Ancient Tumble from Relax Gaming landed in June 2024, continuing the studio’s popular Tumble series. If you’ve played Cluster Tumble or similar entries, the format will feel familiar, though this one takes things in a slightly different direction with its Asian temple setting and stone-block mechanic. The backdrop suggests somewhere like Cambodia or Thailand, with crumbling stonework and lush greenery framing a 6×6 grid. It looks the part, and the torchlit bonus rooms add a nice touch of atmosphere when things get going.
Slot Basics
The game uses a 6×6 grid with up to 46,656 ways to win. That massive number comes from the variable row heights created by the stone block system. At the start of each spin, up to 24 stone blocks sit on the grid alongside regular symbols. Wins are formed left to right from the leftmost reel, regardless of position. The RTP sits at 96.1% in standard play, though this may shift depending on whether bonus buy options are used. Volatility is high, so expect stretches of quiet punctuated by bigger hits. Stakes run from £0.20 up to £100 per spin, and the maximum win caps out at 10,000x your bet.
Symbol-wise, there are nine regular icons. Card ranks from J through A make up the low payers, while blue, green, and red gems occupy the mid-range. Two mask symbols sit at the top. A full six-of-a-kind line of royals pays just 0.2x, which is pretty stingy, while the masks range from 0.6x to 1x. These low base values mean the game really leans on its features to generate meaningful returns. Wilds appear on all reels except the first and substitute for every regular symbol.
Bonus Features
The core mechanic revolves around those stone blocks. Winning symbols that land adjacent to a block, whether left, right, above, or below, destroy it. The winning symbols themselves also clear off the grid, and the resulting gaps are filled through a cascade system. Fresh symbols drop in from above, potentially creating new wins and destroying more blocks. This chain reaction is where the game builds momentum.
Clearing blocks is important because it opens up the grid. More open positions means more active symbol spaces, which increases the ways to win on subsequent cascades. Getting a good run of connected wins can transform a dead-looking spin into something worthwhile. The progression from a cluttered board to a wide-open grid feels satisfying when it happens, though it can be frustratingly slow during dry spells.
Several bonus buy and ante bet options are available for players who want to skip straight to the action, though these come at a premium cost and may affect the effective RTP. The free spins bonus takes place inside a gold-filled temple interior, offering enhanced win potential and the chance to chase that 10,000x ceiling.
Ancient Tumble is a solid addition to Relax Gaming’s Tumble lineup, though it won’t suit everyone. The low base symbol values mean the game can feel unrewarding during standard play, and high volatility ensures plenty of dead spins. That said, the stone block mechanic adds genuine strategic interest to each cascade sequence. Watching blocks crumble and the grid open up gives every spin a sense of progression that purely random slots lack. It’s best suited to patient players with a decent bankroll who enjoy cascade-driven gameplay and don’t mind waiting for the features to deliver. Nothing revolutionary here, but it’s well-built and worth a look if the Tumble series has treated you well before.
