Play Cleopatra Gold

Cleopatra has been keeping slot developers busy for years, and Cleopatra Gold gives IGT's Egyptian queen a feature heavier outing. We get 5 reels, 20 paylines, several Cleopatra Wild symbols, the unusual Gold Spins mechanic and a Free Spins Bonus where Wild assisted wins become more valuable. Ancient Egypt isn't exactly short of slot adaptations, but this version has enough going on behind the gold lettering to avoid feeling like another quick trip past the pyramids. 

Ancient Egypt lends its sun-soaked backdrop to yet another title, with Cleopatra occupying center stage. Gold is the color of choice, as far as the reels go, while scarabs, the Eye of Horus, ceremonial objects and decorated card symbols fill out the paytable. The Pharaoh Scatter is another recognisably Egyptian face among the special symbols. 

The artwork sticks closely to the traditional Cleopatra style rather than trying to reinvent Egypt with unusual characters or modern effects. Rich golds, deep blues and jewel tones do most of the work, while animations become more noticeable when Cleopatra Gold symbols start moving into place for a Gold Spins trigger. 

We also get the expected Egyptian inspired audio, with dramatic sounds accompanying feature activity. There's plenty of gold here, perhaps unsurprisingly given the title, but the presentation stays clear rather than turning the reels into a jewellery counter after closing time. 

The lower end starts with the decorated card symbols, while Egyptian objects and the scarab occupy the higher positions. Cleopatra herself is the Wild and sits well above the regular symbols, giving these online slots style paytables a rather obvious royal hierarchy. 

• Cleopatra Wild: The regular Cleopatra symbol and the Cleopatra Gold variants substitute for regular pay symbols, but not for the Pharaoh Scatter. When at least one of these symbols substitutes in a base game win, that win is doubled. During the Free Spins Bonus, the same type of substituted win is tripled. 
• Pharaoh Scatter: Three or more Pharaoh symbols contribute towards triggering the Free Spins Bonus. The Pharaoh also pays independently, including from 2 matching symbols. 
• Cleopatra Gold: These special Cleopatra symbols are central to Gold Spins. A full reel of Cleopatra Gold symbols triggers the feature, and symbols can nudge by 1 or 2 positions to complete the required reel. 

Gold Spins 

Gold Spins can trigger during the base game or the Free Spins Bonus. The trigger comes when Cleopatra Gold symbols fill every position on a reel. If the symbols are close, they can nudge up or down by 1 or 2 positions to complete that reel. 

Once triggered, a new reel window appears above the reel that started the feature. Gold Spins begin on reel window 2, and as many as 3 reel windows can become active in a stacked arrangement. 

The feature can move between these reel windows depending on whether another qualifying full reel appears. A successful Gold Spin on window 2 can move the action to window 3, while a miss can send the feature down to window 1. Further qualifying reels can keep the sequence running. Once reel window 1 spins without another trigger, the feature ends. 

Bonus Scatter Collection 

Gold Spins also interact with the Pharaoh Bonus Scatters. If 1 or 2 Scatters appear during a base game spin or free spin that triggers Gold Spins, or during Gold Spins themselves, those symbols are collected in a bonus meter. 

Collecting 3 Bonus Scatters awards 10 free spins. Each additional collected Scatter adds another 2 free spins. 

The Free Spins Bonus begins only after the Gold Spins sequence has finished, so the two features can effectively feed into one another rather than competing for attention on the same spin. 

Free Spins Bonus 

Three or more Bonus Scatter symbols trigger the Free Spins Bonus. The first 3 award 10 free spins, while every additional qualifying Scatter adds 2 more. 

During the bonus, wins involving at least one substituting Cleopatra or Cleopatra Gold symbol are tripled. Gold Spins can still activate here as well, and Bonus Scatters collected through them can add further free spins. 

The bonus can also retrigger when another 3 or more Bonus Scatters appear during a free spin or a Gold Spins sequence connected to that spin. 

Just like its theme, Cleopatra Gold keeps the setup traditional with 5 reels, 3 rows and 20 paylines. Line wins are also designed from left to right, with the regular symbols forming combinations across consecutive reels. 

The interesting part starts once the Cleopatra symbols become involved. Wild substitutions can increase qualifying line wins in both the base game and bonus, while the Gold versions have the added job of creating full reel triggers. Those symbols can also shift into place before wins are assessed, so the final reel arrangement isn't always the one we first see. 

Gold Spins use their own reel windows, which are stacked above the original grid, with each window evaluated on its own. That gives the otherwise familiar 5 by 3 layout a much stranger second life once the feature starts climbing.

For something in the same general corner of the tomb, we'd look towards Egyptian themes and feature driven bonus rounds. 

• Cat Wilde and the Lost Chapter: We get another Egyptian adventure with Wild behaviour and expanding bonus mechanics, although Play'n GO takes the feature structure in a different direction. 
• Eye of Horus Gold Spins Megaways: Egyptian symbols return here alongside a Gold Spins theme, making the connection particularly obvious even though the Megaways setup changes the reel structure. 
• Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways: The mythology changes from Egypt to Greece, but we still get an ancient world setting with a feature rich bonus structure and plenty happening beyond straightforward line wins. 

We think Cleopatra Gold is much more interesting once the Gold Spins start doing their thing. The base layout is deliberately traditional, and there are only so many ways we can dress up 5 reels and an Egyptian queen before someone reaches for another scarab. The feature structure is where this one earns its place. 

Gold Spins moving between stacked reel windows make the game feel less static, while the Scatter collection system gives those sequences another purpose beyond their immediate wins. We also like the distinction between doubled Wild assisted wins in the base game and tripled ones during free spins. 

As far as online casino games go these days, this feels best suited to players who like recognisable paylines but don't mind the bonus rules getting a little busier once Cleopatra Gold fills a reel.