The appetite for all things ancient sees no sign of slowing down with the IGT the latest developer to head to the desert courtesy of Sphinx Wild. This Egyptian-themed video slot is played using a 5 reel, 40 payline game engine and comes with surrounding wilds which can transform up to 10 symbols as well as a bonus round that offers a choice of free spin and multiplier combinations. Join the pharaohs from between 40p and £400 per spin.
Sphinx Wild started life in brick and mortar casinos and that style is maintained in this online version. The reels are set against a backdrop of palm trees, pyramids and the sands of Arabia. Joining the lower value playing cards are a collection of hieroglyphs.
They include an ankh cross, scarab beetle, gold ring and the eye of Horus. The most rewarding of the standard symbols is the dog god Bastet – land 5 of these in combination and you’ll get a 250 coin payout.
Joining the standard symbols is the Tutankhamun death mask which is the wild – land 2, 3, 4 or 5 of these and you’ll pocket 5, 15, 100 or 1,000 coins. Whenever the mask lands, it triggers the Surrounding Wild feature. All symbols adjacent to the wild will also become wild. You can turn up to 10 symbols wild here, creating some potentially very rewarding clusters.
Sphinx Wild also comes with a Free Spins Bonus feature which is triggered by landing 3, 4 or 5 of the desert scene scatter. As well as a prize equal to 3, 10 or 25 times your stake, you’ll also be given a choice of free spin and multiplier combinations.
If you get 3 scatters, your choices will be:
- 30 free spins with a 1x multiplier
- 15 free spins with a 2x multiplier
- 10 free spins with a 3x multiplier
- 7 free spins with a 5x multiplier
Trigger the feature with 4 scatters and the choices are:
- 40 free spins with a 1x multiplier
- 20 free spins with a 2x multiplier
- 15 free spins with a 3x multiplier
- 9 free spins with a 5x multiplier
Lucky enough to get 5 scatters? You’ll get:
- 60 free spins with a 1x multiplier
- 30 free spins with a 2x multiplier
- 20 free spins with a 3x multiplier
- 14 free spins with a 5x multiplier
Obviously, the more scatters you get, the more free spins you will win – you can also get 3 or more scatters during the feature to win even more free spins. There’s up to 600 free spins in total to be won! I would advise you to opt for the 5x multiplier option despite the low amount of free spins as a lucrative turnout with a 5x multiplier can help you achieve the maximum 5,000 times stake win available on each free spin.
This trip the desert is a potentially explosive one as the variance here is in the medium high range. Expect some spells as barren as the Sahara. You can really cash in whenever a wild lands, or even better if you manage to land multiple wilds on the same spin. The free spins round offers plenty of potential too thanks to the multipliers.
The field of ancient Egyptian-themed video slots is already very crowded. There’s always room for something that good though and Sphinx Wild certainly is. The design is clean and crisp and the Arabian-style backing track adds to the atmosphere.
Better still are the features – relatively simple they may be but they can certainly deliver plenty in the way of action. If you’re a fan of ancient adventure, then Sphinx Wild is certainly a game worth considering. If you like free spins and multiplier options, Playtech’s Sun Wukong is recommended.
