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Editor’s note: This game is still in development, and its soundtrack is being finalized. We plan to review Scepter of Anubis again upon full release.

Stockholm-based Quickspin has a track record of crafting well-received slots set in far-off lands, particularly in Asia, with titles like Eastern Emeralds, Eastern Emeralds Megaways, and the Sakura Fortune series. Their latest release, Scepter of Anubis, takes a different cultural direction, reimagining the Egyptian theme while borrowing gameplay elements from Sakura Fortune Epic Bloom. At its core, this is a reskin, incorporating the full-reel wild and respin mechanics that made the cherry blossom-themed series popular.

Visually, Scepter of Anubis starts off less striking than its predecessor. While Sakura Fortune Epic Bloom burst onto the screen in a flurry of vibrant pink petals, Scepter of Anubis presents a more subdued take on ancient Egypt. The background features distant pyramids and scattered palm trees, which are serviceable but not particularly awe-inspiring. Initially, it doesn’t feel like a game that Quickspin poured its heart into, though with time, the experience gradually becomes more engaging.

Scepter of Anubis: Gameplay & Mechanics

From a mathematical standpoint, Scepter of Anubis remains largely unchanged. The game’s top-tier RTP sits at 96.06% when betting between $0.10 and $/€100 per spin, but it increases slightly to 96.34% when the Extra Bet is activated.

• Extra Bet Feature: Costs 2x the base bet but boosts the chances of landing Anubis Wilds and triggering free spins or super free spins.
• Game Structure: Played on a 5×4 grid with 40 paylines, forming wins from left to right.
• Volatility: Scepter of Anubis is a highly volatile slot, meaning potential for big wins but also high risk.

Symbols & Payouts

The game’s paytable features a mix of classic Egyptian imagery:

• Low-paying symbols: Four winged scarabs in different colors, awarding 1x the bet for a 5-of-a-kind (5OAK) win.
• Medium-paying symbols:
  • Bird statue, Sphinx statue, Horus, and Sobek, paying 2x to 3x for 5OAK.
• High-paying symbol: A golden pharaoh, awarding 10x the bet for a 5OAK combination.

With its balanced payouts and progressive bet mechanics, Scepter of Anubis offers a blend of familiar yet refined Egyptian-themed slot action.

Scepter of Anubis: Features & Bonus Mechanics

Like its Sakura Fortune-inspired predecessor, Scepter of Anubis comes packed with full-reel nudging wilds, respins, free spins, super free spins with multipliers, and two bonus buy options to amp up the action.

Anubis Wild & Respins

• Anubis Wilds are fully stacked symbols that substitute for all regular symbols except scatters and appear on all reels.
• Landing a line of 5 wilds pays 20x the bet.
• Anubis Wilds also double as scatters—when one lands, it may nudge to cover the entire reel.
• Triggering Respins:
  • A fully expanded Anubis Wild activates the respins feature.
  • 1 full Anubis Wild grants 1 respin.
  • Additional Anubis Wilds add +1 respin each.
  • Respins continue until no new Anubis Wilds land.

Free Spins

• Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols or Anubis Wilds awards 8, 12, or 16 free spins, respectively.
• During free spins, every Anubis Wild expands to cover its reel and remains sticky for the entire feature.
• Each newly expanded Anubis Wild triggers the respin feature and adds +1 free spin.

Super Free Spins

• If a super scatter lands on reel 5 alongside at least 2, 3, or 4 scatters/Anubis Wilds, 8, 12, or 16 super free spins are awarded instead of regular free spins.
• Key Difference: When one or more Anubis Wilds fully expand during super free spins, they gain a multiplier of x2, x3, x5, or even x100.
• If a new Anubis Wild lands on a respin, a greater or equal multiplier is applied.

Gamble & Feature Buy

• If free spins or super free spins are won with fewer than 5 triggering symbols, players can gamble for a shot at winning up to 16 free spins or super free spins.
• Losing the gamble forfeits the entire bonus round.
• Free spins cannot be gambled to upgrade into super free spins, and vice versa.

Bonus Buy Options

• Regular free spins cost 80x the bet (RTP: 96.74%).
• Super free spins cost 160x the bet (RTP: 96.65%).

With its expanding wilds, sticky respins, and high-stakes multipliers, Scepter of Anubis delivers a thrilling Egyptian adventure packed with powerful win potential.

Scepter of Anubis: Slot Verdict

Scepter of Anubis delivers a solid, if not groundbreaking, experience. At first glance, the base game visuals might not be the most dazzling, but over time, the art direction opens up, revealing Quickspin’s signature attention to detail. The studio’s art team has long been a strength, and while the visuals hold up well, the audio was less impressive during testing—with Scepter of Anubis seemingly using the same soundtrack as Sakura Fortune Epic Bloom. Hopefully, this will be updated before the game’s full release to give it a more distinct identity.

On the gameplay front, “reuse” is the key word. As a reskin, Scepter of Anubis follows in the footsteps of the Sakura Fortune series, focusing on landing full-reel wilds to trigger respins and potentially cover the grid in wilds. The biggest moment comes in the super free spins round, where multipliers kick in, adding high-stakes tension to the action. However, much like Epic Bloom, this system doesn’t feel like a major evolution over Sakura Fortune 2, which introduced higher winning potential and locking wild mechanics on a unique grid format.

That said, it’s difficult to argue against Scepter of Anubis’ solid 10,000x max win, and hitting the right multipliers in super free spins can lead to thrilling moments. While it doesn’t introduce anything truly new to the market, players who enjoyed Sakura Fortune Epic Bloom may find just as much, if not more, enjoyment here—especially if they prefer the Egyptian theme over the cherry blossom aesthetic.