The third adventure in the John Hunter franchise, Mayan Gods applies the series’ expanding-symbol book-slot mechanic to a Central American setting – and the three slots like John Hunter and the Mayan Gods ranked highest for mechanical similarity are John Hunter and the Book of Tut, John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen, and John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure. Ranking these alternatives by closeness of match, the franchise siblings come first, followed by the strongest cross-provider equivalents that share the same expanding-symbol foundation.
Top picks for slots like John Hunter and the Mayan Gods are: John Hunter and the Book of Tut, John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen, and John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure. Original provider: Pragmatic Play. RTP: 96.50%. Volatility: High.
Quick answer: Mayan Gods players should try Book of Tut for the closest mechanical twin in the franchise, Scarab Queen for double the max win, or Da Vinci’s Treasure for the series’ highest payout ceiling and most diverse bonus set.
- John Hunter and the Book of Tut – identical mechanic, Egyptian theme, 5,000x max
- John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen – same engine with 10,000x ceiling
- John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure – franchise peak at 26,185x max win
Why John Hunter and the Mayan Gods Feels the Way It Does
Mayan Gods follows the book-slot template that defines the John Hunter franchise. The slot uses a 5-reel, 3-row grid where a book symbol acts as both the wild and the scatter trigger. Three or more books landing on a single spin activate the free spins round, and a random symbol is chosen to become the expanding symbol for the duration of the bonus. When that symbol appears on any reel during free spins, it expands to fill all three row positions on that reel, creating the potential for multi-reel coverage and full-screen wins. The Mayan theme distinguishes it visually from the Egyptian entries, but the underlying engine is functionally the same. Volatility is high with a 5,000x max win cap and a top-tier RTP of 96.50%. Win distribution concentrates heavily in the bonus round, with the base game acting primarily as a vehicle to reach the free spins trigger. The expanding symbol selection is the key variable – high-value symbol selections can produce reel-filling wins, while low-value selections tend to deliver modest returns even with good coverage.
| Slot Name | Provider | RTP (%) | Volatility | Max Win (x stake) | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hunter and the Mayan Gods | Pragmatic Play | 96.50 | High | 5,000x | Expanding symbol free spins |
| John Hunter and the Book of Tut | Pragmatic Play | 96.50 | High | 5,000x | Expanding symbol free spins |
| John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen | Pragmatic Play | 96.50 | High | 10,000x | Expanding symbol free spins |
| John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure | Pragmatic Play | 96.53 | High | 26,185x | Multiple bonus types |
| Book of Dead | Play’n GO | 96.21 | High | 5,000x | Expanding symbol free spins |
| John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches | Pragmatic Play | 96.50 | High | 10,000x | Expanding symbol free spins |
| Pirate Gold | Pragmatic Play | 96.50 | High | 15,000x | Lucky Treasure Bag + free spins |
RTP and max win can vary by slot version, so the in-game paytable is the cleanest source for the exact numbers.
1. John Hunter and the Book of Tut
Why it matches: Book of Tut is the most direct mechanical twin to Mayan Gods in the entire franchise. Both share the same 5,000x max win, the same 96.50% RTP, the same 5-reel grid, and the identical expanding-symbol free spins mechanic. The only differences are cosmetic – Egyptian temples instead of Mayan pyramids.
What sets it apart: As the first Egyptian entry in the John Hunter series, Book of Tut is the more established title with broader availability across casino lobbies. The Egyptian theme resonates with a wider audience, which also means more frequent inclusion in promotions and tournament rotations.
Ideal for: Players who want the Mayan Gods mechanic in its most popular thematic packaging without any changes to how the game plays.
Trade-off: The match is so close that switching between the two feels more like a reskin than a meaningful change of pace. Players looking for something that plays differently will need to look further down this list.
2. John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen
Why it matches: Scarab Queen uses the same book-slot engine with expanding symbols during free spins, the same RTP, and the same high volatility. The core session rhythm is indistinguishable from Mayan Gods – the difference sits entirely in the payout structure.
What sets it apart: The max win doubles to 10,000x, which means the same expanding-symbol round that caps at 5,000x in Mayan Gods can pay twice as much here. That single change meaningfully alters the reward curve of every bonus round.
Ideal for: Mayan Gods players who feel the 5,000x ceiling is too low and want the same mechanic with more upside.
Trade-off: The Egyptian setting means another ancient-world theme, so players specifically drawn to the Mayan aesthetic may find it visually repetitive alongside Book of Tut.
3. John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure
Why it matches: Same franchise, same adventure framing, and free spins remain the primary bonus mechanism. The session cadence – base game punctuated by feature-dependent bonus rounds – mirrors the Mayan Gods experience.
What sets it apart: The 26,185x max win is the highest in the John Hunter series by a wide margin. Da Vinci’s Treasure also introduces multiple bonus round types, adding variety that the standard expanding-symbol entries do not offer.
Ideal for: Players who have worked through the standard John Hunter book slots and want the franchise’s most ambitious title with the highest ceiling and most diverse bonus structure.
Trade-off: The Renaissance theme and multi-bonus format feel notably different from Mayan Gods. Players who value the clean simplicity of the expanding-symbol formula may find the added complexity distracting rather than enriching.
4. Book of Dead
Why it matches: Book of Dead is the cross-provider benchmark for expanding-symbol book slots. The mechanic is functionally identical to Mayan Gods – a book scatter triggers free spins where a randomly selected symbol expands to fill reels. The 5-reel, 10-payline structure matches the John Hunter grid format.
What sets it apart: Developed by Play’n GO, Book of Dead has the widest casino availability of any book slot globally. Its long track record means it has been played and refined more extensively than any single John Hunter entry.
Ideal for: Mayan Gods players who want the same expanding-symbol mechanic from a different provider, or who play at casinos that carry Play’n GO but not all Pragmatic titles.
Trade-off: The RTP is lower at 96.21% compared to Mayan Gods’ 96.50%, and the 5,000x max win offers no improvement. The Egyptian theme adds yet another ancient-world option to the mix.
5. John Hunter and the Quest for Bermuda Riches
Why it matches: Same franchise, same expanding-symbol mechanic, same RTP at 96.50%, and a 10,000x max win that doubles Mayan Gods. Bermuda Riches is structurally one of the closest matches in the series.
What sets it apart: The Bermuda Triangle ocean setting is the most visually distinct theme in the John Hunter lineup. It breaks completely from the ancient-world aesthetic that dominates the other entries.
Ideal for: Players who enjoy the John Hunter book-slot formula but have exhausted the ancient civilisation themes and want the same mechanic in a modern adventure setting.
Trade-off: The ocean theme loses the archaeological adventure tone that gives Mayan Gods its identity. Some players find the tonal shift jarring compared to the ancient-world entries.
6. Pirate Gold
Why it matches: Pirate Gold shares the same provider, the same 96.50% RTP, and a high-volatility adventure framework where bonus rounds determine the session outcome – the same dependency on features that defines the Mayan Gods experience.
What sets it apart: A 15,000x max win cap makes it the highest-paying single alternative on this list outside Da Vinci’s Treasure. The Lucky Treasure Bag feature adds a bonus mechanic that does not exist in any John Hunter title.
Ideal for: Mayan Gods fans ready to leave the John Hunter franchise entirely while staying with Pragmatic Play’s adventure-themed high-volatility format.
Trade-off: The bonus structure is not the expanding-symbol book-slot formula, so the session feel diverges more than any franchise entry. The pirate theme is well-trodden territory in slots.
At £10 / €10 / $10 stake, a 26,185x max win on Da Vinci’s Treasure would return £261,850 / €261,850 / $261,850.
If the Bonus Is Too Rare, Try This Instead
If Mayan Gods’ bonus frequency feels too low and you are spending too many base-game spins waiting for the book scatter to land, Book of Tut and Scarab Queen offer the same trigger mechanic without meaningfully changing the cadence – the book-slot format is fairly consistent across the franchise. The real shift comes from looking outside the series. Pirate Gold’s Lucky Treasure Bag feature triggers more dynamically, and Da Vinci’s Treasure’s multiple bonus types give you more than one path to a feature round. If the expanding-symbol mechanic itself is the draw and you just want more of it with higher stakes, Scarab Queen at 10,000x or Da Vinci’s Treasure at 26,185x both raise the ceiling while keeping free spins at the centre of every session.
| Slot | Wilds | Scatters | Bonus Rounds | Multipliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book of Tut | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tomb of the Scarab Queen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Da Vinci’s Treasure | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Book of Dead | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Quest for Bermuda Riches | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pirate Gold | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
FAQs
What slot is most similar to John Hunter and the Mayan Gods?
John Hunter and the Book of Tut is the closest mechanical match. Both share the identical expanding-symbol book-slot engine, the same 5,000x max win, the same 96.50% RTP, and the same high volatility – the only difference is the Egyptian theme replacing the Mayan setting.
Are there slots with a higher RTP than John Hunter and the Mayan Gods?
Mayan Gods sits at 96.50% at the top tier. John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure is slightly higher at 96.53% within the franchise. For a bigger jump, Big Bass Bonanza at 96.71% and Great Rhino Megaways at 96.58% offer higher returns from Pragmatic Play, though the mechanics are entirely different.
What Pragmatic Play slots are like Mayan Gods?
The full John Hunter series shares the book-slot foundation: Book of Tut, Tomb of the Scarab Queen, Quest for Bermuda Riches, and Da Vinci’s Treasure all use expanding symbols during free spins. Outside the franchise, Pirate Gold offers a similar high-volatility adventure feel with a higher 15,000x max win.
Can I play slots like Mayan Gods for free?
All John Hunter titles are typically available in demo mode at casinos that carry Pragmatic Play games. Book of Dead by Play’n GO is also widely available for free play across most major casino lobbies.
Which John Hunter slot has the highest max win?
John Hunter and Da Vinci’s Treasure holds the franchise record at 26,185x. Tomb of the Scarab Queen and Quest for Bermuda Riches share second place at 10,000x, while Book of Tut and Mayan Gods sit at the standard 5,000x.
Tiered Recommendations
Closest mechanical match: John Hunter and the Book of Tut. The expanding-symbol engine, max win, RTP, and volatility are all identical – only the theme changes. Best overall alternative: John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen. It keeps the same mechanic and feel while doubling the max win to 10,000x, making it the most practical upgrade for Mayan Gods players who want more from the same formula. For players ready to leave the standard book-slot format: Da Vinci’s Treasure at 26,185x with multiple bonus types represents the franchise ceiling. For a cross-provider option: Book of Dead delivers the same expanding-symbol mechanic from Play’n GO. For players leaving the franchise entirely: Pirate Gold at 15,000x offers the highest ceiling outside the John Hunter series while keeping the adventure-slot feel intact.