Can you demo the Wheel of Wishes slot and try it out for free?

One of the big selling points of the Mega Moolah slot when it was released was the fact that every spin of the wheels could be a winner.

Microgaming were very clear on that and while for slot gamers this was a boon as it meant that every spin could see them become an instant millionaire, for those that like to demo a slot for free before they play for real, that was something of a problem.

So while you could never play Mega Moolah free, even just to demo the game, there were still plenty of people searching for precisely that and I have no doubt that Microgaming have taken heed of this when it comes to the release of their brand new progressive jackpot slot Wheel of Wishes, which is set to be released early 2020.

That's because unlike Mega Moolah, the Wheel of Wishes slot can be played for free before you start wagering money as there is a version of the slot available online to trial right now. However, what does actually playing for free mean? Is the demo version an exact replica of the final game that will hit casinos shortly and lastly, what features can you access in the demo version?

Those are all good questions and ones we shall answer in more detail below, but first let us recap what the new Wheel of Wishes slot is about and why it is one of the most eagerly anticipated new releases of the year.

What is the Wheel of Wishes progressive slot?

The Wheel of Wishes slot is Microgaming's new progressive jackpot game. Designed and produced by Alchemy Gaming, this new progressive features a 5x3 reel set up with 10 pay lines in play. Spins start at just 0.10 per spin and you can wager up to 25.00 in the standard game mode.

The real attraction of the new slot though is the fact that it has four progressive jackpot prizes, the Mini, Minor, Major and Wowpot progressives. While the Mini and Minor progressives offer smaller prizes, seeded at 10.00 and 100.00 respectively, it is the larger jackpots that have people excited with the Major jackpot seeded at a massive 50,000 (5x more than Mega Moolah), while the Wowpot jackpot is to be seeded at a huge 2,000,000 (one million more than Mega Moolah).

It is these huge jackpot prizes that have got people so excited, and the fact that you can elect to play the game in what is dubbed Power Mode. In this game, the size of your stake increases by ten times the usual amount (so if you were playing for 0.10 per spin, it would mean your Power Mode spin costs you 1.00) but for that, you activate the main bonus feature of the slot, a Power Mode spin, on every spin of the game.

It is only in this bonus mode that you can access the Wheel of Wishes Jackpot Bonus Wheel, and spin for a chance to win one of the four progressive jackpot prizes. As such, this new Power Mode may well be extensively used by players when they first start playing the game.

Of course, it would be nice to see the slot in action before you actually decide to spend any money playing the game when it is released and thanks to the demo version of the game available online, you can do that right now.

But what do we actually mean when we say Free Play because that phrase can mean different things to different slot players.

What does Free Play of the Wheel of Wishes slot actually mean?

When we say Free Play on the Wheel of Wishes slot, it is important to clarify what we mean by that. This does not mean Free Spins where you can win actual cash, nor does it mean Free Play where you can spin the reels and land a real money win.

The demo version of the game simply allows you to spin the reels and see how the slot works. No real cash is awarded for any wins you may land (your balance will increase and decrease, but of course, it is just an imaginary balance).

If you find your balance is getting low, you can simply reload up the page you are playing on to reset the balance and start playing again. This is essentially a demo version of the game, a Beta version if you will, which allows players to see how the game will work, but which does not offer any cash rewards or incentives.

Is the Free Play version the same as the final version of the slot?

Now this is important to note. Having played the demo version of the game for a while now, it is vital to understand that this demo version of the game from Alchemy Gaming and Microgaming has been designed to showcase the different aspects of the slot. As such, and to be fair to the companies, there is a disclaimer which states this, this demo version of the game may play very differently to the actual game when it is released.

Microgaming have stated that the demo version is not the finalised game and that tweaks and changes to the game-play can and probably will be made before it is released. Having played the demo myself, I would suggest that this is inevitable.

That is because on the demo, I feel triggering the Wheel of Wishes Jackpot Bonus Wheel in the Power Mode, is far easier than it will be in the real game. I would be stunned if it is so easy to trigger in the final release version. Furthermore, I think you win far more often in Power Mode than you would in the original game.

The base game though I feel plays probably more like it actually will when the slot is released, so you can experience both modes of the game, at no cost, by using the demo version. However, just don't expect to spend £10 on 10 Power Mode spins and to trigger the Jackpot Bonus Wheel game six times, while earning a healthy profit on your spins in the other game!

Video of playing Wheel of Wishes free game demo mode:

Does the Free Play version of Wheel of Wishes have all the features enabled?

Almost. You can trial and look at the main features of the Wheel of Wishes slot in the demo game available online, including the base game mode, Wild wins and of course, Power Mode.

The only thing that is not fully available is the spin of the Wheel of Wishes Jackpot Bonus Wheel. You can trigger the bonus, especially if you play in Power Mode, but when the Wheel loads up, it simply states that this aspect of the game is only available in the paid version of the game and you then get taken back to the Power Mode reel set up.

So for me, you can play the Wheel of Wishes slot in a demo version but I think the demo has been set up to showcase the features of the slot, rather than provide an accurate representation of the final version of the game and how it will play out.