Pharaoh’s Last Wish

Pharaoh's Last Wish: Slot Overview

As gamblers are no doubt aware, there are few pieces of the Earth as well trodden by casino game makers as Egypt. In this instance, we're joining software provider Relax Gaming as it sets the clock back several millennia to visit the land of tombs and pyramids. The last time the studio headed out this way was in the futuristic imagining Glyph of Gods, though a detour into the handsomely recreated world of Conquer Babylon since then helped sate the appetite for all things ancient. The current game, Pharaoh's Last Wish, is a more traditionally presented ancient Egyptian slot that brings together cluster pays and a progressive levels system.

By traditionally, we're talking about a gaming grid reclining on the sand before the River Nile, palm trees, and a couple of pyramids off in the distance. Columns line the sides of the screen, and the reels are held in a smartly carved stone structure. All rather commonplace imagery, but not hard on the eyes. Free spins are held inside a dimly lit space with Anubis holding scales on one wall, two characters on the other side, and it is unique enough to make the bonus round feel just that little bit more special.

Pharaoh's Last Wish's gaming grid is available in two states – 6x5 is the starting size, but when reaching Level 5, an extra row is added to the reels. It's a cluster paying slot that forms winning combinations when 5 or more matching symbols are connected anywhere on the grid. A cascade feature takes winning symbols off the board and drops symbols down for another chance to win. Highly volatile, the math model produces an RTP of 96.1%, and the game takes bets of $/€0.20 to $/€100. An Enhanced Spins option increases the stake by 50% when activated to increase the chance of triggering free spins. This option is only possible once Level 5 has been reached in the main game.

Flowy J-A card ranks are Pharaoh's Last Wish's low pay symbols, while its high pays are lotus flowers, ankhs, scarabs, a queen, and a pharaoh symbol. When the grid has fully expanded to 6 rows high, the largest clusters of 36 OAK are worth 2,000x to 10,000x the bet. Till then, a 30 OAK winning cluster is worth 50x to 300x the stake. When wilds are present on the grid, they are able to substitute for any paying symbol.

Pharaoh's Last Wish: Slot Features

The list of Pharaoh's Last Wish's features includes symbol progression, multiplier, free spins, and a feature buy.

Level Progression

Pharaoh's Last Wish has five levels of progression. To get to the next level requires collecting a certain number of winning symbols. These are the levels, and their feature effects when they trigger.

• Level 0 - No additional features are present at the start of the game.
• Level 1 (Collect 80 symbols) - The Colossal Symbol feature is added, which can randomly land on any spin. Colossal symbols are 2x2 -4x4 in size and can be any regular pay symbol. They may land fully or partially in view.
• Level 2 (Collect 100 symbols) - Adds the Symbol Destroy feature. At least 5 non-winning pay symbols will be destroyed, creating space for a cascade. Colossal symbols can be affected. Pharaohs are not chosen.
• Level 3 (Collect 120 symbols) - The Extra Wilds feature is added. Between 3 and 5 wilds are randomly placed on the reels. They do not cover existing wilds or scatters.
• Level 4 (Collect 140 symbols) - Adds the Symbol Transform feature. All instances of at least 5 random pay symbols are transformed into a random higher-paying symbol. Could be Colossal symbols, but not pharaoh symbols.
• Level 5 (Collect 180 symbols) - The game is played on a 6x6 grid. Scatter symbols can appear on all reels.

Multiplier

There is a chance of winning multipliers of x2 to x100 on each spin.

Free Spins

Landing 3 scatters triggers 10 free spins with a starting win multiplier of x1. Free spins can only trigger from Level 5. All features are available during the round. Scatter symbols are collected when they land. When 4 scatters are collected, +5 free spins are granted, and the multiplier will increase when the current level is complete. The multiplier is x1 at Level 1, x2 at Level 2, x5 at Level 3, and x10 at Level 4.

Feature Buy

From the base game, players can buy into the free spins round by paying 75 times their stake.

Pharaoh's Last Wish: Slot Verdict

Pharaoh's Last Wish joins the growing list of slots that require players to sit patiently through the base game in order to level up and access the game's features. This isn't a cluster-paying slot like Reactoonz, for example, which can unleash any of its weapons on any spin, provided enough wins charge the meter. Pharaoh's Last Wish's progression is a slower, steadier process that players can monitor as winning symbols fill the meter above the reels and features are unlocked one by one. In addition, it's not even possible to organically trigger free spins until Level 5 has been reached, which is different, let's politely say.

Good different or not comes down to whether players have the motivation and patience to wait it out. Winning symbols are required, and there is no saying how long that will take. Furthermore, trying to get a natural free spins trigger was excruciating, with countless two scatter teases. Will players want to continue the slog after managing to trigger free spins? Maybe if the bonus round result was a good one, and Pharaoh's Last Wish can hit 10,000x, the desire will be strong. If the result was poor to medium, will the thought trigger positive feelings of conquest, or depressive resignation? Or, maybe something in between.

If you like the idea of a drawn-out bout of symbol collection and feature unlocking, and have time and patience on your hands, then Pharaoh's Last Wish might appeal. It is different, but the question of how warmly the start-stop grind will be received hangs over the game like a heavy slab of granite held precariously in place by cobwebs.