Merge Up brought a mechanic from mobile puzzle games to slots. Released by BGaming on 26 October 2023, it is a 6×6 cluster-pays game where winning clusters don’t just disappear – part of each cluster merges into a higher-level symbol, which can merge again. BGaming presented it as “the first in what we plan to be a collection of merging mechanic games”, and it has since been reskinned several times. The numbers: 97.25% RTP, very high volatility, a 5,000x cap.
Key facts
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Release | 26 October 2023 |
| Grid | 6×6, cluster pays (4+ touching symbols) |
| RTP | 97.25% |
| Volatility | Very high |
| Max win | 5,000x the bet |
| Hit rate | 1 in 3.04 spins (about 32.89%) |
| Free spins rate | 1 in 276 spins |
BGaming’s /merge-up address now opens the 2025 sequel; the original lives at /merge-up-tm. This review covers the original.
How merging works
- Four or more matching symbols touching horizontally or vertically form a paying cluster.
- After the payout, part of the cluster disappears and the rest upgrades one level.
- Upgraded symbols can form new clusters and merge again – a chain reaction across nine symbol levels.
- Merging symbols of the highest level creates a scatter. Scatters can also land normally.
Larger clusters leave more upgraded symbols behind – SlotCatalog lists two for a 4–5 cluster rising to six for 12 or more. The payout depends on both the symbol level and the cluster size. If clusters are new to you, see our cluster pays guide.
Free spins with sticky cell multipliers
- Four, five or six scatters award 15, 18 or 20 free spins; three or more during the round add 5 (BGaming’s rules).
- Every winning cluster in free spins leaves a multiplier on its cells that stays until the round ends.
- Each further win on a marked cell raises its multiplier in x2 steps, up to x128, and the multiplier applies to later wins on that cell.
So a round improves as it goes: the more of the grid that has been marked, the bigger later clusters pay.
Buy and Chance x2
Both exist and can’t be combined. BGaming shows prices on the buttons; SlotCatalog lists the buy at 100x (guaranteeing four or more scatters) and Chance x2 at +25% of the stake.
The reskins and sequels
| Game | Released | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky 8 Merge Up | Feb 2024 | Same numbers; retrigger +5/+8/+10 for 4/5/6 scatters |
| Lucky Ducky and Lucky Ducky X-mas | Dec 2024 (BGaming page) | Same RTP, cap and hit rate (free spins rate 1 in 275.79); retrigger as Lucky 8 |
| Merge Up 2 | Oct 2025 | New maths with a 10,000x cap, bombs and three buys |
| Sugar Merge Up | Mar 2026 | Reskin of the sequel with Booster modes |
BGaming’s 2026 merging spin-off of Bonanza Billion is different again: it adds a copying rule to that game’s maths rather than using this engine.
BGaming co-CPO Yulia Aliakseyeva at launch: “We know our players enjoy the gamification of our slot portfolio.”
Pros and cons
[expert_review params=”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”]
Who it suits
[wpremark preset_name=”default-info” icon_show=”1″ icon_image=”info-circle-regular” icon_color=”#3da2e0″ icon_width=”32″ icon_height=”32″ icon_indent=”16″ background_show=”1″ background_color=”#e3f1f4″ border_top=”0″ border_right=”0″ border_bottom=”0″ border_left=”0″ border_width=”2″ border_color=”#3da2e0″ shadow_show=”0″ shadow_x=”0″ shadow_y=”5″ shadow_blur=”10″ shadow_stretching=”-5″ shadow_opacity=”0.3″ title_show=”0″ title_bold=”0″ title_italic=”0″ title_underline=”0″ title_uppercase=”0″ title_font_size=”18″ title_line_height=”1.5″ text_bold=”0″ text_italic=”0″ text_underline=”0″ text_uppercase=”0″ padding_top=”20″ padding_right=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”20″ margin_top=”20″ margin_right=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ margin_left=”0″ border_radius=”5″]Good fit: players who like puzzle-style chain reactions and free spins that build up across the grid. Poor fit: players who want a high ceiling – the original caps at 5,000x; the sequel doubles that.[/wpremark]
Verdict
Merge Up is one of BGaming’s genuinely original mechanics: clusters that level up, a top merge that creates scatters, and free spins where marked cells grow to x128. A 97.25% RTP backs it up. It has been copied into several reskins, but the original remains the cleanest version to learn the idea on.
Frequently asked questions
[expert_review_faq params=”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”]
18+. Chain reactions are fun to watch but don’t change the odds. Support services are listed on our responsible gambling page.
