Gears of Horus: Slot Overview
Pragmatic Play’s “Gears of Horus” is a captivating online slot that fuses the ancient world of Egypt with a visionary Steampunk future. This innovative theme, while not entirely unprecedented—having been explored in titles like “Rise of Giza PowerNudge” by Pragmatic Play, Thunderkick’s “Pyramyth,” and “Nile Mystery DoubleMax” by Hot Rise Games—brings a refreshing twist to the conventional Ancient Egypt motif.
The game stands out for its imaginative use of technology to reimagine the Egyptian landscape. Essential to the aesthetic are the ever-present cogs, meshing seamlessly with a game grid that emits soft puffs of steam, adorned with enigmatic blue orbs and kinetic statues. The backdrop further amplifies this unique blend of past and future, showcasing pyramids reimagined as towering skyscrapers, aglow like beacons in the night. This setting evokes vivid scenes of ancient scribes busily working on stone tablets or papyrus sheets, meeting the demands of modern-day deadlines, their efforts ascending the hierarchical pyramid to leaders who may scarcely glance at them. It’s a dynamic, thought-provoking vision, suggesting a bustling, advanced society beneath the rule of a timeless regime, capturing the imagination with its intricate details and engaging narrative.
“Gears of Horus” operates on a cluster pays mechanism within a 6×6 grid, which has the potential to expand up to an 8×8 format. To form a winning cluster, a minimum of 5 identical symbols must be connected either horizontally or vertically. This slot accommodates bets ranging from 20 cents to $/€240 per spin, classified as highly volatile with an RTP (Return to Player) of 96.06%.
Each winning combination triggers the removal of successful symbols, allowing new ones to tumble into place from above. This can lead to subsequent wins, activating another tumble if a new winning cluster forms. In “Gears of Horus,” the largest achievable clusters consist of 15 or more identical symbols, although these clusters alone don’t offer substantial payouts without the boost from the free spins multiplier. The game features gem symbols in green, purple, blue, and red as its lower-value icons, and higher-value symbols depicted as pieces of Ancient Egyptian-inspired jewelry. A cluster of 5 identical symbols (5 OAK) pays out from 0.1 to 1 times the stake, while larger clusters of 15 to 64 identical symbols (OAK) can pay out between 5 and 100 times the bet. Wild symbols are present across all reels, capable of substituting for any symbol except the scatter, and match the value of the highest paying symbol when they contribute to a win.
Gears of Horus: Slot Features
In “Gears of Horus,” players witness the Ancient Egyptians’ prowess in construction as the game ingeniously incorporates this theme into its expanding gaming grid, triggered by consecutive winning tumbles. Additionally, the slot enhances gameplay with a rising multiplier during the free spins feature, which resets after each spin, and also includes a bonus buy option for eager players.
Random Wilds
The game ingeniously simulates construction progress: after each consecutive winning tumble, the grid expands—one direction at a time—downward, upward, to the right, and then to the left. Once the expansion reaches all four directions in the base game, the subsequent tumble introduces a random block of wild symbols on the grid, varying in size from a minimum of 2 wilds up to a maximum of 16 wilds. This expansion maximizes the grid to 8×8, maintaining this size until the end of the spin before resetting for the next round.
Free Spins
Securing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers 8, 12, or 20 free spins, respectively. Each free spin starts with a basic x1 multiplier, increasing with every tumble. The initial four tumbles within each spin randomly boost the multiplier by additional increments—x1, x2, x3, x4, or x5—applied to all wins during that spin. Upon concluding a free spin, the multiplier resets to x1, but landing more scatter symbols can retrigger extra free spins. The grid expansion mechanic mirrors that of the base game during free spins and resets with each new spin.
Buy Free Spins
For those looking to directly access the free spins round, the game offers a purchase feature at 100 times the current bet. This option guarantees the appearance of 3, 4, or 5 scatters to initiate the bonus round, with an RTP slightly adjusted to 96.02% for this bought feature. This blend of expanding mechanics, multipliers, and strategic feature buys in “Gears of Horus” delivers a compelling gameplay experience that pays homage to the architectural and inventive spirit of Ancient Egypt, reimagined through a futuristic lens.
Gears of Horus: Slot Verdict
“Gears of Horus,” a creation by Pragmatic Play, starts off on a high note, successfully crafting a captivating universe where the enigmatic ancient world of Egypt collides with the innovative realm of Steampunk. The soundtrack complements this blend perfectly, offering a hypnotic mix of traditional Egyptian slot music with a modern twist. Thematically, “Gears of Horus” hits the mark, presenting a coherent and engaging world.
However, when the gameplay kicks in, the slot doesn’t always live up to the initial excitement. The expanding grid feature, while promising, often doesn’t fulfill its potential for epic wins. Despite the possibility of expanding to a large grid, the cluster values tend to be on the lower side, and surprisingly, the game’s most lucrative clusters require 15 or more symbols, limiting the excitement for massive wins. Yet, the random appearance of a large wild block can momentarily elevate the experience, alongside the free spins round that introduces a win multiplier for added anticipation.
Despite these features, “Gears of Horus” doesn’t always soar to the heights expected of a Pragmatic Play slot. The game’s mechanics, including the resetting multipliers and grid expansion with each new spin and free spin, demand that everything aligns perfectly within a single round for substantial outcomes. This structure can lead to periods of gameplay that feel unrewarding, even when the grid is fully expanded or a multiplier is in play, potentially leading to a sense of stagnation.
Nonetheless, the unpredictable nature of slot games means that “Gears of Horus” could surprise players with significant wins, echoing the thrill of a daring inventor at work. While it may require patience and a bit of luck, the game has the potential to deliver remarkable moments, embodying the whimsical spirit of fortune that gamblers chase. In essence, “Gears of Horus” is a slot that might not consistently dazzle but has the capacity to unleash spectacular wins under the right conditions.