Play the Champions of Rome Slot Demo

Visual Part

Champions of Rome is a gladiator-themed video slot from Yggdrasil Gaming, released in February 2019. Based on our test of the game, the colosseum immediately fills the screen upon opening, throwing you straight into the dusty sand and the onslaught that awaits. In our experience, this is a game that refuses to let you relax, where the roar of the crowd captivates even before a single reel spins.

As for the visuals, they are somewhere between cinematic realism and comic book weight. The gladiators are depicted very realistically, as if they were monuments with their armour scratched and worn. Animals carved from stone make up the mid-level symbols, and even the low-quality Roman coins feel like they belong in the setting, not filler. The Roman eagle wild symbol crowns everything with authority.

The sound of this game consists largely of timpani and brass, along with the crowd noise from the stadium below. It adds pressure when playing. However, it can become quite tedious after 20 minutes, though on initial listening, it all fits the game’s design perfectly.

The Champions of Rome slot has no sequel or spin-off. It’s a completely unique game, holding its ground as a solitary and powerful release in Yggdrasil’s portfolio.

The Core Mechanics

The Champions of Rome game keeps its structure focused. There are no overly complex mechanics, instead, its main strength lies in its brilliant simplicity. The slot provider has built this game around one strong idea: gladiators throw their weapons onto the reels to create wild symbols, and the same mechanics carry over from the base game to the free spins. Everything else supports this foundation.

Symbols

The symbol set is divided into three categories:

• Low-value symbols: Four Roman coins (metal, bronze, silver, and gold).
• Mid-value symbols: Three stone-carved animals (a bull, a lion, and an eagle). 
• High-value symbols: Three gladiators (red, green, and blue).
• Special symbols: Wil (the golden Roman Aquila eagle in a laurel wreath), the Scatter/Free Spins symbol (an ornate gladiator bust with free spins engraved beneath it), and the Beast symbol.

What I noticed right away was that the paytable didn’t match the energy of the visuals. You’re watching gladiators fight to the death, but winning small amounts of money. I found myself checking the number of spins instead of looking at the reels. When you trigger the free spins, the slot starts to play completely differently.

Jordan Conroy Editor

The wild symbol in this online slot is the golden Roman eagle Aquila in a laurel wreath. It does what it does, it replaces all regular symbols, but it cannot replace the Scatter. The Wild does not stack and does not offer its own payout. Its role is to complete combinations on all five reels.

There is also a Gladiator Wild feature. It is activated when two Scatter symbols appear on the reels. And then one of the three gladiators is randomly selected, each with a different weapon. This weapon is thrown onto the reels and places wild symbols in a fixed formation:

• Swords: adds one 1×2 vertical wild and one 2×1 horizontal wild to the reels.
• Mace: adds one 2×2 block, wild, covering four positions.
• Trident: adds four individual wilds placed across the reels.

Three or more Scatter symbols activate the free spins bonus. The number of scatters determines the coin reward on entry, and you then choose between two modes:

• Training Mode – 8 free spins with the Gladiator Wild feature active on every spin; no multiplier. The safer of the two options is designed for consistent, smaller returns.
• Deathmatch Mode – 7, 6, or 5 free spins depending on the chosen multiplier tier (2x, 3x, or 4x, respectively). To keep all winnings, you must reach a minimum of 450 coins during the round. If the threshold is not met, all free spins winnings are forfeited. A consolation prize of 40–200 coins or 5 Training Mode spins is awarded instead.

Here is what the reels are actually worth before bonuses apply.

Champions of Rome Pay Table

Below is everything you need to know before placing your first bet.

Grid, Paylines, and Bet Range

5 reels, 3 rows, 20 fixed paylines that activate automatically with every spin. There’s nothing to set up in the Champions of Rome slot machine.

Bets range from £0.10 to £100 per spin. The best option is somewhere in the middle – low enough to get you through the dry spell of the base game and high enough to try Deathmatch mode when it finally does.

All you need is located at the bottom of the screen – the bet level, the spin button, autoplay and the paytable. It’s a neat control panel without any unnecessary noise. The settings menu in the bottom left corner controls the sound, reel speed and autoplay limits.

Autoplay lasts from 10 spins to unlimited. The stopping conditions, namely the loss limit and the single win limit, are very simple, but they do the job.

In terms of numbers, the RTP is 96.4%. The medium to high volatility tells you that this is not a slot that gives out small wins to keep you happy. It puts pressure on the entire base game and releases it in the bonus. If the Deathmatch triggers with a 4x multiplier, the wait is worth it. If not, you will feel every silent spin before it.

I can say that there are no problems with the controls. Everything is clear and in its place. My test showed that it is better to try the Champions of Rome demo version before doing anything substantial. The Deathmatch mode can be a bit of a surprise for the first time. Once you see how the threshold works, you can appreciate that the slot makes its living on bets from £0.50 to £2 per spin.

Jordan Conroy Editor

The Champions of Rome slot demo is available on Gamblizard. You can find it via the “Play for Fun” button. In addition, our team uses official demo versions for each slot we review, where permitted by the UK licence. If it does not work during your visit, we will direct you to licensed casinos where a demo mode is available after age verification.

Real Session Notes

By running the game through a series of test spins, we were able to track the behavior of the special wild features and evaluate the nature of the bonus rounds firsthand.

I played Champions of Rome for £1 per spin. The base game is very quiet so that you will need patience. Mace wilds land in the centre as a 2×2 block, so watch for them. I took quite a while to get free spin wins during the first session, Deathmatch, reaching 450 coins needed to pay out at a 180x stake. I lost my entire session 2 and got back 40 coins. This is the true risk of playing Deathmatch. I use the strategy of playing only Training mode when I am low on my bankroll and play Deathmatch when I can afford to lose an entire round.

Jordan Conroy Editor

Our Verdict

The Champions of Rome video slot offers easy gameplay but higher volatility. To get started, just bet some coins, then hit the spin button until the scatters appear on the reels. But the real session begins with free spins, where the Gladiator Wild symbol is triggered on every spin, and the Deathmatch mode puts your entire bonus bank on the line for a 4x multiplier. Champions of Rome suits you if you like simple gameplay, ancient Rome themes, and high-risk bonus rounds, but you should try it for free first before using Deathmatch.

Before you spin, here is a quick breakdown of what to expect:

• Pros:
• Unique 4x multiplier Deathmatch mode
• Gladiator Wilds via twin scatters
• Competitive 96.4% RTP
• Cohesive Colosseum audio-visual design

• Cons:
• Punishing base game variance
• Insignificant compressed paytable wins
• Brutal 40-coin Deathmatch minimum loss
• Zero retriggers, jackpots, or progression

Champions of Rome remains a standout, solitary triumph in Yggdrasil’s portfolio that rewards patience and bravery, provided you step into the arena with a solid bankroll strategy.