Queen of the Nile Pokie Machine
It has spawned a couple of big-budget sequels, as well as a few imitators, but the original Queen of the Nile pokie is still a favourite of many old-school gamers. Produced by pokie developer par excellence Aristocrat, the legendary title first appeared in traditional land-based casinos in the late ’90s and can now be played at both bricks-and-mortar gambling dens and online hubs.
This classic low-variance video pokie promises pleasant pay-outs and enjoyable gameplay themed around the mystery-shrouded world of Ancient Egypt. If you like your pokie games to have a historical theme, you could do a lot worse than the Queen of the Nile series, the original title of which boasts 20 pay-lines and a maximum reward of 9,000 coins.
The Aristocrat company has gradually built one of the finest collections of pokies in the gaming market, but the lure of returning to an old classic is obvious. Let’s break it down.
Egyptian Symbols
As you might expect from a pokie with an Ancient Egypt theme, the symbols in the game are artefacts from that hallowed period. Thus, there is a scarab, flowers, a gold ring and – of course – the sultry Queen of the Nile. There are also symbols from the standard deck, which include 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King.
Egyptian Stakes
Egyptians were known for hoarding treasure, but the betting range of this pokie should suit both low and high rollers. Bets start at $0.01 per spin and rise to $3. The maximum number of coins that one is allowed to wager is 20. An autoplay feature allows you to set a betting range and relax as the reels spin of their own accord.
Queen Of The Nile
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Base Play
The object of the game is to win as much money as possible. What else is new, right? Excluding the theme, Queen of the Nile is not dissimilar to a great many five-reel, three-symbols-per-line pokies. All you need to know is that the wild symbol is Cleopatra (the eponymous “Queen”), that this occurs on every reel and that it substitutes for all symbols except the scatter. Utilise fair Cleo in a pay-line win and the pay-out is doubled.
The base game follows the pattern of a traditional 20-line pokie, with volatility coming in the form of the aforementioned wild symbols and a bonus feature that is triggered by three scatter symbols, which in this case are sun-dappled pyramids.
Free Games Galore
Like the wilds, the pyramid scatter symbols appear on every reel, maximising your chances of triggering free spins. All wins pay left to right except scatters, which pay on any alignment.
As stated, you encounter a free spins bonus round by hitting three or more scatters on any of the five reels. This fortuitous turn of events grants you 15 free spins and players can hope to re-trigger during this bonus round. All prizes, meanwhile, are tripled during free games. Considering the wild symbols already double your win, pay-outs during the bonus round are basically six times your base win.
Activating the free spins feature on this old-world pokie is pretty easy to do. But while it’s common to win plenty of free spins, the drawback is that it’s difficult to win big. Low to medium-sized wins are very much the order of the day. The generic return-to-player percentage, incidentally, is 94.88%.
Those wishing to go for the jugular will be pleased to note that Queen of the Nile includes a gamble feature. This is activated each time a winning combination is achieved, and players can decide whether to keep their hard-earned loot or stake the lot. If you go out on a limb and risk it all, you’ll have the chance to double or quadruple your lucre.
Not Quite The King
The original Queen of the Nile pokie laid down something of a blueprint for other games to emulate. Nowadays, you can’t help but consider the title a little dated when compared with modern equivalents – IGT’s Cleopatra springs to mind, as does Aristocrat’s Queen of the Nile Deluxe, which gives gamers the chance to win one of two jackpots during the free spins round.
That said, Queen of the Nile is right up some gamers’ street. Like all low-variance pokies, it offers the potential to win modest pay-outs frequently. The gameplay is strong, the theme entertaining and the bonus feature fun. Why not play for free to see if QOTN tickles your fancy?