The Egyptian genre remains as popular as ever in slots, while we sometimes see a new game based around the stylings of 1930s cartoons. So what would happen if these two disparate themes get mashed together? That’s what Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra is all about! The third game in Play’n GO’s Charlie Chance series has the mustachioed character end up in Cleopatra’s tomb, where a big cluster slot awaits. What’s next for this hapless hero? Find out by reading our in-depth Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra slot review, of course!
The black and white tomb of Cleopatra holds a 6x6 grid which, in turn, houses the game proper. Being a cluster slot means wins are formed by landing at least 5 matching symbols in vertically or horizontally adjacent positions anywhere on the grid. A cascade mechanic is in play, as winning symbols are removed from the grid and new ones drop in their place to potentially lead to even more wins. This process will repeat until there are no more winning symbols in view.
Gameplay is fairly relaxed as it moves at low volatility for this slot game, but we have to point out the variable RTP. We’ve seen this range from as high as 96.25% to as low as 84.23%, and even worse there’s no way to truly check the RTP of the version you’re currently playing. At least the betting range is quite generous, starting from £0.20 and reaching up to £100, making the game for both casual players and high rollers. In turn this is paired with a maximum win capped at 5,500x, which is decent enough for a medium volatility cluster slot.
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Play’n GO had already created an appealing 1930s cartoon visual style in the first two Charlie Chance slots, but it has managed to outdo itself in Curse of Cleopatra. The game combines both monochrome and coloured elements, with its black and white painted background featuring Cleopatra’s tomb. You’ll also meet Cleopatra herself as she dances on the right-hand side of the screen, while Charlie Chance is actually hidden in a chest in the bottom left-hand corner. Give him some time and you’ll spot his eyes as he opens the lid to take a peek!
Moving on to the symbols making the game, these come in a muted colour palette that suits the visual stylings quite nicely. There are 8 paying symbols, which are the high-paying cat, lotus, eye, and ankh, plus the low-paying hieroglyphs in green, blue, purple, and teal. The gold and amber scarabs are the wilds, which substitute for all symbols except the scatter. This is the animated Cleopatra symbol which can award with free spins if you land at least 3 anywhere on the grid.
Waves
5 - 0.1x / 6 - 0.15x / 7 - 0.2x / 8 - 0.25x / 9 - 0.5x / 10-11 - 1x / 12-14 - 1.25x / 15+ - 2.5x
Sceptre
5 - 0.15x / 6 - 0.2x / 7 - 0.25x / 8 - 0.4x / 9 - 0.75x / 10-11 - 1.25x / 12-14 - 2.5x / 15+ - 5x
Bird
5 - 0.2x / 6 - 0.25x / 7 - 0.4x / 8 - 0.5x / 9 - 1x / 10-11 - 1.5x / 12-14 - 3.75x / 15+ - 7.5x
Leaves
5 - 0.25x / 6 - 0.4x / 7 - 0.5x / 8 - 0.75x / 9 - 1.5x / 10-11 - 2x / 12-14 - 5x / 15+ - 10x
Ankh
5 - 0.5x / 6 - 0.75x / 7 - 1x / 8 - 1.5x / 9 - 2.5x / 10-11 - 4x / 12-14 - 10x / 15+ - 20x
Eye
5 - 0.75x / 6 - 1x / 7 - 1.5x / 8 - 2x / 9 - 3.5x / 10-11 - 5x / 12-14 - 25x / 15+ - 50x
Lotus
5 - 1.25x / 6 - 2x / 7 - 2.5x / 8 - 4x / 9 - 5x / 10-11 - 10x / 12-14 - 50x / 15+ - 125x
Cat
5 - 2.5x / 6 - 4x / 7 - 5x / 8 - 8x / 9 - 10x / 10-11 - 20x / 12-14 - 100x / 15+ - 500x
Like other modern Play’n GO slots, Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra is perfectly playable on any device, including smartphones and tablets. This is thanks to HTML5, which allows developers to build games that can run seamlessly on modern internet browsers on any size display. Of course, the bigger your screen the better you’ll be able to appreciate this game’s visuals.
Cleopatra’s tomb holds a full set of features for Charlie Chance to stumble into as you spin the reels of this game. There are three bonuses that can be activated on any random spin, while the free spins require you to land 3 or more scatters. There’s also a multiplier feature activated by consecutive cascades. With this in mind let’s take a closer look at what Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra has to offer:
You’ll notice the multipliers marked on the grid’s left-hand column. Get 3 consecutive cascades on the same spin and the 2x multiplier will be activated. If the total number of cascades reaches 6 on the same spin then the multiplier will grow to 3x. The multiplier resets back to 1x between spins.
Any random spin might activate the Cleo’s Columns feature. This synchronises a pair of adjacent reels to hold the same symbols. The two synced reels can randomly hold a Charlie’s Mega Symbol 2x2 in size. This will stick to the reels during any cascades before it transforms into a 2x2 Mega Wild able to substitute for all paying symbols.
A second random feature, this adds up to 8 scarab wilds to random positions on the grid. Wilds can substitute for all symbols except the scatter.
Any random non-winning spin may activate the Serpent’s Trail, which has the snake highlight a series of symbols on the grid. The highlighted symbols are then either destroyed or transformed into matching symbols before a cascade is triggered.
Landing 3 scatters awards you with 8 free spins, with any further scatters adding 4 free spins each to the total. The multiplier does not reset between free spins, and as it grows by +1 with 3 consecutive cascades it can reach up to 10x. Furthermore the Cleo’s Columns feature activates on every free spin, while the Flying Scarab Wilds and Serpent’s Trail can also be randomly triggered.
Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra brings not only a unique addition to the overpopulated Egyptian genre, but also an excellent cluster slot. The pairing of the cascades with multipliers can boost the win potential, while the random features kick in regularly to add to the excitement.
Add some excellent visuals and audio and you’d be all set for a perfect game if it weren’t for one flaw - the variable RTPs. We’re all for transparency here at Gambling Zone and, alas, Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra fails to deliver in this aspect. Still, other than that Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra is a tremendous game that will not fail to delight and entertain.
Rating: 9.0
Here are some questions we’ve been asked about Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra: