Rise of Cleopatra  (Bigwinboard.com)

Rise of Cleopatra: Slot Overview

Rise of Cleopatra is an online slot from developer Red Tiger that lays on a lavish Egyptian scene for gamblers enamoured with the ancient civilisation. As well as being a handsome example of this type of slot, it's also a game which doesn't lay out all its features from spin one. Instead, players must collect wild symbols in jars to unlock four features, which trigger on the next spin and from then on at random (they're tied to the stake level). Rise of Cleopatra's form and function pepper Red Tiger's portfolio, so how about we adopt a mindset that we might not be stepping into one of the studio's most original slots.

If there is one thing Rise of Cleopatra does well, it is reproducing the splendour and majesty of Ancient Egypt on the screen for enthusiasts' pleasure. Romanticised? Maybe, but maybe not a lot if you take a look at the hugely impressive monuments and structures that have survived to the present day. Games like Rise of Cleopatra fuel thoughts about how incredibly awe-inspiring the civilisation must have been back then, as all those columns, pyramids, and temples, well, they just don't make 'em like they used to.

In the middle of Rise of Cleopatra's screen is a 5x4 gaming area, which evaluates winning combinations with the aid of 20 paylines. When it comes to bet selection, the options range from 10 c to $/€10 per spin, and the stake is linked to feature progression, so choose wisely if you're planning to stick around long term. Mathematically, Rise of Cleopatra is a medium-high volatile slot with an RTP of 95.69%.

Clubs, diamonds, heats, and spades are the lower-paying symbols, while the higher pays are bracelets, Ankhs, fans, eyes, and snakes. The amount of cash collected equates to 1x to 1.8x the bet for a line of 5 card suits or 4x to 15x the bet for 5 matching premium symbols. Wilds appear on the reels to substitute any regular paying symbol, and a line of 5 wilds is worth 15x.

Rise of Cleopatra: Slot Features

Rise of Cleopatra is one of those slots that charges players with collecting a certain symbol to unlock its features. There are four features to work your way through, as well as a free spins round to trigger.

Feature Jars and Scarab Wilds

Scarab wilds can land on the leftmost, middle, or rightmost reels until all features are unlocked, except on spins that have a feature. Collecting Scarab wilds progressively fills feature jars until each feature is unlocked. When a feature is unlocked, it triggers on the next spin at the same stake and may trigger randomly on future spins at that stake. More than one feature may trigger at the same time, provided more than one feature is unlocked.

• 1st Stage - 6 Scarabs are required to unlock the Remove Suits feature, which removes all card suit symbols for the spin.
• 2nd Stage - 12 Scarabs are required to unlock the Random Wilds feature, which lands a random number of Cleopatra Wilds on any reel.
• 3rd Stage - 18 Scarabs are required to unlock the Multiplier feature, which applies a multiplier from a sundial of x2 to x10 to the next win that occurs. Multipliers stack if the feature triggers before the next win occurs.
• 4th Stage - 24 Scarabs are required to unlock the Mega Wild feature, which adds one or more Cleopatra Wilds of 2x2 to 3x3 onto the reels.

Free Spins

Hitting 3, 4, or 5 scatters in the base game awards 8, 10, or 12 free spins, respectively, while landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters during the round awards a further +4, +5, or +6 free spins, respectively. Any unlocked features can trigger during the bonus round, and any progress achieved towards unlocking a feature is carried into and out of the round.

Rise of Cleopatra: Slot Verdict

Rise of Cleopatra is pretty standard Red Tiger stuff, really. As mentioned in the past, the studio goes in for these feature-unlocking games, and we'd reviewed one just days prior to the Rise of Cleopatra playthrough in the form of Miami Rise. Like that one, Rise of Cleopatra is okay if you like this sort of progressing and unlocking action. More so if you're not completely sick of generic, albeit good-looking Egyptian-themed slots. However, Rise of Cleopatra is probably not one to touch if you're looking for originality. Instead of shock value, Red Tiger has fallen back on tried, true, and dependable.

Some might call this approach to slot design cautiously dull, and it was hard to argue with that viewpoint. Interestingly, Rise of Cleopatra's entertainment value was about as good in the base game as it was in the bonus round. Free spins are pretty meh since the game doesn't hold back anything special for them. Do features trigger more often in free spins? Maybe, maybe not, but since there is no official mention of them doing so in the paytable, maybe don't take it for granted that they will. As a result, no significant uptick in excitement was caused when the bonus round triggered other than you get a batch of spins which don't cost anything.

Advertised winning potential isn't bad, on paper at least, at 5,363x the bet, but it's quite rare to see big RT hits, so take this number with a grain of salt. Egyptian games are ever popular, as must these feature-unlocking slots be, judging by the frequency with which Red Tiger makes them. So, it would seem there is an audience out there for this type of game, just one that isn't overly concerned with originality or innovation.