Relax Gaming Strikes Gold With New Mining Slot Nugget Ridge
Relax Gaming has swapped its usual mix of futuristic and folklore themes for a straightforward gold rush this week, sending prospectors down a valley of pickaxes and lanterns in a new slot called Nugget Ridge. It is a game built for volume rather than shock value, leaning on a trio of connected features that quietly stack in a player’s favour as a session goes on.
What’s been released
Situated in a gold-rich valley, Nugget Ridge is a place where miners emboldened by Gold Fever dig in hopes of turning their lives around, and the title is billed as a modern take on classic mining-themed slots.
The game went live on 3 September 2026, and
is a 5×3 reel slot with 15 paylines and a maximum win of 10,000 times the player’s stake.
On the numbers side,
the confirmed RTP sits at 96.36%, with a hit frequency of 20.85% and a low-to-medium volatility rating of 4 out of 10.
That puts it firmly in the accessible, regular-payout bracket rather than the high-swing category many mining slots chase.
How it plays
Symbol values follow a familiar structure:
playing cards from jack through ace act as low-value symbols paying between 0.4x and 4x the bet, while a lantern, pickaxe, gold cart and gold rock serve as high-value symbols worth between 1x and 25x, and a flaming W wild pays between 5x and 40x depending on the combination.
That wild substitutes for every symbol except the bonus, which takes the shape of a bomb capable of triggering either the respins feature or free spins mode.
The game’s signature mechanic is its TNT detonator feature.
The TNT detonator can randomly create explosions that expand upwards, covering the reel with fresh Wild symbols.
Landing bonus symbols opens up a second route to wilds:
the Re-Spin feature is triggered when players land two Bonus Symbols in the base game
, and
the Re-Spin feature turns those Bonus symbols into Sticky Wilds.
Free spins push the same idea further.
Collected Bonus symbols are held until the final spin before transforming into multiplier Wilds
, meaning the payout only reveals itself right at the end of the round. There is also scope to extend the feature, as
hitting three Bonus symbols during the free spins earns an extra three free spins.
Players who would rather skip the build-up can use the shortcut:
the title has a buy feature that automatically triggers the free spins mode for 60 times the player’s bet
, though
this is only available in markets where such purchases are permitted.
Where it fits
Relax Gaming has built its reputation as much on aggregation as on its own studio output, distributing third-party content alongside titles it develops in-house, and Nugget Ridge falls into the latter camp.
Relax Gaming, the content provider and aggregator, has released Nugget Ridge, a mining-themed slot built around an accessible core game filled with impactful features, giving players several routes to bigger wins through expanding TNT wilds, sticky-wild respins and a free spins round that banks bonus symbols for a multiplier finish.
Chief Product Officer Tony O’Mahony framed the release as a deliberate play for the recreational end of the market rather than the high-volatility crowd.
He described the game as designed to resonate with a broad casual audience, saying its straightforward gameplay, Hold & Win-style mechanics and accessible volatility profile make it an ideal addition for operators wanting to lift player engagement and retention.
He added that as competition for recreational players grows, Nugget Ridge offers a familiar, entertaining experience that can help operators attract regular play while complementing higher-volatility content in their portfolio.
For UK players used to Relax Gaming’s heavier hitters, Nugget Ridge reads as a change of pace: a lower-ceiling, higher-frequency companion piece designed to sit comfortably next to the studio’s bigger-swing releases rather than replace them.
