publicly confirmed, but the Avalanche mechanic means multiple wins can chain from a single paid spin — which partially offsets the dry stretches between meaningful hits. The 5,000x max win is Pragmatic's default potential at this volatility level, shared with titles like John Hunter and the Book of Tut. By contrast, the studio's Tomb of the Scarab Queen — a direct mechanical cousin — advertises 10,500x, making Bermuda Riches the lower-ceiling option within the same Hunter sub-franchise.
For bankroll planning: high volatility on a 7x7 grid means variance can be brutal in the base game. The Money Symbol collection system provides some mid-session relief, but players should expect extended flat periods between bonus triggers.

How John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches Plays
The game runs on a 7x7 grid using a cluster pays mechanic — wins require a connected group of matching symbols rather than fixed paylines. Every win triggers the Avalanche (Tumble) feature: winning symbols are cleared from the grid and remaining symbols drop down, allowing new symbols to fall into the gaps. This repeats for as long as consecutive wins keep forming, meaning a single spin can generate multiple payout events.
Premium symbol clusters pay between 90x and 150x stake when 15 or more matching symbols connect — a threshold that reflects the grid size and the cascading structure. Golden Wild symbols land anywhere on the 7x7 and substitute for regular pay symbols to complete clusters. At random points during play, a standard Wild can convert into a Cursed Wild, which either carries an x2 multiplier applied to any win it contributes to, or triggers additional Wilds being placed on the grid.
The Money Symbol system runs in parallel throughout the base game. Cash-value Money Symbols land across the grid, and their values are only collected when a Collect symbol lands in the same spin or cascade. There are four distinct Collect symbols, three of which carry modifier effects — meaning the collection event can do more than simply add up visible values. This layering keeps the base game from feeling purely mechanical between bonus triggers.
Bonus Features Breakdown
Free spins in John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches start at 12 spins. During the feature, Money Symbols that land are siphoned into a separate accumulated pot rather than being collected immediately through the standard Collect mechanic. The Collect symbol system from the base game remains active during free spins, so modifier Collect symbols can still interact with live Money Symbols on the grid — but the pot builds independently throughout the feature.
The defining moment of the bonus round is the Spin the Wheel event at the end of free spins. The bonus wheel determines whether the player wins the accumulated extra pot. This is the mechanic that creates the most emotional variance in the feature: on a strong run of spins, a large pot builds up, but the wheel outcome is binary — you either win it or you don't. The source data confirms this can feel like an anti-climax when the wheel doesn't land favorably, which is a fair structural criticism of the design.
The Buy Feature option is available for players who want direct access to the bonus round without grinding through the base game. The Additive Symbol and Symbol Swap mechanics listed in the feature set interact with the cluster and collection systems, providing additional routes to building wins during both base game play and the free spins phase. No progressive jackpot is attached to this title.
Grid Layout and Cluster Pays Structure
The 7x7 grid is the largest layout Pragmatic Play has used in the John Hunter series and represents a meaningful departure from the 5-reel, 3-row structure of earlier franchise entries. Cluster pays on a grid this size changes the pacing considerably — wins can sprawl across large portions of the board, and the Avalanche mechanic can clear and refill substantial sections in a single spin event.
The payline structure is replaced entirely by cluster logic, which means symbol adjacency — horizontal and vertical — determines win eligibility. For players coming from book-mechanic Hunter slots, this requires a mental reset: there are no expanding scatters or line pays here. The grid format rewards patience, since the Avalanche chains are where the session-defining wins tend to accumulate.
At 49 symbol positions, the grid also means Money Symbols can appear in significant quantities on a single spin, making the Collect mechanic potentially high-value when the right Collect symbol lands during a cascade sequence. The layout is the central mechanical identity of John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches — everything else builds on top of it.
John Hunter Series Context
John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches occupies a specific niche within Pragmatic Play's Adventure-themed catalog. The franchise spans multiple mechanical formats: book-style slots like John Hunter and the Book of Tut (5,000x, expanding scatter mechanic), jungle entries like John Hunter and the Mayan Gods (2,500x, symbol upgrade bonus), and the Money Collect format represented most fully by John Hunter Tomb of the Scarab Queen (10,500x).
Bermuda Riches is closest to Tomb of the Scarab Queen in mechanical DNA — both use a Money Symbol collection system with modifier Collect symbols. The key difference is the grid format and the bonus wheel finale in Bermuda Riches versus Scarab Queen's more conventional free spins structure. Players who prioritize max win ceiling will find Scarab Queen the stronger option at 10,500x versus Bermuda Riches' 5,000x. Players who prefer the visual novelty of a 7x7 Avalanche grid and the wheel-spin finale will find Bermuda Riches the more distinctive experience.
The Adventure and Indiana Jones-adjacent theme places this slot in a crowded category, but the mechanical novelty of the grid format and the animated character presence give it a distinct identity within the Hunter franchise specifically.
Who Should Play John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches
This slot is built for high-volatility players who are comfortable with extended base game sessions between bonus triggers. The 7x7 Avalanche grid and Money Symbol system provide enough mid-game activity to sustain interest, but the real action concentrates in the free spins round — and with a high volatility rating of 4.5/5, those triggers may come infrequently.
The Buy Feature option makes Bermuda Riches accessible to players who want to shortcut directly to the bonus round, which suits higher-bankroll sessions where grinding through the base game isn't the priority. For players on tighter budgets, the base game's Cursed Wilds and Money Collect mechanics offer enough variance to keep sessions from feeling static, but the 95.5% base RTP is a meaningful cost over time.
Players already familiar with the John Hunter series who want to see the franchise in a new mechanical format — cluster pays, Avalanche wins, bonus wheel — will get the most from this title. Those chasing the highest possible multiplier ceiling within the Hunter catalog should consider Tomb of the Scarab Queen instead.
Final Verdict
John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches delivers a mechanically ambitious entry in Pragmatic Play's longest-running adventure series. The 7x7 cluster pays grid, Avalanche chains, Cursed Wilds, and Money Symbol collection system create a base game with genuine depth — more moving parts than most comparable grid slots at this volatility tier.
The bonus wheel finale is the slot's most divisive element. When the pot is large and the wheel hits, it's the kind of moment that defines a session. When it misses, the deflation is real and structural — it's a design choice that adds tension but also introduces a layer of variance on top of the already-volatile free spins. That's worth knowing before you build expectations around a big free spins run.
The 95.5% base RTP requires attention: confirm your casino's configured rate before playing. At the top-end 96.51% configuration, the value proposition improves meaningfully. The 5,000x ceiling is adequate but not exceptional for the volatility level. Taken together, John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches is a well-constructed grid slot with a few rough edges — worth a session for cluster pays enthusiasts and Hunter franchise followers, but not the series' strongest entry on pure numbers.
- +7x7 Avalanche grid creates multi-win chain potential on single spins
- +Money Symbol collection system with modifier Collect symbols adds base game depth
- +Cursed Wilds provide random x2 multiplier or extra wild placement
- +Buy Feature available for direct bonus access
- +Bonus wheel finale adds a high-tension moment at the end of free spins
- +RTP can reach 96.51% at higher operator configurations
- -Base RTP of 95.5% is below the 96% standard benchmark
- -Adjustable RTP ranges mean payout rate varies by casino — not always transparent
- -5,000x max win is modest for 4.5/5 volatility; Tomb of the Scarab Queen hits 10,500x on similar mechanics
- -Bonus wheel outcome can feel like an anti-climax when the accumulated pot is missed
- -Hit frequency data not publicly confirmed, making bankroll planning harder
Best for
John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches is a solid cluster pays debut for the franchise character, with a genuinely layered base game built around Money Symbols, Cursed Wilds, and Avalanche chains. The bonus wheel finale adds tension but can feel deflating when it misses. High volatility, a 5,000x ceiling, and an adjustable RTP make this a session for patient grinders rather than casual spins.











