Sun and Moon Slot Machine

Author: GamblingSites.org | Last Updated: December 2023

The Sun and Moon video slot machine was one of the first
titles released by Australian casino game manufacturer
Aristocrat Leisure.

In 2014, the game was adapted for online casinos, and the
online version of Sun and Moon is essentially a clone of the
land based version, so the game play and pay out information
found on this page applies to both.

Designed to celebrate the ancient Mayan culture and their
contributions to the science of astronomy, Sun and Moon brings
players back to an era in which studying the skies above
informed one’s daily life. Flourishing throughout present-day
Mexico and Central America during the 16th century, the Mayans
developed one of human civilization’s most advanced pursuits of
astronomy ever known.

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Theme and Game Basics

Although the Maya were effectively wiped out following the
Spanish invasion of the Americas, the Sun and Moon slot machine
serves as a small tribute to their wider cultural contributions.
Consider, before Galileo ever proposed his bold theories about a
heliocentric solar system, Mayan sky watchers had already
deduced that the Sun revolved around the Earth.

The game’s title comes from the fact that the Maya revered
both the Sun and the Moon as gods. The Maya Sun God was a male
figure known as Kinich Ahau while the Moon God was depicted as a
female figure called Ix Chel.

Title & Background Screens

The title screen for Sun and Moon showcases the dichotomy
between these two deities, with the Sun figure shown as a stern
face etched onto a golden coin, one which stares directly at the
player as she sits at the machine. The Moon figure coin is
colored in a light blue shade while the face is turned to face
the Sun. In the background of the title screen, you’ll see the
steps of two pyramids while traditional tribal patterning
borders the entire image.

Once you enter the actual game, the background screen for Sun
and Moon is more of the same, as you’ll see a massive Mayan
pyramid set against a forest backdrop.

Reel Symbols

On the reels Aristocrat has included the usual lineup of card
rank symbols, so you’ll be spinning the 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A
symbols. As for the game’s themed symbols, Aristocrat went deep
into Mayan culture to come up with an array of historically
accurate images. The themed symbols for the game are the golden
Sun, the blue Moon, the idol mask, the pink ring, the feathered
amulet, the green snake, and the Mayan pyramid.

The illustrations used for Sun and Moon’s reel symbols appear
to have been taken straight from an archeology book, as the
artifacts and other items are drawn with attention to detail.
Overall, Sun and Moon is one of Aristocrat’s oldest slot machine
titles, but the game’s dedication to honoring its historic
subject material is admirable. You might miss the bells and
whistles that define the most modern video slot offerings, but
by including a creative bonus game lineup and adding multiple
wild symbols, Sun and Moon still provides an entertaining
experience.

Game Mechanics & Features

Sun and Moon is a standard five reel, 20 pay line video slot
machine. With three symbols per reel, you’ll be playing with 15
symbols total.

As a true penny slot, Sun and Moon boasts a minimum coin
denomination of just $0.01, and you won’t find any tricks which
increase that amount. If you want to place a single penny in
this machine and give it a whirl, feel free to do so by
activating just a single pay line and playing for the minimum.

However, most slot regulars know that pay line games are best
enjoyed when all 20 pay lines are activated because this way you
won’t miss any possible winning combinations. For penny players,
all 20 pay lines obviously move the minimum cost to cover per
spin to just $0.20, making Sun and Moon one of the most
affordable slot machines on any casino floor.

You won’t find any forced ante bets either, so playing all 20
pay lines at $0.20 per spin will really cost you that amount,
without the added expense of a Power Pay or other five credit
ante.

Of course, high rolling players can up the coin denomination
all the way to $2.50 per line if they prefer, for a $50.00 per
spin rate.

The standard play for a game like Sun and Moon is to play all
20 pay lines and up the coin amount to a modest $0.05, which
makes each spin of the reels cost just $1.00.

The Sun and Moon slot features the familiar Aristocrat
gameplay structure, so you’ll encounter wild symbols, scatter
symbols, free spins, bonus games, and multipliers. One of the
interesting twists found in Sun and Moon comes with the
relationship between the wild and scatter symbols, and this will
be described in detail later in the page. Unfortunately for
players with their eyes on the biggest prizes in play, Sun and
Moon is not connected to any larger progressive jackpots. A
basic list of game specifications for the game can be found
below:

• Wilds: Yes
• Free Spins: Yes
• Multiplier: Yes
  • 2x during the free spins bonus round
• Bonus Game: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Return to Player: 94.981%

During the base game for Sun and Moon, you’ll be playing for
a pay table which falls on the lower end of the industry
standard. Landing five of the golden Sun symbols, or the blue
Moon symbols, on an activated pay line, will return a 1,000
credit payout. If you see five of a kind made up of BOTH golden
Sun symbols and blue Moon symbols, the payout will be 500
credits.

From there, 300 credits are your reward for landing five idol
mask symbols. Finding five of the pink ring symbols or five of
the feathered amulet symbols pays out 200 credits. Five of the
green snake symbols offer a 150 credit return. When you see five
As, Ks, or Qs on an activated pay line, you’ll earn 120 credits,
and five of a kind in the Js, 10s, or 9s pays out 100 credits.

In an interesting divergence from Aristocrat’s usual slot
setup, Sun and Moon includes two wild symbols which can
substitute for any other symbol, except for one another.

Of course, the wild symbols for Sun and Moon are the golden
Sun symbol and the blue Moon symbol.

Adding to the alterations from standard slot play, both of
these symbols also act as scatter symbols during the Sun and
Moon base game. So when you see a golden Sun symbol or a blue
Moon symbol hit the screen, they will simultaneously act as
wilds and scatters, substituting for other symbols to create
winners AND paying out no matter where they fall on the reels.
Winning combinations which make use of a scatter symbol are
always multiplied by the total bet, rather than the bet per
line.

Another odd symbol to keep track of while playing Sun and
Moon is the Mayan pyramid symbol. This will only appear on the
second reel, and when it does, the Mayan pyramid symbol will
actually fade away to reveal on of the game’s other symbols.
This feature doesn’t add much to the gameplay except a little
suspense while you wait to see which new symbol will be
revealed.

No additional payouts or bonuses are given for the Mayan
pyramid symbol, which makes it a rather odd inclusion, and it’s
no surprise that this symbol feature was not carried over to
subsequent Aristocrat titles.

Free Spins Bonus Round

In order to enter the Sun and Moon free spins bonus round,
you’ll need to land two or more of either the golden Sun or blue
Moon scatter symbols. The free spin allotment you’ll receive is
dependent on the amount of scatter symbols you land, and the
breakdown for free spins can be found below:

• Two scatter symbols = five free spins
• Three scatter symbols = 10 free spins
• Four scatter symbols = 20 free spins
• Five scatter symbols = 50 free spins

During the Sun and Moon free spins bonus round all wins will
have a 2x multiplier attached.

Even better, players can retrigger the free spins bonus round
by landing two or more scatter symbols during any free spin.

Summary

For one of the oldest slot machine titles in Aristocrat’s
portfolio, Sun and Moon holds up surprisingly well. The level of
dedication to the game’s theme is apparent in the artwork and
reel symbols, so players who have an interest in Mayan culture,
astronomy, or mythology will have the little details to keep
them entertained.

When it comes to game play and features, Sun and Moon mixes
things up with the inclusion of two wild symbols that also act
as scatter symbols, so Aristocrat regulars will likely enjoy the
change of pace.