Get ready to bake, once again, under the hot sun in this Ancient Egyptian themed slot titled Pyramid King from Pragmatic Play. The title is a not so subtle hint at what players can expect to find, namely sand, heat, and lashings of old school gaming. Mentally prepare not to be surprised by a whole lot here.
Along with the somewhat unoriginal theme choice, players, once again, get a different version of the ever-popular, ever rehashed 'Book' game mechanics. It's not a straight-out copy though. Pragmatic has added a feature to flesh out the game, giving the whole package a certain charm that may appeal to certain players, or moods.
The game loads up to reveal the usual 5-reel, 3-row grid surrounded by pyramids, deserts, and blue skies. If you've played an Egyptian themed slot, you'll know the scene by heart. The music is a highlight, jamming a jazzy Arabic tune through the base game, reaching a crescendo during the bonus round. The audio is capped off by a blast of very un-Egyptian, cancan type music to celebrate to when bigger wins occur which admittedly is a bit weird. The overall effect is quite spritely, with a palpable physical slot vibe going on.
Playable across all devices from 25 p/c up to $/€125 per spin, players will find 8 regular pay symbols, split 50/50 between high and low. Lows are J-A royals decorated with tiny little Egyptian decals like pharaohs for fun. High pays are your staple Egyptian iconographies such as Ankhs, serpents, rings, and Anubis. The jackal-headed god is the most valuable at 20 times the stake for five of a kind. As far as 'Book' slots go, symbol values tend to the low side which might influence whether you choose to play the game or not.
Played using 25 paylines, you get more than double the amount of paylines here compared to the traditional 'Book' slots. At least three of a kind is needed, left to right on adjacent reels from the leftmost reel. The pharaoh symbol plays a supporting role in this task as the wild. For one, it pays the same as the premium Anubis symbol, while also being able to substitute for any regular symbol to help form a winning combination. The wild may appear in any position on the reels.
Before charging in like a thirsty camel at an oasis, pause a moment to reflect on the math model powering the game. On loading, Pragmatic Play's lightning bolt meter reveals a 3.5/5 rating, or medium volatility, as the developer puts it. The other part of the equation is RTP, which sits at a decent level of 96.5%, so nicely in the average spectrum. However, this number can be significantly lower depending on where you play.
Pyramid King paid fairly frequent during testing, but it could be tough going at times. The features did offer a level of balance and Pyramid King has a bit more going on than you typically find in 'Book' style slots. Let's cover the less orthodox feature first.
Take a look above the reels to discover the jackpot amounts Pyramid King provides - depending on stake value. There are 3 up for grabs; none are progressive, so the prizes are fixed. They are: Minor worth 30 times the stake, Major worth 100 times the stake, and Grand worth 1,000 times the stake.
To win them, you'll need the camel tiles to land. These are money symbols and at least 6 in view trigger the money respin feature. This feature starts after all win combinations from the lines are paid out. Then, normal symbols fade away, leaving the money symbols that triggered the feature, locked in position. Players get 3 respins and if a new money symbol lands then respins are reset back to 3.
Money symbols have random cash values attached or the Minor or Major Jackpots on them. When respins run out, the total of the money spins in view plus any Minor or Major Jackpots are paid. If you manage to fill the grid with 15 money symbols, you will be awarded the Grand Jackpot.
Instead of a book symbol, the bonus symbol is a scroll which appears on reels 1, 3, and 5. When all 3 are in view, they pay 1x the stake and award 10 free spins. Before the round begins, one special expanding symbol is selected at random from the 8 regular pay symbols.
Whenever this symbol lands, after the payout of regular symbols, it expands to cover the full reel. The special symbol pays out anywhere, even on non-adjacent positions. Should players land three or more scrolls during the round, then 10 more free spins are awarded - with no limit.
It can be hard to get too excited about another 'Book' type slot, but let's go for a balanced critique. If you've played one, then you'll have a good idea of what to expect and Pyramid King doesn't surprise in that regard. In a nutshell, Pyramid Kind is sort of a watered-down, less rewarding version of John Hunter and the Book of Tut. Symbol values are lower, the math model less vicious, but there are money respins plus jackpots on the side.
The overall vibe Pyramid King gives off is a classic, physical machine one. There’s something about the game's look, the quality of its symbols, and the matching sound effects. It all adds up the kind of Ancient Egypt action you'd find down at your local arcade.
If you're in the mood for this style of play, then Pyramid King could be just the ticket but don't expect it to be anywhere near as exciting as Book of Dead or Book of Ra Deluxe if you're used to playing those slots. As mentioned, the volatility is much lower and so are the payouts which come capped at 1,000 times your stake here with the help of the jackpot, or 200 times your stake for a full screen of the top symbol during the bonus. It kind of goes without saying that there is nothing new, or super exciting here to rush to your nearest operator and check out.
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