Quick verdict: Napoleon – Rise of an Empire is Blueprint Gaming's 2018 military-history slot, built around a Wild Multiplier mechanic and a hold-and-respin Free Games round with a persistent "Napoleon Streak" running through every win. At up to 95.96% RTP across a 20-payline grid, it's a well-specified mid-generation Blueprint title that rewards patience through its free spins structure rather than offering constant base-game action.
The Story
Blueprint Gaming released Napoleon – Rise of an Empire in May 2018, setting the action in 1804 as Napoleonic forces march across Europe. The newly crowned Emperor of France is rallying his troops to conquer mainland Europe, humble the lands of Egypt and tame the realms of Russia — a straightforward military-conquest theme rather than a licensed IP, giving Blueprint free rein over the historical imagery. The pitch, in the studio's own words, is to "become a legend and find your fortune" alongside Napoleon's campaign.
Theme, Gameplay & Symbols
Napoleon plays out across a grid with 20 fixed paylines. Low-paying symbols are the standard playing-card royals; higher-paying symbols draw on the military theme — cannons, medals and imperial eagles — building toward Napoleon himself as the game's key symbol. Napoleon can appear on any spin in the base game, bringing additional wild and bonus symbols to the reels with him.
Presentation & Sound
Visually, Napoleon leans into an authentic early-19th-century military aesthetic — gold-braided reel framing, imperial red and navy colour tones, and character art styled after the era's military portraiture rather than a cartoonish take. As a 2018 title, the production is solid but not as heavily animated as Blueprint's more recent releases; the focus sits on the Free Games round rather than base-game spectacle. The soundtrack matches the tone with a stately, marching-band-influenced score, with a distinct fanfare marking Napoleon's appearance and the transition into Free Games.
How to Play Napoleon
- Set your stake using the bet selector. Blueprint Gaming's own published range runs from £0.10 to £100 per spin, though UKGC rules cap online slot stakes at £5 per spin (£2 for 18–24-year-olds), so UK players can't stake anywhere near the top of that range — exact limits can also vary by operator.
- Spin the grid. Wins pay across the 20 fixed paylines when matching symbols land on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel.
- Watch for Napoleon appearing on any spin — he can bring additional wild and bonus symbols with him for more chances to win.
- Land enough bonus symbols to trigger 10 Free Games, with the Napoleon Streak feature active throughout.
- During Free Games, winning symbols are held in place while the remaining reels respin to improve the win.
- Landing further bonus symbols during Free Games re-triggers the round for an additional 10 Free Games.
Features & Mechanics
Battle Cry is Napoleon's base-game feature: on any spin, Napoleon can appear on the reels and bring in additional wild and bonus symbols, increasing the chance of a win or a Free Games trigger on that spin. It's a random modifier rather than something the player can influence directly, giving the base game an added layer of anticipation beyond the standard payline structure.
The Free Games round is the game's centrepiece: landing enough bonus symbols triggers 10 Free Games, with the Napoleon Streak always active. During Free Games, any winning symbols on a spin are held in place and the remaining reels respin, giving each round the chance to build and improve on an initial win rather than resolving in a single spin. Re-triggering is possible by landing further bonus symbols during the round, awarding an additional 10 Free Games on top of any remaining.
Volatility & Win Potential
Blueprint Gaming publishes a top RTP of 95.96% for Napoleon, and describes the game itself as a "volatile 20 payline slot" in its own marketing copy, though it doesn't display a specific numeric volatility rating on the game's data page in the way some of its newer titles do. Blueprint doesn't publish a specific max win or hit-frequency figure for this title, so we won't put a number on either — the hold-and-respin Free Games structure is the clearest source of its bigger win potential, since a strong initial trigger with several held symbols can compound significantly across respins.
Pros & Cons
- Pro: The hold-and-respin Free Games round gives genuine building win potential rather than a fixed-value bonus.
- Pro: Re-triggering is achievable during Free Games, extending strong rounds further.
- Pro: A solid 95.96% top RTP and an authentic, well-realised military-history theme.
- Con: No published max win or hit-frequency figure from Blueprint, so some of the game's win potential can't be pinned down precisely.
- Con: Blueprint describes the game as volatile but doesn't publish a specific numeric volatility rating for this title.
- Con: As a 2018 release, the base-game presentation is less animated than Blueprint's more recent titles.
Final Verdict
Napoleon – Rise of an Empire holds up as a solid mid-generation Blueprint release, with the hold-and-respin Napoleon Streak giving its Free Games round real substance beyond a standard fixed-spin bonus. At up to 95.96% RTP and a self-described volatile structure, it suits players who like their win potential concentrated in a building bonus feature rather than spread evenly across the base game. Worth a look via the free demo below to see the Napoleon Streak in action before wagering anything for real.
