Volcano Rising Review: My Honest Take After 300+ Spins

Review setup

After spinning over 300 rounds of Volcano Rising, I can say this slot grabs your attention fast. RubyPlay packs in bold visuals and features a jungle-volcano theme that feels dramatic without going overboard. The fireball animations and unlockable bonus rows kept the game feeling alive on both desktop and mobile.

The Jackpot Mania Rising feature stood out most: it builds over time, adding a sense of progress that goes beyond the usual Hold & Win style.

Below, I go into depth on my experience with this online slot.

First impressions with Volcano Rising

The four jackpots (Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega) immediately got my attention when I first launched the slot. I didn’t hit any of them, but seeing those amounts on display gave every spin a sense of possibility. I also really liked the game visually. The jaguar, drums, fireballs… all symbols looked sharp and well-crafted, both on desktop and mobile. RubyPlay clearly put care into the design, and it shows.

The 5×4 layout with 50 fixed paylines made the game easy to jump into. I liked that wins came frequently enough to keep things interesting, and top-symbol payouts were better than I expected. Features like the Turbo mode and Autoplay made longer sessions convenient, which is always a plus in my book.

The slot is easy to play, visually polished, and keeps the action going without overwhelming you. In my opinion, it’s definitely one of RubyPlay’s stronger titles in of early engagement.

Visuals and presentation: 4.5 out of 5

Volcano Rising has this interesting mix of retro and polished that kind of grew on me the more I played. The graphics are clean and don’t offer anything groundbreaking, but still, they work.

The game board is framed in gold, which gave me a bit of an Aztec-jungle mashup vibe. I wasn’t entirely sure what the theme was going for at times but the background art made up for it. The scenery is actually pretty stunning: think mountains, waterfalls, and lots of vibrant greenery. It pulled me in more than I expected.

I liked that the symbols were realistic, too. Orchids, drums, toucans, jaguars, they all added to the atmosphere. Even the usual card icons had a splash of color that made the reels feel more alive. The animations were fluid, especially when the Fireball feature or extra rows popped up.

Another real plus was how good the game looked on mobile.

Overall, the theme is a bit inconsistent, but the color really pops, and the graphics are well-done.

The role of sound: 2.5 out of 5

I’ll be honest: the sound was probably the weakest part of my experience with Volcano Rising. I was expecting something more immersive or thematic for a slot that looks as dramatic as this one. Instead, I got basic, generic slot machine sounds.

Reel spins and win effects were standard, felt recycled from a dozen other games, and didn’t add any excitement to the gameplay. There’s no background music or ambient sounds (except in the bonus rounds), which surprised me. I was expecting lava bubbling or jungle birds in the distance, but instead, it was just silence between spins.

And when you get a big win, you hear a bit of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The only issue for me is that this is the exact same song RubyPlay uses for big wins on other titles as well.

I think RubyPlay missed a chance here to really build the atmosphere through audio. The visuals do a decent job of setting the tone, but the lack of immersive sound design holds the game back from feeling genuinely engaging.

Gameplay journey: 4 out of 5

Volcano Rising felt like two games, depending on my device. I played for 20 minutes on both desktop and mobile, and the difference in results was hard to miss.

I played 162 spins at $2.50 each on the desktop, wagering $405. I triggered the free spins bonus twice (each time with 10 spins) and even managed a retrigger during the second round through the respin mechanic. These bonus features really carried the session. I won $101 in the first set of free spins, $115.50 in the second, plus $80.25 from respins. In the end, I made a small profit of $2.25, which felt like a win given the ups and downs.

I then switched to mobile and spun 200 times for $2.50 per spin, totaling $500 wagered. The session didn’t go nearly as well: I didn’t land any free spins, and my only notable feature was Jackpot Mania Rising, which gave me just $36.25. I left the gaming session down $148.25.

Of course, you can’t expect slots to pay out every time. That is why we love playing them, after all!  So despite the uneven results, I still liked the game overall.

Bonus features through my eyes: 4 out of 5

The two main bonuses, Free Spins and Jackpot Mania Rising, are the heart of the game, and while they offer plenty of fun, they also come with a few downsides.

The Jackpot Mania Rising feature triggered twice for me, once on desktop and once on mobile. It starts when you land four or more Fireball symbols, which lock in place and start a 3-respin cycle. More Fireballs reset the count, and collecting enough unlocks additional rows. I liked the buildup, and even though I never hit any of the jackpots (Mini, Minor, Major, or Mega), I still walked away with an $80 win that felt satisfying. But after a while, the bonus can start to feel repetitive, especially when the rewards are small cash prizes.

The Free Spins Bonus was easily my favorite. I triggered it twice on the desktop, and each round came with 10 spins. Fireballs during this mode award instant payouts, which made these rounds feel far more rewarding than the base game. I also landed retriggers during my second round, which pushed my total winnings over $115 plus another $80 from a respin. These moments really brought the game to life.

While I wish there were more base game modifiers, the bonus features delivered enough excitement to keep me hooked. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun ride when things hit.

Balancing risk and reward: 4 out of 5

One thing that stood out during my time with Volcano Rising is how much the bonus features drive your overall results. With an d RTP of 96.46% and medium-to-high volatility, I expected some ups and downs and that’s exactly what I got over my 362 spins.

I wagered $905 total at $2.50 per spin, ending with $759 returned, which meant a net loss of $146 and a session RTP of about 83.87%. That’s below the average but not too surprising for a relatively short session.

On desktop, things went better. I triggered two free spins rounds, earning $101 and $115.50, plus an extra $80.25 from a respin bonus. Those wins helped me walk away with a tiny profit of $2.25 on a $405 bet. Without those features, I would’ve been in the red.

Mobile was less forgiving. I spent $500 over 200 spins and lost $148.25. The Jackpot Mania Rising feature triggered once and paid just $36.25. Base game wins were minimal, and the lack of bonuses made the session feel like a slow drain.

The game can be streaky, with long, dry spells followed by sudden big wins. That variance might frustrate some players, but this one has potential if you enjoy slots that hinge on features. The Mega jackpot (1,000x your bet) is tempting, even if I didn’t hit it.

Overall, the risk-reward balance felt fair, but patience is key.

The good and bad of Volcano Rising

Volcano Rising has a lot of entertaining elements. But of course, not every slot appeals to all players.

Below, I have laid out the pros and cons as I see them:

Final Thoughts on Volcano Rising

The game mostly lived up to what I expected from a RubyPlay slot: solid visuals, engaging bonus rounds, and a good amount of action packed into a straightforward interface. The gameplay felt smooth across both desktop and mobile. Still, I had much better luck on desktop, where bonus features triggered more frequently and helped me stay close to even.

The highlight for me was definitely the free spins and the bonus Fireball mechanic and, although the Jackpot Mania feature added suspense, it started to feel like a bit of a tease after a while since I didn’t hit any jackpots.

While I appreciated the visual design, the lack of meaningful audio and a slightly bare-bones base game took away some of the immersion.

I think this game could be of interest to players who like medium to high volatility slots with considerable feature potential but don’t mind riding out some slower stretches. If you’re someone who gets a thrill from chasing bonuses or watching reels fill with sticky symbols, you’ll probably have a good time with this one.

As for whether I’d play it again? I think I would, but only in short sessions. It’s one of those games that feels exciting when it’s hot but can wear you down if you stick with it too long.

Final Score: 3.8 out of 5