Cleopatra Megaways: Slot Overview

Spend any time browsing the Ancient Egypt online slot category and you’ll soon notice there are loads—seriously, loads—of Cleopatra-themed titles. Not just games that happen to include a queen, but slots that literally have “Cleopatra” in the name. One of the best-known is simply called Cleopatra from software provider IGT (now owners of iSoftBet). That original later led to Cleopatra 2, and it’s now evolved into Cleopatra Megaways, a Megaways-spinoff from iSoftBet. With Big Time Gaming’s engine in the mix, you’d expect a modern touch, yet Cleopatra Megaways still manages to work in a couple of more traditional ideas too.

On the visuals front, Cleopatra Megaways looks sharper than its older relatives, though it’s not a total reinvention. You still get the classic-style pillars framing the grid, the familiar title font across the top, and plenty of Egyptian-flavoured symbols scattered throughout. Long-time fans should feel right at home, while newer players get a slot with some history behind it, presented with a more current, refreshed finish.

To begin, players can choose a stake that suits them, with bets running from 20 p/c to $/€20 per spin. Under the themed exterior sits a highly volatile math model offering a 96% theoretical return to player. In terms of layout, it follows the classic Megaways format: 6 reels with 2 to 7 symbols on each reel, changing from spin to spin. The number of symbols that land determines the available ways to win, with a top end of 117,649 active ways.

Winning symbols are cleared away via the cascading wins mechanic. New symbols fall in to fill the gaps, and if another win appears after the drop, the cascade continues again. When matching symbols connect from reel number 1 onwards across neighbouring reels, a cash prize is awarded. For a 6 OAK winning way, payouts range from 0.8 to 1.5 times the bet for the 9-A card royals, or 1.75 to 50 times the bet for the 4 theme-based premium symbols. The logo eyes symbol acts as a wild and shows up on reels 2 to 5. Wilds replace any pay symbol, and when they contribute to a win, the payout amount is doubled.

Cleopatra Megaways: Slot Features

The main attraction in Cleopatra Megaways is a Hold & Win Respins add-on, supported by Cleopatra Modifiers.

Cleopatra Modifiers

Any scatters that land are collected in the Offering Brazier and can set off one of 4 modifiers on any spin. These are:

• Wild Add – places 2 to 5 random wilds onto the grid.
• Mystery symbols – a random quantity of mystery symbols is added to the reels. Every mystery symbol on screen then changes into the same symbol.
• Max Megaways – generates the maximum possible number of ways on the gaming grid.
• Bonus Add – adds a random number of scatter symbols to the reels, boosting the odds of triggering Hold & Win Respins.

Hold & Win Respins

Hitting at least 5 scatter symbols triggers the Hold & Win Respins feature – 3 respins are granted, and only scatters and boosters can appear. Any symbol that lands sticks in place and resets the respins count. Standard cash scatters carry values of x1 to x10, and players may also land Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand symbols worth 20x, 100x, 500x or 2,000x the bet, respectively. Filling a reel with symbols triggers the reel multiplier, multiplying all scatters on that reel.

Also watch for reel boosters. The x2 multiplier symbol affects prizes on neighbouring reels; the collector adds together all landed values, the extra life grants an extra life at the end of the round (up to 3 lives can be stored at once), and the expander adds an extra row to its reel. After boosters have done their job, they convert into a cash scatter.

Cleopatra Megaways: Slot Verdict

The original Cleopatra slot dates back quite a bit, so it was a bit unexpected to see the series receive a Megaways makeover under iSoftBet’s supervision. What was easier to predict was iSoftBet attaching its go-to Hold & Win mechanic. Hold & Win is something iSoftBet has leaned into heavily, even if the studio had been a little quieter with it around the time of writing. Even so, there are plenty of iSoftBet releases carrying the Hold & Win branding—so many that it can sometimes feel like the studio is trying to rival Megaways itself on volume alone.

It’s not at that level yet, but in Cleopatra Megaways the feature is implemented fairly well. Players can reveal cash scatter symbols, reel multipliers, and a handful of jackpot symbols for extra spice. The developer also expands the formula with 4 special symbols, though Cleopatra Megaways isn’t really competing with more complex hold ‘n win titles like Money Train 2 or Money Train 3. Instead, what’s included suits the broader Cleopatra concept, delivering a slightly old-school style of play. It would’ve felt strange to see the game overloaded with special symbols popping up everywhere—like an Ancient Egyptian take on snipers, Gatling guns, and high explosive devices. The max win is also smaller in comparison, though it’s still not exactly a deal-breaker at 10,000x the bet.

For big win hunters, that’s also one-fifth of what’s available in Cleopatra 2, if that affects whether you choose to play Cleopatra Megaways or not; just putting it out there. Fans of the franchise may want to see how a Megaways conversion plays, but if you’ve already tried a few iSoftBet slots, there may not be much here that feels essential unless you’re particularly attached to the Cleopatra slot legacy.