Many game developers have sought inspiration from a variety of sources since video slots first appeared online several years ago.
Indeed, the Wildz video game library leans on a broad range of themes for inspiration - from popular culture, to cartoons, adventure, and of course, ancient civilisations.
Navigate the Wildz game library, and you'll discover titles spanning an array of genres like popular culture and cartoons, to outer space, adventure and more intriguingly, ancient civilisations.
Romans, Celts, Greeks, Mayans - you name it. They've all been brought back to life in digital format by one game developer or another. But there is one civilisation that has had a more profound impact on the online slot landscape than any other, responsible for some of the most popular creations of all time.
Plying their trade as far back as 5,000 BC, the Ancient Egyptians have long enchanted the world from the moment the breath-taking tombs at the pyramids of Giza were first discovered.
Tailor Made for Slots
It's not hard to see why Ancient Egypt represents such fertile ground for software houses. The unrelenting quest to unravel the mystery of this ancient people and unearth its hidden treasures is matched by our own ongoing lust for untold riches upon the slot reels.
How many archaeologists have experienced pure ecstasy at the discovery of an unopened sarcophagus - akin to landing a major jackpot on the reels? We'd wager a fair few down the years.
Players of all types regularly flock to Egyptian-themed games, allured by the majesty of that sacred land. Resplendent with abundant relics, awe-inspiring pyramids, sacred sarcophaguses and meandering tombs, the civilisation is unequalled in its captivating beauty and capacity to fire the imagination. Such a rich array of ancient relics provides game developers with a ready made toolkit that helps them recapture the splendour of Ancient Egypt in magnificent form across the reels.
To satisfy players' insatiable appetite for these games, countless developers have attempted to keep pace and approached the theme in a manner of ways. Nowadays there isn't one major slot provider without an Egyptian-themed game featured in their back catalogue, and we'll examine a few of the bigger titles below.
Charting the 'Book' Craze
Bookworm or not, you're sure to be spellbound by one game category in particular built around the land of the Pharaohs.
Transplanting a renowned slot from its land-based origins to the digital domain, developer Novomatic introduced us to 'Book of Ra' back in 2004. The game served as the blueprint for the wildly popular 'Book' category of games, going on to inspire scores of copycat titles over the proceeding years - while the original also spawned its own mini follow-up 'Deluxe' series.
John Hunter and the Book of Tut is a popular game developed by leading provider Pragmatic Play that sits in the category. The online slot invites you to join handsome adventurer John Hunter to discover the tomb of King Tut, assisted by free spins and expanding wilds.
Regal Ramses
Another game rich with free spins is Gamomat's Ramses Book, centred on an ancient manuscript that holds the key to unlocking ancient treasure. Expect to find the usual Egyptian fixtures on display, like hieroglyphs that adorn the walls, alongside iconic symbols including Bastet cats, God Horus and obelisks. Ramses Book also offers a Gamble option - a common feature of many category titles. This gives you the chance to double your money, or risk losing it all.
Ramses, incidentally, is considered the founding father of the 19th dynasty of Egypt, and the mummified royal is immortalised in other competing slots like Ramses Revenge. Set inside a rocky courtyard flanked by towering pillars, the 5 by 4 slot from Relax Gaming offers an abundance of features like Mystery Sandstorm, free spins and increasing multipliers, representing another fine choice for players seeking thrilling Egyptian adventure.
Back to the central theme, and we simply can't pass up a mention of one of the most popular slot games ever produced. Players could be mistaken for thinking Play'n GO's Book of Dead is a carbon copy of Book of Ra, imitating the game's features in more ways than one - but there are reasons aplenty why this game has found favour with so many slot aficionados.
With the intrepid Rich Wilde at your side, step inside the smash hit if the idea of plundering ancient tombs sounds like fun. Inspired by a collection of manuscripts designed to assist the unliving through the afterlife, Book of Dead has gone on to establish itself as a bona fide industry pillar, and often ranks as one of the most played game at Wildz.
While Book of Dead has gone on to enjoy unprecedented success, Book of Ra's influence has been felt so keenly across the industry that some more daring developers have even branched out and deftly applied the original 'Book' concept to other areas.
Branching Out
In August 2020, leading software provider Nolimit City surprised the world with their novel take on the Book category with the occult-flavoured Book of Shadows. Promising a maximum payout worth 30,338x, the game comes loaded with features like Lucky Locks, which lets players lock up to 4 reels in place with each spin, plus free spins that make use of Golden symbols to enhance your win potential.
The delightfully dark Book of Madness from Gamomat and Microgaming's Wizard of Oz-inspired Book of Oz are two further examples of games that push the category boundaries.
These refreshing titles put an original twist on the classic game category. Who knows, they may prompt rival game companies to don their creative caps and take the concept to broader genres.
Morbid Curiosity
The Ancient Egyptians were obsessed with the afterlife, and that fascination has been revived (no pun intended) in the slot realm thanks to the handiwork of game developers like Play'n GO through their aforementioned favouite Book of Dead, while another title in the provider's armoury, Rise of Dead, is an equally morbid affair.
The main event in Rise of Dead is Ancient Spins, activated by catching the Scatter across reels 1, 3 and 5. Achieve this and you've got yourself 10 free rounds.
Once in, the high paying symbols can expand to cover entire reels, while Mega Stacks also come into play, covering eight consecutive slot spaces to amplify your win opportunities.
Calling Cleopatra Fans!
Fans of another famous ruler are similarly catered for at Wildz, with a host of titles available that evoke the beauty of Cleopatra. Some may be surprised to learn this particular deity was not actually of Egyptian heritage, but in fact had her roots in Macedonian Greece. Nonetheless, there is a distinctly Egyptian flavour to titles such as Book of Cleopatra from Stakelogic and Red Rake Gaming creation The Asp of Cleopatra.
Notable Mentions
There are countless other top titles themed on Ancient Egypt vying for everyone's playing time, simply far too many to squeeze into this article. But we'd gladly tip our hat to a pair of rather unique titles..
Developed by leading content creator Yggdrasil, Valley of the Gods is one of the most impressive releases of recent times, boasting a host of innovative features and polished visuals.
The original became such a hit that the developer swiftly set about crafting a follow-up. Valley of the Gods 2 applies more of the same magic of its predecessor, while throwing in some innovative new elements that give off a true wow factor. The reelface even bears resemblance to a pyramid lay on its side - ramping up the authenticity to new heights!
One of the quirkier category offerings is brought to you once again Play'n GO, who set off a plucky leprechaun to the far away plains of Egypt to unearth lost treasure in Leprechaun Goes Egypt. The result is an entertaining mash-up that puts a fun twist on the theme.
Make use of a pair of bonus rounds, namely free spins, and a game that sees you guide the red-headed character through an Egyptian tomb.
It's fair to say those Ancient Egyptians have left quite an indelible mark on the online slot landscape. Come and discover infinite riches, absorbing culture and tempting allure of this revered people in our extensive line-up of Ancient Egyptian-themed slots today at Wildz.