Cleopatra may have been the most beautiful thing that Egypt ever produced – but it is the gold buried deep beneath the tombs of the Ancient Pharaohs that drives pot hunters there in droves to try and procure their fortunes. This pokie version of Cleopatra from the 888 Casino is certainly no different, and plenty of pot hunters have enjoyed seeking their fortune here since the game's creation. Cleopatra II is the second, newer version of the eternally popular Cleopatra slot machine from IGT. While these two machines share the same name, they are actually quite different in terms of their actual gameplay.Beyond the requirements for achieving a bonus round and the high-risk, high-reward nature of both games, they are effectively entirely unique games.
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It would be unusual for anybody to hear the name Cleopatra and not have some image of her rule in Egypt. Cleopatra is one the best-known historical figures around the world. She’s even been the subject of many modern works of fiction and nonfiction, further adding to her renown.
With a namesake inspired the Egyptian ruler, the slot machine franchise by IGT is fittingly one of the most recognized and popular around the world as well.
The main jackpot in the Cleopatra slot machine is the generous prize pool of 10,000 coins, and you can get it if 5 wilds appear on the reels when you make the maximum bet. The second-highest jackpot is 2,000 coins that you can earn by matching 4 Cleopatra icons on the reels. This is a fantastic new online pokies game, similar to many of the popular aussie poker machines you will find in your local pub or casino. However the interface is starting to look old and better options to try may be Ancient Egypt and Cleo’s Gold. This game can simply be downloaded and play free pokies. Cleopatra, 7.8 out of 10 based on 4.
Cleopatra slot machines have a distinct Egyptian theme, complete with classic Egyptian symbols and easily recognizable sounds and music. The original slot machine game, known simply as Cleopatra, became so widely played that a direct sequel to it was also created.
Cleopatra II and its predecessor are very similar in most ways. Both games are played with five reels and three spots per reel. Both games also offer a similar bonus game where a player can earn free spins with a multiplier.
The reel symbols, while all clearly Egyptian, are how players might be able to tell the two games apart.
Cleopatra: the symbols
Cleopatra uses a variety of classic icons most people would instantly recognize as Egyptian, but would otherwise know very little about.
- The Eye of Ra is the least lucrative of the Egyptian symbols that can be hit. Shown on a red background, it looks like an open eye facing forward with eyelashes extending from the bottom.
- The Crook and Flail has a yellow background. This symbol is the two tools, which both look like extravagant sticks, crossing each other.
- The Cartouche symbol has a blue background. A cartouche is an oval-shaped space that Egyptians used to contain their hieroglyphs; the reel symbol represents that.
- The Lotus and the Scarab are the two remaining and highest paying unique symbols in this game. The Lotus flower appears on a purple background and is shown as a group of three flowers. The Scarab is displayed on a green background. This symbol, predictably, looks like a beetle.
Cleopatra II does away with all of these symbols and opts for a slightly more uniform set. Instead of picking a seemingly random group of important Egyptian icons, Cleopatra II’s unique reel symbols are each the heads classic Egyptian depictions of their own gods.
- Anubis resembles a jackal.
- Bastet is the symbol that looks most like a cat.
- Horus is a bird, perhaps a falcon.
In addition to these, each game also has a Cleopatra symbol. This symbol not only represents the top of the paytable, but also serves as a wild for all of the other symbols. As a wild, it can support the winning combinations of which it’s a part with a 2x multiplier.
Needless to say, having many Cleopatra symbols appear across the reels is the easiest way to win a lot of money.
The Sphinx symbol is the key to winning lots of money in the Cleopatra slot machines. Depicted as a lion’s body with the head of a human, having at least three of this symbol appear anywhere across the five reels will initiate the bonus game.
Big bonus wins
In Cleopatra, the bonus game is triggered when at least three of the five reels feature a Sphinx symbol. There is also an initial payout that depends on how many of the Sphinx symbols appeared on the spin that triggered the bonus game, up to 100x the bet for having all five reels show a Sphinx.
The bonus game starts with 15 free spins; each spin is given a 3x multiplier. It’s possible for a player to continue earning more free spins during the bonus game by landing three or more Sphinx symbols on a spin — the same requirement for having initially triggered the game.
Cleopatra II ramps up the potential for big wins in its bonus game. Just like in its predecessor, Cleopatra II’s bonus game is triggered with at least three Sphinx symbols scattered across the five reels. Having more than three such symbols still results in a larger win on the triggering spin as well.
Cleopatra II bonus game
Unlike Cleopatra, Cleopatra II awards a variable amount of free spins during its bonus game: between five and 20. When the bonus game starts, the player will select from three thematically shaped sarcophagi each containing a different number of spins. The selected sarcophagus — shaped like a Scarab, an Eye of Ra, or an Ankh (an excitingly flavorful way for the game to begin) — opens to reveal the number of spins the player is awarded at the start of the bonus game.
The more Sphinx symbols on the spin that triggered the bonus game, the higher the amount of free spins that can be initially awarded in this way.
The unique aspect of the game happens at this point. Each spin in the bonus game has its own multiplier, determined by how many spins have already occurred during that iteration of the bonus game. The first spin has a 1x multiplier (like a normal spin in the game), and each subsequent spin will increase the multiplier by 1x.
So the second spin will have a 2x multiplier, the third spin will have a 3x multiplier, and so on. If a player lands three or more Sphinx symbols during the bonus game, the game will award additional free spins in the amount that was initially chosen from the sarcophagus. In this way, a player can have spins with a 30x, 40x, or even 50x multiplier attached to it.
Understandably, the bonus games in Cleopatra slots are not easy to trigger. With the infrequent potential for impressive wins, Cleopatra slots tend to have relativelyhigh variance.
Gamble, gamble
The highly volatile nature of Cleopatra slots may deter some players, but slot gamblers are likely to embrace them. Recognizing that fact, many US casinos offer Cleopatra and Cleopatra II in their high limit slot machine rooms.
At a $1 machine with 20 lines, players can risk up to $20 per spin. While this can lead to considerable losses fairly quickly, just one trigger of the bonus game can lead to wins even more substantial. Either way, this fast action and drama certainly attract slot gamblers.
Cleopatra machines combine an attractive theme, solid gameplay and mechanics, and some unique aspects to create an immersive gambling experience. There are few slot machine options that can meet or exceed what Cleopatra machines offer.
So long as willing customers are still looking to gamble, Cleopatra slot machines will have a place in casinos for those customers to try their luck.
Image credit: Emily Marie Wilson / Shutterstock.com
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She may well be remembered as portrayed by a young Elizabeth Taylor, but there’s a lot more to Cleopatra than the legend would have you believe.
She was the last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, before it fell under the guardianship of the Roman Empire.
Her story is recorded in documents throughout history and also on film, and now you can experience IGT’s take with its hugely popular Cleopatra slot.
Progressive jackpot fans will also be glad to know that a Mega Jackpot’s progressive version of the game exists, with a jackpot running regularly at hundreds of thousands, if not millions.
In this review however, we are running the rule over the standard version.
Overview: Cleopatra Slot
Cleopatra is a typical 5×3 reel slot that offers a choice of one, five, nine, 15, or 20 paylines in operation on every spin.
You can increase the size of your bet on each line from $0.01 up to a maximum bet of $20, which gives you a minimum bet of $0.01 and a maximum bet of $400 per spin.
It comes complete with clever soundtrack of Egyptian music set to different drum beats on each spin, which keeps you intrigued. There’s the usual playing card lows (nine through to ace) with a number of Egyptian artifacts operating as the in-game high symbols.
Who will the Cleopatra slot appeal to?
Africa, Egypt and ancient history are surprisingly popular slot machine themes, so there is absolutely no reason why Cleopatra should not be one of these slots. And, indeed, as slot punters have shown, the game is incredibly well-liked.
The simple gameplay mean fans of New Jersey online slots will love every aspect of the game. There’s a free spins round, as well as a wild symbol.
With a good combination of sizes of wins in the base game available, there’s plenty to attract both lower stakes and higher stakes players. All in all, if you love slot games, then it’s likely you’ll love Cleopatra.
Gameplay: Cleopatra Slot
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Initial impressions don’t reveal many differences between the Cleopatra slot machine and many other slot games, but as you dig a bit deeper, you discover that the little tweaks in the gameplay mean IGT has developed one of the best balanced and most enjoyable slots in recent times.
That starts with the interface.
There’s a huge choice of bets available which you can access by clicking on the coin size and number of lines. This means the slot will appeal to low stakes players as well as high rollers.
In addition to this, the sounds and graphics are very well done. The sound, in particular, enhances the gameplay and is one of the standout features.
The graphics can appear a little busy at times, but the Egyptian symbols have been realized beautifully and many of the most famous one (Eye of Horus, hieroglyphs and the scarab beetle) are included in the game.
What really catches the eye though is how the slotplays. Cleopatra is probably a medium to low variance slot, but can edge toward either of these options depending on how the machine is playing.
What that means is you can have periods were little happens and wins are scarce; however, you can also find periods when the machine pays out some excellent wins, even in just the base game.
For the bigger wins, you want to get into the free spins round. Three scatter symbols offer you entry to the free spins round where you can win considerably
more and trigger up to 180 free spins, with all wins coming with a guaranteed 3x multiplier.
Add to this the Cleopatra wild symbol, which pays double when completing payline wins, and you have all the ingredients for a beloved and fun slot.
Special features: Cleopatra Slot
Cleopatra wild
The queen herself is the wild symbol in the game, and not only does she replace all high and low symbols to create winning paylines, but when she does so, she also awards a 2x multiplier to any win she completes.
Land five of these symbols and you can win the biggest base game prize, too.
Deathmask scatter
Land three or more of these scatter symbols to open up the free spins round (see below), but in addition to that, the deathmask scatter also pays out if you land two or more across the reels.
Land five and you can win a very nice sum of money in addition to triggering free spins.
Free spins
The fantastic free spins round sees 15 free spins with a 3x multiplier initially awarded, but you can re-trigger free spins to gain a maximum of 180. This is the round where some of the biggest prizes in the game can be won and so it is well worth persevering in the base game to land a shot at the free spins prize.
What works?
Great base game
You can’t put a premium on fun when it comes to slots, and Cleopatra offers this by the bucketload. The base game is fast, entertaining, well-presented and usually offers a great balance of smaller and bigger wins to keep your bank balance topped up.
Wonderful free spins
The superb free spins round offers you 15 free spins, complete with a 3x multiplier. However, you can re-trigger free spins to earn up to 180 maximum.
The biggest wins are available in this part of the game.
Excellent sound
Although the graphics may be a little too busy at times, thesound effects on the Cleopatra slot really enhance the gameplay.
Egyptian music with different paced beats help keep you interested in the events on screen, while the tempo picks up when you land free spins.
What doesn’t?
Cluttered feel to symbols
Although the graphics for the high symbols are quite stylish and eye-catching, the playing card lows are a little over-embellished. The net result is five reels that often look cluttered, making it tougher to spot winning paylines than it needs to be.
Varying play
This could be viewed as a positive or a negative really, but the Cleopatra online slot game is very patchy. Some sessions see you handsomely rewarded; others can leave your bank balance beaten and battered.
Despite the varying play, the entertainment factor is always high.
Small payouts for low symbols
One thing to watch: As with many IGT slots, payouts for the low symbols for three or four across a payline are generally pretty small and many don’t cover the cost of your initial bet.
The scores
Graphics and soundtrack 3.5/5
The sound in the game is absolutely first rate and really helps the gameplay, but the graphics, especially on the low symbols, are a little too fancy and make identifying paylines more difficult than it should be.
That’s a shame as otherwise Cleopatra is presented quite beautifully.
Originality and creativity 2/5
You can’t really say that there is anything groundbreaking in the free Cleopatra slot. It’s a typical 5×3, 30-payline slot with a wild symbol and a free spins round activated by scatters. But Cleopatra certainly plays better than the vast majority.
Play value 4/5
This is a matter of choice and depends very much on whether you prefer low, medium, or high variance slots.
For this reviewer, Cleopatra spans the gap between low and medium variance games quite beautifully offering consistent small rewards, with a fair chance of a much bigger prize, especially during free spins.
Jackpot potential 3/5
With a base game jackpot of 10,000 coins, this is a slot that offers punters a chance to win some genuine money, especially if you are playing for more than $0.50 per payline.
However, even at lower levels, the chance to turn $0.01 into $100 is very tempting indeed.
Repeat play 5/5
When you combine all the factors of the Cleopatra slot, it’s one customers will flock to play time and time again. Certainly, that has been proven by the popularity of the slot in NJ online casinos today.
Total score 17.5/25
There’s lots to enjoy on the Cleopatra slot and only a few small drawbacks to nag at you.
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The variance may be an issue for some, but in general this is a superb slot that offers punters a fair game and a decent crack at landing a bigger cash prize.