Aftermath review

Aftermath is a NetEnt slot released on 3 September 2026. It is a cascade game built around one idea: a multiplier that grows with every winning combination, on a grid that can itself grow during play. NetEnt is part of Evolution, which also owns Nolimit City, and launch coverage noted that Aftermath has a darker tone than NetEnt's classic titles. This review explains how the multiplier and the special features work, how the two bonus rounds differ, what the paid Elevate options really buy, and what the RTP means for your money. Figures are as of October 2026.

At a glance

Spec	Detail
Provider	NetEnt
Released	3 September 2026
Grid	4 reels × 6 rows, expanding to 6 × 8 through the Bomb and Purge features
How it pays	Pays anywhere: 8 or more matching symbols, with avalanches
RTP	96.05% at the top setting; lower versions exist, so check the in-game info screen
Volatility	High in our records; some reviews list it as medium
Max win	25,000x the base bet
Bet range	€0.20 to €40 per spin; limits can vary by casino
Bonus rounds	Bonus Spins and Super Bonus Spins

How it plays

There are no paylines. Any 8 or more matching symbols anywhere on the grid win. NetEnt's Avalanche mechanic then removes the winning symbols and drops new ones into the gaps, and the sequence repeats for as long as new wins keep forming. A single paid spin can therefore pay several times.

The grid starts at 4 reels by 6 rows. It only grows through two special features, Bomb and Purge, and can reach 6 by 8.

The multiplier

Every winning combination adds +1 to a multiplier that applies to later wins in the same spin. In the base game the multiplier resets when the spin ends. In both bonus rounds it carries over for the whole round, which is where the game's large results come from. Positions opened up during a bonus also stay open until the bonus ends; in the base game they reset after the spin.

An illustrative example

This example is ours and purely illustrative. A spin produces three winning cascades in a row, and the multiplier climbs ×1 → ×2 → ×3. A Bomb then lands and doubles the spin's multiplier to ×6. The next winning combination adds +1, so the multiplier is now ×7 for whatever wins follow in that sequence. The order in which these events happen changes the result: a Bomb that lands after several wins doubles a bigger number.

Special features

Special features can appear in the base game and in the bonuses. Only one happens at a time, in this order of priority: Bomb, then Upgrade, then Change, then Purge.

Feature	What it does	Why it matters
Bomb	Removes itself and the 8 symbols around it, and doubles the multiplier	The fastest way to grow the multiplier, and one of the two ways to open the grid
Upgrade	Turns some low-paying symbols into the top or second-top symbol	Raises the value of the wins that follow
Change	Turns the surrounding symbols into one of them	Creates a large block of one symbol, which helps form an 8+ win
Purge	Removes all medium- and low-paying symbols and wall sections	Clears space for new symbols and is the other way to open the grid

Bonus Spins and Super Bonus Spins

Three, four or five Scatters award 8, 10 or 12 Bonus Spins. If a Super Scatter is among the triggering Scatters, the same counts award Super Bonus Spins directly.

	Bonus Spins	Super Bonus Spins
Trigger	3 / 4 / 5 Scatters	3 / 4 / 5 Scatters including a Super Scatter, or a Super Scatter landing during Bonus Spins
Spins	8 / 10 / 12; a Scatter during the round adds 3	8 / 10 / 12; a Super Scatter during Bonus Spins adds 3 and upgrades the round
Special Wilds	Special Wilds add +2 each	A special Wild worth +3 to +10 is certain to land on every spin
Multiplier	Carries over for the whole round	Carries over for the whole round

The Super round's special Wild is certain to land on every spin, but it only adds its value when it is part of a win. A Wild that lands outside a winning combination adds nothing, so a Super round can still end modestly.

Elevate: paid options

Where the casino offers them, Aftermath has five Elevate options.

Option	Cost	What you get
Scatter Hunt	5x the bet per spin	The bonus becomes at least 7 times as likely
Feature Hunt	10x per spin	A special feature on every spin
Power Boost	25x per spin	The spin starts with a multiplier of ×5 to ×10
Bonus Spins	100x	The Bonus Spins round
Aftermath Spins	500x	The Super Bonus Spins round

A feature that is certain to happen is not a win that is certain to happen. A bought round can return less than it cost.

What the win cap means for buys

The 25,000x maximum win is measured against the base bet, not against what you paid for an Elevate option. That puts a ceiling on how much a buy can ever return relative to its price. Our arithmetic:

Option	Cost	Most it can return	Ceiling as a multiple of its cost
Aftermath Spins	500x	25,000x	25,000 ÷ 500 = 50x its cost
Bonus Spins	100x	25,000x	25,000 ÷ 100 = 250x its cost
Power Boost	25x	25,000x	25,000 ÷ 25 = 1,000x its cost

In other words, the more expensive the option, the lower its maximum return relative to what you spend on it. That is not a reason to buy the cheaper options; it is a reason not to treat any of them as a shortcut to the headline figure.

RTP and volatility in plain terms

RTP: 96.05% at the top setting. Over the long run, that means an expected loss of about €3.95 for every €100 staked. Lower RTP versions exist and the casino chooses which one to run, and every lower version costs more over the same amount of play. These are long-run averages, not predictions for a session. Check the RTP in the game's info screen before you play, and see our guide to RTP and volatility for what the numbers mean.

Volatility: high. We list it as high, although some reviews list it as medium. In practice, most of the game's return comes from long avalanche chains and from bonus rounds where the multiplier keeps growing, so quiet stretches are normal. Our guide to slot mechanics explains avalanches, multipliers and feature buys in more detail.

Max win: 25,000x the base bet.

Who it suits

Aftermath suits players who enjoy cascade games with a lot happening on the grid: a multiplier that builds within a spin, four special features with clear priorities, and a grid that can open up. If you like added-up multipliers, Gates of Olympus 2500 handles them in a different way and is worth comparing.

It is a weaker fit if you want simple, predictable spins, or if a top RTP setting below 96.5% matters to you. It is also not a game for buying features on a tight budget.

How we rated it

We score slots from 0 to 5 as an editorial judgement and explain what moved the score. For Aftermath:

• In its favour: a 25,000x maximum, a multiplier that carries over through both bonus rounds, four distinct special features with a clear order of priority, and a grid that can grow.
• Against it: a 96.05% top RTP, lower than most of the slots we have reviewed, lower RTP versions a casino can choose, high volatility, and Elevate options up to 500x the bet.

It sits below Gates of Olympus 2500 (4.4), which has a higher top RTP (96.52%), and level with our other feature-rich reviews at 4.2. Our rating: 4.2 out of 5 (Great).

Play responsibly

The €40 bet limit does not limit what a feature buy costs: at a €1 base bet, Aftermath Spins cost €500 in a single purchase. Set a budget and a time limit before you start, count any Elevate price against that budget, and stop when you reach either limit. Use the deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion your casino offers. No feature, multiplier or purchase changes the odds in your favour. 18+ only. For help and tools, see our responsible gambling page.