Wild Scarabs from Microgaming: Slot Review - the golden sands of Egypt awaits!

Ancient Egypt is a theme that has been explored countless times before by many software studios across the world. This latest release from top software provider Microgaming is of course inspired by ancient Egypt but shifts the attention more on the winged insects known as scarabs than all the usual stuff such as pyramids and mummies. Legend has it that these gilded scarabs will lead you to tombs filled with treasure and riches beyond your imagination but only if you follow them very closely. Will chasing a scarab all around ancient Egypt lead to a fortune? Read on to find out!

Wild Scarabs is a 5 reel slot with 243 ways to win that comes with Free Spins, Wild Symbols, and a Wild Deal feature.

Special Features

The first feature to highlight is that this game features a massive 243 ways to win! Wins are formed on the reels when you form adjacent symbol combinations from left to right. Only the highest winning combination is awarded per symbol combination. With so many ways to create winning combos, the scarabs in this game will almost certainly lead you to hidden treasure in no time at all!

The Wild symbol is represented by an image of a gold scarab. This symbol substitutes for all other symbols apart from the Scatter to help form winning combinations. When the Wild symbol lands on the middle reel on any non-winning spin in the main game then you will trigger the Wild Deal feature. In this feature, 4 extra Wilds are added to the reels to guarantee you are awarded a nice cash payout.

The Scatter symbol is denoted by an image of an orange gem displayed in a golden frame. Land 3 or more of these symbols anywhere in view and you will trigger the Free Spins bonus game. Once activated, you will be awarded 10 Free Spins and Wilds that are part of non-winning spins are collected and when you have 3 then they will be put back onto the reels to give you a guaranteed win. These special Wilds are known as Stashed Wilds. Free Spins continues until all Wilds have been stashed and then awarded.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

The presentation of the game is superb as it is set in ancient Egypt with lots of gleaming white pyramids in the background, a valley surrounded by lush green trees, and a clear blue sky overhead. Symbols feature bold 3D designs and consist of a Wild Scarab, a bunch of colourful gems, and various Egyptian iconography including the Eye of Ra, Anubis, Horus, and an Ankh. The animations are crisp as symbols zip up and down and pop brightly when part of a winning combination on the reels. I especially like when you trigger the Free Spins feature how the background changes to a glittering night-time setting.

The music is of the epic variety and features a soaring soundtrack. It ties in really well with the Egyptian theme of the game.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game features 243 ways to win, an above-average RTP of 96.28%, and a maximum payout worth 1,733X your initial stake.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, 1.20, 1.40, 1.60, 1.80, 2.00, 2.20, 2.40, 2.60, 2.80, 3.00, 3.20, 3.60, 4.00, 4.40, 4.80, 5.00, 5.20, 5.60, 6.00, 7.00, 8.00, 9.00, 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.00 18.00, 20.00, 22.00, 24.00, 26.00, 28.00, 30.00, 32.00, 36.00, 40.00, 44.00, 48.00, 52.00, 56.00, 60.00

Based on a bet of 0.20:

• Orange Gem Scatter Symbol: 0.20 for 2X, 0.40 for 3X, 2.00 for 4X, 20.00 for 5X
• Gold Scarab Wild Symbol: 0.50 for 3X, 2.50 for 4X, 7.50 for 5X
• Horus Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 1.25 for 4X, 3.00 for 5X
• Anubis Symbol: 0.30 for 3X, 0.75 for 4X, 2.50 for 5X
• Ankh Symbol: 0.25 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 2.00 for 5X
• Eye of Ra Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.40 for 3X, 1.25 for 5X
• Red Gem Symbol: 0.15 for 3X, 0.30 for 4X, 0.75 for 5X
• Yellow Gem Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.25 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X
• Cyan Gem Symbol: 0.08 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.40 for 5X
• Sky Blue Gem Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.40 for 5X
• Dark Blue Gem Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X
• Purple Gem Symbol: 0.03 for 3X, 0.12 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X

Our Verdict on Wild Scarabs

This game comes from leading software developer Microgaming and is a very fun and simple slot to play. Wild Scarabs features breathtaking graphics, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a nice range of bonus features to keep everyone happy. The ancient Egypt theme has been explored many times before but this game stands out from the rest thanks to it's innovative ‘Wild Deal’ feature which guarantees you a win once activated. The Free Spins feature is also highly rewarding and it’s just fantastic that you can store up Wilds to ensure guaranteed wins on the reels. Variance-wise, I found this game to be Low so you will notice that wins occur on a regular basis but the payouts do tend to be quite small. Although having said that, it does have a massive top prize worth 1,733X your stake! For slots with a similar ancient Egypt theme, check out Tut's Twister and Valley of the Gods.

Let the gilded scarabs guide you to troves of treasure when you play Wild Scarabs!