Review of IGT’s Cleopatra Slot

Many people associate Egypt with the pyramids – those magnificent works of art and with Cleopatra, of whom many claim was the most beautiful woman in Ancient times. But did you know that Cleopatra actually lived closer in time to Neil Armstrong’s than to the period when the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed? History is amazing and full of incredible and shocking facts. And those who are fans both of Ancient History and of online slots are in for a real treat, because in this review I will review Cleopatra Slot, a thematic online slot based on Ancient Egypt.

However, this isn’t going to be a history lesson on Egypt, but you will be able to read all you need to know about this thrilling slot game. I will tell you all about the graphics, the symbols that are used in the game, the bonus features and free spins, the amount of money that could be wagered and practically every useful information that you could possibly need.

Features and Limits

Cleopatra Slot is one of the most popular online slots and it has been around for quite a while. Namely, it was introduced in 2006. Cleopatra is a non-progressive slot, but it does feature some of the highest regular jackpots, which stands at 10,000 your line bet and since the maximum bet per line is £100, this means that the maximum jackpot is £100,000. Cleopatra slot has 3 rows, 5 reels and 20 pay-lines. You can play the game with as little as 2p per line, which equals 40p, or as much as £200 since the maximum amount per line is £10.

The design of the Cleopatra slot isn’t much different than the design of other IGT slots. The symbols, understandably, are styled in an Ancient Egyptian fashion. It may seem a bit simple compared to some other slots, but bare in mind that this game was developed 10 years ago. The symbols are not entirely static, for example, the Cleopatra symbol performs certain animated moves when you win. I have to give this slot credit for the soundtrack, as one can genuinely hear the sound of Ancient Egypt whilst playing the game. Cleopatra also speaks throughout the game, which is also an interesting feature.

Plants, Sphynxes and Queens

This game features standard high-card symbols – 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, as well as thematic symbols that have to do with Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt. The standard card symbols are worth the least. Then you have the Flail, the Crook and the Eye of Ra, the Cartouche, the Lotus, the Scarab beetle, and of course, Cleopatra. Cleopatra is also the Wild symbol and there is a Scatter card and it is represented by a Sphinx. Depending on the symbol, you need to have either two or three symbols in the pattern of either of the pay-lines in order to win anything.

Cleopatra Slot by IGT

If you get 3 Jacks, Queens or Kings you will get an amount five times your pay-line, whereas if you have 3 of some of the higher rated symbols you will get 10 or 25. With only 2 Cleopatra symbols you’ll get 10, and for 3 you will get 200. 4 Cleopatra symbols equals 2,000 and 5 give the greatest jackpot – 10,000. You get a significant amount of 750 for 5 Scarab beetles and Lotuses. The RTP for this slot is 95.02%, which is not that much, but bear in mind that this game was developed in a time when the RTP ratios weren’t so competitive.

Cleopatra Bonus & Free Spins

Getting two Scatter symbols, regardless where on the reels, will increase your total stake twofold, 3 Scatter symbols will multiply your stake 5 times, whereas with 4 and 5 the multipliers are 20 and 100, respectively. In addition to the multipliers, 3, 4 or 5 Sphinxes will trigger the Cleopatra bonus. This isn’t a special bonus round, it is a free spins bonus. You will draw first the multiplier and then 15 free spins will start. The good thing is that during these 15 free spins all the pay-outs will be tripled unless you get 5 Cleopatra icons because that would trigger the jackpot.

So, you can get up to 180 free spins at most, once the Free Spins feature is triggered. Even if you manage to win more than 180 free spins, once you play out 180 the bonus will end. Still it isn’t very likely that you’ll manage to get much more than 180 free spins. I already mentioned the Cleopatra Jackpot, which is the highest possible prize in this game. Bear in mind that it doesn’t occur very often, but still the perspective of winning £100,000 is pretty amazing.

Play It on the Go

Cleopatra Slot was firstly featured in land-based casinos in Las Vegas and all over the world. Remember that this was in a day and age when online slots weren’t as popular as today, and mobile slots weren’t even a concept. However, IGT were quick to realise the potential of this game and they introduced an online version of this slot. With the developments in mobile technology, many saw the potential of mobile slots. So, a mobile version of Cleopatra Slot was introduced. There isn’t much that one could say about the mobile version of this slot specifically since it doesn’t differ from the PC version. All the symbols are there, Cleopatra, Sphinx, Scarab Beetle, Lotus and all the other. The pay-lines are the same and so is the Free Spins feature. The jackpot that you could potentially win is at £100,000, not at all bad for a mobile game.

Cleopatra Slot and Its Successor

When they saw the success of Cleopatra Slot, IGT decided that this slot deserves a sequel and that is how Cleopatra II was born. Cleopatra II is a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 pay-lines. The minimum bet is 20p and the maximum is £100. The bonus feature of this game is the Free Spins Bonus which is activated whenever there are 3, 4 or 5 Sphinxes on the reels. With 3 Sphinx symbols, you get between 5 and 15 free spins, with 4 between 8 and 18 and with 5 between 10 and 20.

The thing that is different between Cleopatra and Cleopatra II is the way the bonus feature works. On Cleopatra II, you get an additional multiplier with each spin and you can get new free spins during the bonus round. Technically you can get up to 50 free spins and x50 multiplier. Graphically Cleopatra II Slot is an improved version of its predecessor. The symbols differ only slightly and they are mainly just brushed up. The top fixed jackpot that you can get is 10,000 coins. The RTP barely differs and it sits at 95.13% for Cleopatra II, an increase of only 0.11%.

A Great Slot to Play

One of the main reasons why I keep going back to this slot is nostalgia. When it comes to slots, for me there are two main categories – good slots and bad slots. And this one definitely is in the first category and this will help you understand why it is still played and talked about after a decade. It is very fun and playable and the graphics are impeccable even if you compare it with some of the newer slots today. Sure, the RTP isn’t that great, but it’s still good enough. If you like a simple and straightforward slot, Cleopatra is your game.

Ancient Egypt vs. Ancient Scandinavia

If you like slots with Ancient themes, whether they feature gods and goddesses or kings and queens, you may like Thunderstruck II, a slot which is based on Norse mythology and where the main symbols represent the four most powerful Norse deities – Valkyrie, Loki, Odin and Thor, as well as other items that have to do with Vikings. You may like themes that are a bit more contemporary. In that case, I would suggest Barcrest’s Monopoly Slot. Many people play slots because deep inside they believe that they can win an awful lot of money and the perfect slots for this are the progressive jackpots, such as Genie Jackpots.