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Merge Up slot: the original gem-merging rules

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Merge Up slot is BGaming's original 2023 cluster game. Groups of four or more matching gems connect horizontally or vertically, pay and form higher-level symbols. During free spins, repeated winning use of marked cells builds multipliers that can persist through the feature.

Great Britain · GBP · 18+Editorial check: 11 November 2026

On this page
  1. Merge Up slot: keep the original apart from its sequel
  2. Demo notes: recognise merging rather than simple removal
  3. A group pays before its symbols move up
  4. What happens to marked cells in free spins?
  5. Scatters open a feature with a stated award
  6. Persistent cells do not make a future win certain
  7. A theoretical return is not a merging strategy
  8. Compare the operation, rather than the gem theme
  9. A paid group and its upgraded successor are different states
  10. Connectivity must be established before the level change
  11. Colour, level and cell location need separate labels
  12. Marking a cell and awarding a multiplier are not one retroactive action
  13. Several cell values need the operation specified by the rule
  14. A stored multiplier still needs an eligible later group
  15. The lifetime of feature state needs a boundary
  16. Nine symbol levels do not describe nine promised awards
  17. A scatter can have more than one route onto the board
  18. Initial free spins and disputed retrigger wording should stay separate
  19. The original and Merge Up 2 are separate evidence subjects
  20. A cumulative board result should not be counted once per animation
  21. Theoretical return is not a technique for choosing cells
  22. The maximum describes an upper outcome rather than feature value stored
  23. A useful replay question follows one location through time
  24. Compare persistent locations with persistent symbols
  25. Questions about Merge Up
  26. Sources

Merge Up slot: keep the original apart from its sequel

This note follows the MergeUp identifier and the release dated 26 October 2023. Merge Up 2 and similarly named games are separate products. Their layouts or feature descriptions are not substitutes for the original rulebook.

BGaming publishes 97.25% RTP and a very-high volatility classification for this product. A published product figure does not establish the version loaded at an operator. Check the actual game's help when comparing a recorded result.

Verified itemOriginal release
ProviderBGaming
IdentifierMergeUp
Layout6×6 cluster field
Minimum winning groupFour matching adjacent symbols
Published RTP97.25%
VolatilityVery high
Maximum multiplier5,000×
Phone with grouped gem symbols and a larger gem beside casino chips
An upgrade changes the next board state after the group is evaluated.

Demo notes: recognise merging rather than simple removal

A verified embedded MergeUp launch is not enabled here. The visual below shows the difference between a group paying and a higher-level gem appearing. It does not simulate a random game or hold a virtual wallet.

When checking a provider demo elsewhere, watch the symbols remaining after a group resolves. That transition identifies merging. A conventional cascade simply replacing all winning symbols does not explain the upgrade rule by itself.

Check the title before following a demo search result. A sequel may be easier to find than the original, but using it would answer a different question. No cash availability or casino recommendation is implied.

Grouped jewel symbols on a tablet beside casino chips
Watch which positions change after a matching group resolves.

Feature visual and primary rules available; an unverified game frame is not loaded.

A group pays before its symbols move up

Imagine four identical gems sharing horizontal or vertical edges. In this hypothetical example, the group is evaluated first. Some symbols disappear and others become the next level; empty cells then receive replacements.

The upgraded symbol is a new state on the board. It is not an extra deposit and does not mean the same original group should be counted again. A later qualifying group requires its own evaluation.

Nine symbol levels are described in the rulebook. A highest-level ordinary group can form a scatter, and scatters can also arrive directly. These are two routes to that special symbol rather than two names for separate cash prizes.

What happens to marked cells in free spins?

The feature remembers locations that have participated in winning groups. A later qualifying use of a marked cell creates or raises its multiplier, up to 128×. The newly acquired value applies to a subsequent eligible combination.

That timing matters. Reading a newly displayed multiplier as though it applied retroactively to the just-completed group can exaggerate the expected award. Follow the sequence in the loaded rules and round record.

Several cell multipliers in one group add under the published rules. Their combined value is therefore not obtained by multiplying every visible cell number together. More marked cells does not automatically mean a larger current payment.

Board stateReading task
Gem levelIdentify which symbol the next group contains
Marked locationIdentify a cell with feature history
Cell multiplierIdentify the value eligible for a later group
Feature totalRead the accumulated result after evaluations

Scatters open a feature with a stated award

The official rules award 15 free spins for four scatters,18 for five and 20 for six or more. Treat that as the initial award. A later extension is conditional on another qualifying event.

BGaming's product summary and detailed rulebook differ on the description of retriggers. This note therefore does not assign a universal retrigger threshold. Use the help inside the loaded game for that specific instruction.

That narrow difference does not alter the basic distinction between a scatter and a marked cell. One concerns feature entry or extension; the other concerns where a later cluster can use a multiplier.

Persistent cells do not make a future win certain

A marked board may look more valuable than a fresh one, but a payable group still has to form. A stored multiplier is a rule state, not money already in the player's account.

The state also has a defined lifetime: the free-spin feature. Do not carry a cell's previous multiplier into a new base-game spin unless the current rules expressly do so. A similar-looking board can belong to a new round.

For a simple reading exercise, record a cell, the group that used it and the next multiplier shown. Keep the sequence without assigning imaginary cash wins. This makes the timing easier to understand without pretending to reproduce actual randomness.

A theoretical return is not a merging strategy

The arithmetic edge corresponding to 97.25% RTP is 2.75% for that model. This is a long-run relationship between wagers and returns. It is not a guarantee about the next chain or a percentage refunded to an individual player.

Very-high volatility warns of substantial variation in the provider's classification. It does not tell you when a high-level gem is due. Raising the stake cannot force a particular group or repair a previous losing sequence.

If comparing completed results, use the total stake and final round return. An intermediate merge animation cannot establish profit. The deposit and stake definitions explain why a funding amount is a different unit from one wager.

Compare the operation, rather than the gem theme

Golden Glyph connects Power Wild wins to queued features. Wild Beach Party has a different wild progression. Neither should inherit Merge Up's cell-marking rule just because it also uses a grid.

Crystal Quest: Frostlands instead evaluates ways across reels. Return to the game-note catalogue to choose a mechanism, or read the editorial policy for how published figures are separated from account tests.

A paid group and its upgraded successor are different states

Follow a qualifying group in order: evaluate it, record its award, then inspect the higher-level symbol or symbols formed and the spaces filled afterwards. The board has changed by the time the next group is assessed.

For an illustrative sequence, call the first group G1 and its upgraded successor S1. Enter G1's award once. If S1 later joins a new qualifying group G2, give that later group a separate entry. Merely seeing S1 on the board leaves the next award conditional on a group forming.

This is what a merging description adds to a simple removal description. Alongside each arrangement, note the relevant symbol level. A replacement can change which symbols surround the successor, while its upgrade changes what it is. Both pieces help explain the next evaluation without counting the original group again.

Connectivity must be established before the level change

Four matching symbols do not automatically make one group if they are separated. The published rule uses horizontal or vertical adjacency. Establish the connected membership of the group before discussing its award or the symbol that can form afterwards.

Imagine four identical gems occupying the corners of a six-by-six board with no connecting matching symbols between them. Their count is four, but this teaching arrangement does not form one edge-connected cluster. A different connected arrangement would answer a different eligibility question.

The example says nothing about other groups on a real screen. A full evaluation can contain several objects. For an enquiry, identify the exact positions you believe connected and the symbol level they showed rather than treating every gem of the same colour as a single group.

Colour, level and cell location need separate labels

Use one label for the gem and another for its location. The gem's level describes the symbol currently present. A cell coordinate describes its place on the board. During free spins, a mark records history belonging to that place.

For example, row two, column three remains the same coordinate when its gem changes or disappears. In a private note, keep the coordinate fixed and update the symbol-level field beside it. Record any confirmed cell mark or multiplier in another field so it is not accidentally carried along with a changing gem.

This makes a replay question easier to follow: did the symbol upgrade, did the cell retain its mark, or did a later group use its multiplier? Each question follows a different property through time. A final screenshot may show all three together while leaving the earlier changes unconfirmed; use the sequence where the history supplies it.

Marking a cell and awarding a multiplier are not one retroactive action

Read the state that existed before a group was evaluated. Then record what winning use of its cells changed for later groups. Merge Up's newly acquired multiplier applies to a subsequent eligible combination, so the after-state should not be substituted into the calculation just completed.

In an illustrative note, keep three entries for one location: before the group, the recorded group result, and after the group. If the after-state shows a new multiplier, carry it forward to the next relevant evaluation under the rules. Leave the earlier result attached to its original state.

This format separates three possible concerns: a cell was not marked, its later multiplier was wrong, or an existing multiplier was not applied. Asking which of those occurred gives support a defined operation to explain. Applying the newest displayed value backwards would instead create an award the earlier state never established.

Several cell values need the operation specified by the rule

Add the applicable cell multipliers within an eligible group, as described by the original detailed rules. The individual multiplication signs tell you how values affect a base award; they do not change the stated addition rule into a product of cell values.

For a hypothetical calculation, 2, 4 and 8 add to 14. Applied once to a £0.10 base amount, the combined value gives £1.40. Multiplying the three cell values together would give 64 and an entirely different £6.40 result. The base amount here is illustrative, not a published gem payout.

Before repeating the calculation, check whether the displayed award already includes the combined effect. Save the before-multiplier amount, relevant cells and final award together where available. A final total beside several cell numbers leaves their relationship unclear if the surrounding labels are missing.

A stored multiplier still needs an eligible later group

A marked or multiplied location is state information. It does not become a cash award merely by remaining visible. A qualifying later group and the supplied rule are needed to determine whether and how that state affects a result.

This means a board can look increasingly elaborate without guaranteeing a positive next spin. A count of marked locations does not establish the probability of a future group or a minimum forthcoming award. The visual persistence and the outcome distribution are different questions.

Do not interpret a high stored value as money already owed to the account. If a feature ends without another eligible use, the completed settlement must be read under the actual rule. An intermediate board image cannot replace that final result or prove an unpaid cash amount on its own.

The lifetime of feature state needs a boundary

Keep the cell-state record inside the free-spin feature to which it belongs. The published persistence concerns that feature. When it ends, a familiar-looking gem at the same location in a new base-game round does not establish that the previous cell value survived.

Write the feature reference at the top of any coordinate notes. Start a new state record for another feature unless the supplied rules expressly carry state across the boundary. Matching coordinates then mean matching locations, without implying uninterrupted history between separate features.

For a reset enquiry, first establish whether the old feature had finished. A disappearance inside the same feature and a reset after completion ask different questions of the rules. Save the ending record or remaining-spin state where available so support can identify the relevant boundary before explaining what happened to the stored value.

Nine symbol levels do not describe nine promised awards

The rulebook's symbol levels describe a hierarchy, not a guaranteed progression through every level in every round. A group can upgrade while the next arrangement fails to form another eligible group. An upgrade is a state transition rather than a timetable.

Do not count a symbol's current level as the number of completed cash awards. A high-level symbol can have a history that the final screenshot does not expose. The recorded sequence is required to determine how it formed and which results were actually settled.

Likewise, a maximum level does not establish the cash value of every symbol on the board. The actual paytable and qualifying group size remain relevant. This page does not invent awards for hypothetical levels merely to fill a numerical example.

A scatter can have more than one route onto the board

The detailed rules describe scatters arriving directly and forming through the highest ordinary-group route. Those are different paths to a special symbol. They should not be treated as two separate cash prizes merely because the sequence contains an upgrade animation followed by a scatter image.

Record the event that produced the scatter where the history makes it clear. Then apply the feature-entry or extension rule relevant to the completed scatter state. A route to a symbol is not automatically an additional independent stake or an extra award to add to the final total.

If the history does not distinguish the route, leave it unconfirmed. The final scatter count may be sufficient for one question while insufficient for another about how the board changed. Evidence can answer the entry question without reconstructing every preceding merge.

Initial free spins and disputed retrigger wording should stay separate

The initial award is described in the detailed rules and retained in the original fact explanation. The research also found a difference between source descriptions of retriggers. This page does not erase that discrepancy by selecting the more attractive threshold from one summary.

Use the help supplied by the actual version for a specific extension question. Keep its title, configuration and wording with the round reference. A general product summary can identify the game while remaining insufficient to resolve a detailed counter dispute.

The source gap does not justify inventing a universal rule. An honest note can state what the retained documents support and what remains version-dependent. That is more useful than publishing a precise retrigger promise that may describe a different release or summary.

The original and Merge Up 2 are separate evidence subjects

A sequel can retain a name and visual vocabulary while changing its layout or feature logic. The original identifier matters because a later search result may be easier to find. Do not use the sequel's higher visibility as a reason to substitute its rules.

For any saved figure, retain the complete title and source. A note containing only Merge Up and a percentage can lose the release boundary. A note tied to the original product and detailed rulebook makes the scope visible when reopened later.

This article does not rank the original against its sequel or imply that either is available at a particular GB casino. Release identification is useful without a commercial destination. It prevents a precise-looking statement from being attached to the wrong game.

A cumulative board result should not be counted once per animation

Suppose a fictional sequence produces component awards of 4, 2 and 3 units. Their final sum is 9. If the game presents running totals of 4, 6 and 9, those displays describe accumulation rather than three independent payments of those amounts.

Adding the running displays would claim 19 units and duplicate earlier components. The mistake can arise when an upgrade, replacement and counter animation each show a total. Retain the surrounding labels before entering amounts into a ledger.

If a feature total already includes the current spin, do not add that spin again. Ask for the relationship between the totals where it is unclear. A final number can be consistent with several histories, so arithmetic alone cannot reconstruct the exact merge sequence.

Theoretical return is not a technique for choosing cells

The published RTP is theoretical product information. It does not indicate which cell will participate in the next group or how to force a high-level gem. A percentage cannot turn a visual board into a predictable path of future upgrades.

The very-high classification describes variability in the provider's terms. It does not make a short losing run evidence of an imminent correction. A sample of impressive merges also cannot establish an individual player's expected result or an affordable stake.

If comparing a completed round, use the total accepted stake and final award. For an invented £1 stake and £0.60 award, the net result is a £0.40 reduction even if several merges occurred. These figures explain subtraction only and are not a real game payout.

The maximum describes an upper outcome rather than feature value stored

The published ceiling should not be confused with the sum of visible multipliers or the nominal level of symbols currently present. A maximum outcome and a current state are different measures. Neither supplies a guaranteed amount the next qualifying group must pay.

Do not attach a currency total to a high stored value without the actual eligible base, bet unit and settled result. A bet-relative multiplier needs its base. A current account balance is another amount again, potentially containing activity outside the identified round.

This article offers no suggested bankroll based on the ceiling. A large possible award cannot make a stake affordable or protect funds required elsewhere. Understanding the feature is independent from deciding to stop, and no further paid attempt is needed to read the rule.

A useful replay question follows one location through time

If the dispute concerns a cell, identify its coordinate, feature reference, group that used it and the value shown before and after. State whether you question the mark, the later increment or its application. Each is a different part of the sequence.

Keep recollection distinct from saved evidence. A remembered multiplier can be described as remembered without asserting it as an authenticated record. Ask the responsible service for the relevant breakdown instead of creating an imagined group to make a later total fit.

The website cannot replay private rounds or collect account documents. Use the operator's secure support route and preserve originals privately. A generated gem picture illustrates the topic but cannot establish what a specific location held in an actual feature.

Compare persistent locations with persistent symbols

Wild Beach Party follows returning wild symbols and their growth. Merge Up's marked-cell explanation concerns locations with feature history. A symbol and a location can coincide on one screen while behaving differently across replacement, so their persistence should not be conflated.

Golden Glyph provides another contrast involving queued effects. Crystal Quest: Frostlands uses ways and avalanches rather than this original cluster-upgrade system. Reading those distinctions is more useful than assuming every gem or icy grid uses the same evaluation rule.

For a later withdrawal enquiry, leave the board state and start with the payment instruction. A cell multiplier cannot establish bank dispatch. The account award, requested withdrawal and receiving credit need their own references and amounts in the appropriate payment guide.

Questions about Merge Up

Which Merge Up game does this review explain?

The original BGaming release identified as MergeUp, dated 26 October 2023. Merge Up 2 is a separate game.

What RTP does the original Merge Up publish?

BGaming publishes 97.25%. That product value should be compared with the help in the actual loaded configuration.

How do Merge Up free spins begin?

The detailed rules award 15,18 or 20 free spins for four, five or at least six scatters respectively.

Can a Merge Up demo balance be withdrawn?

No. Virtual game credit is not a cash-account balance. No embedded launch is enabled on this page until its exact game and loading have been verified.

Sources

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