Here’s another new slot with an ancient Egyptian theme, Fortunes of Pharaohs. I picked this online slot not only because of its aesthetics.
Dragon Gaming included Free Spins, Random Wild, Instant Win and Bonus, and Random Multipliers. It pays from left to right and has 3 reels, and 3 rows with 5 paylines.
Technically speaking the game doesn’t offer anything new but still plays cool from a player’s perspective. The jackpot is 4,000x the stake or $400,000 on a single spin.
You’ll play with an RTP or payback of 95.11%. I hardly felt it because Dragon Gaming infused it with plenty of special features. The symbols and the audio track enhance the theme.
The pyramids of Giza and the Nile serve as the backdrop. The premium symbol is the Pharaoh, and 3 matching symbols pay 10x your stake. If you play for the maximum wager of $100, you’ll win $1,000.
The other symbols are the cat (Bastet), snake, Anubis, wild, ankh, and the eye of Horus. The Pyramid Bonus is the scatter that triggers the free spins feature.
Once you’re ready to play the slot for free or real, bets start at $0.10 to $100 per spin.
Bonus Rounds
Free Spins
I would have preferred more free spins than the standard 5. Luckily you can win as many as 20 free spins via +1 or +2 free spins.
The Instant Payout offers wins from 2x to 25x. Moreover, the free spins feature offers random multipliers up to 25x, and random wilds with values from 2x to 3x.
Those are the extra treats you’ll encounter in the free spins. I triggered the free spins feature twice when the Instant Bonus symbol appeared on the 4th reel.
What concerns me is that the hit rate in the free spins is low. On my second attempt, I didn’t win money. If not for the Instant Bonus, it would be hard to land 3 scatters. The average free spin trigger can be 80+ spins.
Extra Reel
The fourth reel is important as it offers Instant Payout and Bonus, Random Wilds, and Random Multiplier. Instead of waiting for three bonus scatters, you can trigger 5 free spins when the “Instant Bonus” lands.
Tips and Strategy
Fortunes of Pharaohs Slot lacks the excitement of Betsoft’s Treasures of Cleopatra or TrueLab Games’ Battle Rage. I won’t play it with a bonus due to the lack of paylines.
That makes it volatile and the WRs can be high making cashing out difficult. Play the slots with free credits for at least 70 spins at a betting range you’re comfortable with.
Open the Paytable. You’ll find the symbol values, and how to trigger a bonus, RTP, and jackpot. You can also ask the online casino for a no-deposit bonus or free spins to test the game.
It’s 50/50, so make sure you understand the terms. For example, they cap no-deposit bonus wins up to $50, in some cases it can be less.
Verdict
Fortunes of Pharaohs is not a bad slot since I won $5,000 when I triggered the free spins feature. I couldn’t trigger the free spins with 3 bonus symbols on the reels, only via the Instant Bonus.
The slot is fast without feeling twitchy. I would have liked more free spins after the initial trigger, luckily extra free spins are available.
What concerns me is that I didn’t win any money on my second free spin trigger, which makes it volatile. My biggest win was in the base game and not via the free spins.
The fourth reel with the instant bonus, wilds, and multipliers jazzes up play a bit. That’s the meat and potatoes of the slot right there. If not for the fourth reel I wouldn’t have played it.
Overall, Fortunes of Pharaohs packs a punch but lacks that wow factor. Dragon Gaming could have added a Buy Option for instant free spins triggers.
