Ra & the Scarab Temple Slot Machine
Is there any subject more popular to the developers of online casino slot machines than ancient Egypt? We think not, and there’s clearly a huge appetite for games that feature pyramids, pharaoh’s, all-seeing eyes and the Ankh symbol, with Bally Technologies joining this party with their Ra & The Scarab Temple video slot. All of the classic symbols that punters expect to see are included, plus pots of gold and Chinese-style cards that seem to have been borrowed from other genres but look great anyway and help to trigger bonus features.
Those features can see players collecting lots more cash awards when up to 30 free spins with win multipliers are triggered, while a special Radiating Wilds feature, mystery stacked symbols and progressive jackpots should ensure that this journey to ancient times is fun and exciting. To go with the classic symbols, the five reels and 40 paylines are set against the yellow-hued walls of the temple in a fairly basic design which doesn’t distract you too much from what’s happening in the game. A pleasant soundtrack is also subtle enough not to get in the way of the action on the reels, and with so much going on, perhaps that’s for the best.
Ra & The Scarab Temple is powered by Bally Technologies, which is in turn, part of the Scientific Games group. Like all slot games from Bally Technologies, it’s been certified for fair play by an independent testing service, is fully licensed and comes with a high return to player percentage, with the outcome of each spin being determined by Random Number Generator software. Are there treasures to unearth in this mysterious temple? Let’s enter and see.
Scarabs and more
Prize-winning combinations are formed when at least three examples of the same symbol stop across a payline from the left side reel. Traditional playing card icons create the lower-value, but usually more common, winning lines, with the 10, J, Q and K symbols all being worth 10x, 30x, or 50x the per line stake when landing on three, four, or five reels. The A is valued slightly higher and unique picture symbols return the highest prizes. We say unique, but very similar images are seen across many other ancient Egyptian-themed online casino slots, but that’s OK, because it’s what players want and expect.
The colourful, stylish palm tree, pays up to 110x the line stake, while more valuable symbols such as the Ankh, Eye, Pharaoh mask and golden Scarab Beetle will pay small prizes just for appearing on the first two reels. There’s prizes of between 10x and 200x your line stake to claim with the Pharaoh or Beetle, but plenty of other ways to collect coins as well.
A Temple of Treats
There’s a dazzling collection of extra features to enjoy here, starting with random symbol positions being selected before each spin. All of these positions will be filled with the same type of playing card symbol, or the Beetle, Ankh, Eye, or Pharaoh symbols, which can make it easier to line them up for a win.
The Scarab Beetle is wild, while an oversized obelisk symbol will trigger a Radiating Wilds feature whenever it fills a reel, or even just part of one. Whenever it’s seen, the obelisk will be replaced by wild Scarabs, which will then spread out over the same rows on any adjacent reels. Any new wins created by the expanding wild symbols will then be paid out. If this causes any pot of gold bonus symbol, or a red envelope to be covered, these become further wilds, but won’t affect the extra features that can be triggered by these symbols.
Any three or more pots of gold, or wild pots, will first return wins equal to three times the total stake and you then get to choose a free spins feature. There’s a choice of six free spins, where any wins will be multiplied by five times over; ten games with a three times multiplier; 15 bonus spins where any wills will be doubled in value, or 30 bonus spins, but wins are paid out at the basic rate. Any three or more bonus symbols will add five extra spins, with a five times multiplier on to the end of the current round.
Opening up Jackpot Envelopes
Lucky red envelopes with Chinese-style dragons on them are the triggers for a jackpot feature. These can be overlaid on reels one or five before any spin, although the symbols underneath will still be partially in view, so the envelopes don’t reduce the chances of landing a win. If you are lucky enough to have red envelopes on both reels one and five at the same time, you win a jackpot prize, in a quick but highly rewarding feature.
Betting on Beetles
An unusual betting format reflects the fact that Ra & the Scarab Temple has so many extra features in play. You will need to place stakes of at least 0.55 per spin over the 40 paylines, and a simple plus or minus control button raises the coin values from this low limit up to the maximum bet of 275.00 per spin. Go for the highest stakes if you want to claim the biggest prizes.
Free Ra & the Scarab Temple video slots can be used if you want to practice before playing for real cash, while other options include control buttons that launch the game in Autoplay mode for as many spins as you want.
Other Egyptian Temples
With so many slots based on the same general topic, you can enjoy games themed on Scarab Beetles, temples, Pharaohs, or just about anything else related to ancient Egypt. The Egyptians worshipped cats and if you are a fan of all things feline, then spin the reels of the Temple Cats video slot from Endorphina and get your claws into some tasty treats. Cats eyes, cat statues and a woman in a skimpy cat costume all appear over this five-reel, ten-line game, awarding features like wild substitutions and free spins with special expanding symbols. A gamble button opens an optional double or nothing round after each win in this beautifully designed game.
If you prefer beetles, then Scarab Treasure could be just the Egyptian style online slot machine for you. Be prepared for something unique though, as it’s a one-reel, single-payline game with just three symbols. Players collect winnings when the Eye of Horus or Ankh land on the line, but as soon as that pesky Scarab appears, all the accumulated coins are lost. The trick is to hold your nerve, collecting wins which go up and up, especially when the same symbol appears in consecutive spins, and cash out before the beetle brings your winning streak crashing back down.
No Flies on this Beetle
Anyone who likes the ancient Egyptian theme is sure to enjoy playing Ra & the Scarab Temple. It’s a stylish slot game that comes packed with extra features, some of which, like the Radiating Wilds, we found very easy to trigger. If we’re being picky, the background image is a bit plain, as is the soundtrack, but that’s largely a matter of personal preference and neither of these take away from the thrilling gameplay. We’ve mentioned Scarab Beetles several times in this review, but if you are wondering where Ra is, he’s the Sun God, and the beetle looks like it’s just burst from the Sun, so hopefully that answers your question
This is a mobile optimised game that can be played on iPhones, iPad, Android and Windows devices. With an average of 96.02% of wagers paid back in winnings, players can visit this temple again and again, enjoying all the riches that Egypt has to offer them each time.
