Of all the genres of video slots available on the web, there’s one which has spawned more games than any other. That genre is Ancient Egypt and the range of Ancient Egyptian-themed slots available is astonishing. Visit any online casino and you’ll be inundated with row after row of games all devoted to this singular theme. Why? That’s a mystery that may never be satisfactorily answered, for like a hidden Egyptian burial chamber concealed by the sands of time, the origins of Ancient Egyptian slots is hard to fathom.

The best guess is that when the first developers released a handful of Egyptian-themed slots, back when they were called fruit machines and were played as cabinets in casinos and bookmakers, other developers followed suit. Eventually, when slots transitioned from meatspace to the web, the Egyptian theme continued, with new software development houses springing up and each deciding to have a stab at releasing their own Ancient Egyptian-themed slot. Fast forward a few more years and we arrive where we’re at today, with a wealth of slots based around this enduring genre and nobody any the wiser as to why this is.

Ancient Treasure, Modern Pleasure

The first thing to know about Ancient Egyptian slots is that they’re not all good. That would be impossible. However if you’re discerning and pick out the best in class, more often than not from the best known developers, you’ll find some real gems. It can be dispiriting at times to encounter your umpteenth Cleopatra-themed slot with clumsy symbols and no sense of wonder or grace whatsoever. However, for every five crass Cleopatra slots you encounter, you’ll find one that transcends the genre and provides real fun, entertainment and enrichment.

Speaking of enrichment, there are some serious sums to be won from many of the Ancient Egypt-themed slots on the market, not least because there are a lot of Egyptian progressive slots. Again, it’s something of a mystery as to why this is the case, other than to observe that due to the sheer numeracy of Ancient Egypt slots in general, it was inevitable that there would be a bunch of progressive slots within this genre. Progressive jackpot slots might dispense huge sums, as is the case with Mega Moolah ISIS for example, but they’re not always the cleanest in terms of design. If you’re seeking a top-notch slot you can immerse yourself in for hours, or at least for long enough to escape the real world and lose yourself in the reel world, stick to the regular Ancient Egypt-themed video slots. The jackpots might be smaller but the enjoyment is exponentially greater.

Pyramids and Scarabs

If you’ve played a handful of Ancient Egypt slots – and if you’re a seasoned slots player that’s almost a given – you’ll know exactly what to expect from the remaining games within this crowded genre. Typically the same symbols recur in dozens of these games. Expect, therefore, to find a whole lot of hieroglyphics, scarab beetles, eye of horus, ra and other famous Egyptian gods. Although these symbols are used repeatedly and predictably, many of the games themselves display far more creativity, especially when it comes to the bonus games and other features that are built in.

The audio for Ancient Egypt-themed slots is the same Egyptian music you’ll hear in all these sorts of games – you’ll know it when you hear it – but the graphics in the best examples is far more diverse and creative. You’d be hard-pressed to find a developer out there who haven’t had a stab at releasing an Egyptian slot somewhere along the line, while many of these software companies have released several.

Take your pick from such titles as Egyptian Dreams, Egyptian Goddess, Egyptian Cobra, Crown of Egypt, Cleo Queen of Egypt and Egyptian Riches. Cleopatra is of particular fascination to these developers, possibly because she’s one of the few notable female monarchs from ancient times. The fact that she was possibly beautiful and the subject of several fascinating and enduring legends only adds to her allure.

Pharaohs and Tomb Raiders

Pharaohs are also big symbols in Ancient Egyptian slots. IGT has a fun game featuring one of Egypt’s great kings wearing some funky shades. Pharaoh’s Fortune is the name of the game and it comes with a cool audio that’s different to your average pharaoh themed slots in this category. Did I mention you can win up to 25 free spins with a 6x multiplier on your original bet? Other fun pharaoh slots include Ramses II, Gold of Egypt, Pharaoh’s Gold and Ramses Book.

There’s also the Indiana Jones-type explorer who appears in many an Ancient Egypt themed slot. These male and female explorers will help you search for riches in cursed tombs – but mind your step as there may be booby traps hidden along the way. Magic Stone, Treasures of Tombs, The Explorer’s Quest, the famous Book of Ra (a bit on it below) and Book of Dead are all great games to sink your teeth into.

By far, one of the most unique slots you’ll come across in this genre has to be Play‘n Go’s Leprechaun Goes Egypt, which as you’ve probably deduced incorporates two of the most popular themes, Irish and Ancient Egypt. Your mission in this quirky game is to guide the jolly red-haired leprechaun to a sacred pyramid where a 3,000-coin jackpot is waiting to be revealed.

The Best Ancient Egypt Slots

In Ancient Egyptian online slots, fans of the genre are better served than virtually any other style of game. The industry’s love affair with the theme is long and storied and is certainly not just an online occurrence. The theme started gaining traction and popularity among players in land-based casinos, with some leading releases going on to become bona fide classics in their own right. Perhaps the best example on an international scale is Book of Ra from Novomatic. The game is basic by modern standards but initially took Europe by storm before proceeding to become an international classic. It also single-handedly pushed Novomatic into the spotlight and saw them capitalise on the game’s undoubted popularity on a longer term basis through the launch of Book of Ra Deluxe, an updated and refined version of the game for a more widespread audience.

This template formed the backbone of Novomatic’s success and saw each of their popular titles entering the series in the same manner. Both versions of the game were converted for online play and can be found here at Mr Gamez. Alternatively, for player seeking out a more specific style of Ancient Egypt slots – specifically those inspired by Cleopatra – there’s an embarrassment of riches.

These games range from the classy to the sleazy, the latter applying to titles such as A Night With Cleo, in which the monarch appears to have been reimagined as an exotic dancer. Other games based around this subgenre include Cleopatra’s Gold, Cleopatra II, Cleopatra Queen of Slots and Cleopatra Plus. One thing’s for sure: if you’re a fan of Ancient Egypt slots, there are enough games listed here at Mr Gamez to keep you happily spinning reels for weeks.