Why gamers love the Cleopatra and Sphinx slots
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Cleopatra was introduced in live casinos as a five-video reel, a 20-payline game with an Egyptian theme. Reel symbols included scarabs, the Eye of Horus and, of course, Cleopatra.
Two Sphinx symbols bring a scatter pay — you win even if the symbols aren’t on consecutive reels. Three or more Sphinxes take you to a free-spin bonus.
In Sphinx, slot players have been happily exploring the mysteries of ancient Egypt since 1998. Sphinx was one of the first video slots with a two-tiered bonus round, kicking the fun up a notch from the first second-screen bonuses.
In the Sphinx bonus event, the second screen takes players into the Pharaoh’s tomb where they must choose their path. The right choice leads to the inner sanctum, where more selections bring bigger bonuses.
Players loved it from the start, leading to sequels including Sphinx II, Sphinx Magic and Sphinx 3D.
Sphinx II is basically the same game with the same mysterious, two-level bonus, but adds two-way wagering — increase your bet, and you can line up winning combinations from right to left, as well as the traditional left to right.
Atronic built further on that with Sphinx Magic, adding another bonus round for a progressive jackpot.
Just before the merger with IGT, GTECH rolled out Sphinx 3D, which features some amazing three-dimensional video. And now, adding a dimension of touch, there’s Sphinx 4D, which I wrote about a few weeks ago from Global Gaming Expo.
The Egyptian themes of Cleopatra and Sphinx didn’t have to be licensed, and they’ve resonated with players for most of two decades. The theme is important, but far more important is what the game designer does with the theme, its bonuses and game math.
