Diamonds of Egypt: Slot Overview

It feels like we’ve barely had time to recover from the last Egyptian-themed slot review, yet here comes another one. This release is called Diamonds of Egypt from ever-busy developer Pragmatic Play. It brings in a fresh face named Emelia Lionheart who, with her fedora and mischievous stare, could easily be a long-lost relative of John or his sister Jane Hunter. We only met Jane recently in Jane Hunter and the Mask of Montezuma. Beyond introducing a new character, Diamonds of Egypt doesn’t reinvent much, instead leaning on familiar mechanics like multiplier wilds, a pick-me Jackpot Bonus Game, and free spins where royal symbols are taken out.

If sand is your thing, Diamonds of Egypt should deliver, because it’s everywhere. In the base game it covers much of the backdrop, it shows up during big win count-ups, and a sandstorm sweeps through when the game shifts phases. It is Egypt, after all, and there’s plenty of sand within its borders. Of course, Egypt is also known for its fascinating history, monuments, and treasures, and a few of those make appearances here too. Expect a pyramid, a Sphinx, statues, blazing braziers, and gold—classic Egypt-slot staples. Nothing groundbreaking yet, but we’re only getting started.

Diamonds of Egypt comes across as a title designed for a more casual crowd, and perhaps even one with an Asian influence given how often the number 8 pops up. Bet sizes, for example, run from 88 p/c to $/€140.88 per spin, which won’t be ideal for anyone trying to make a bankroll last. The game uses 243 ways to win across a 5-reel, 3-row layout, where winning combinations must begin from the left and continue across neighbouring reels. Marked as highly volatile (rated 4 out of 5), Diamonds of Egypt carries a default RTP of 96.49%.

On the symbol front, Diamonds of Egypt features 11 standard pays, split between low-value 9-A card royals and higher-paying scarab jewellery, a cup, a ring, bracelets, and a Pharaoh mask. A 5-of-a-kind win pays roughly 0.17x the bet for royals, or about 1.45x to 7.73x the bet for premium symbols. Emelia appears as the wild symbol, which can land on reels 2, 3, and 4. Wilds substitute for any symbol, including scatters. There’s also a multiplier wild that substitutes for everything except scatters. In both the base game and free spins, the multiplier wild shows up only on reel 3 and carries a value of x5. When it lands, all wins are multiplied by x5.

Diamonds of Egypt: Slot Features

Any time at least 1 wild symbol lands, there’s a chance to activate the Jackpot Bonus Game. On top of that, Diamonds of Egypt also includes a free spins bonus round as its other main extra.

Jackpot Bonus Game

Once triggered, a collection of pots appears on the screen for players to pick from, one by one. Each chosen pot reveals one of the 4 Jackpots. When 3 of the same Jackpot has been uncovered, the corresponding reward is paid out. The prizes are 10x, 20x, 100x, or 1,000x the bet for landing the Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand Jackpot, respectively.

Free Spins

Hitting 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols pays 5, 10, or 50 times the bet, respectively, and also triggers 8 free spins. During the feature, landing 3 or more scatters awards another 8 free spins, with no cap on retriggers. Throughout the round, low-pay royal symbols are removed from the reel strips.

Diamonds of Egypt: Slot Verdict

For a slot that’s meant to evoke an adventure vibe in the mould of Indiana Jones, Diamonds of Egypt comes off as surprisingly restrained. It feels like Pragmatic Play aimed to create something that would appeal to the broadest possible audience. There’s nothing off-putting, nothing especially original, and nothing that really separates it from similar titles. Ancient Egypt is one of the safest themes in slots, and most players already know the look and feel—or will soon enough. Diamonds of Egypt is loaded with the expected imagery. It’s polished and easy on the eyes, with that glossy, quasi-land-based style Pragmatic Play often uses, but it doesn’t do much to stand out.

The gameplay follows the same pattern. The feature set—multiplier wilds, the pick-and-click Jackpot Bonus Game, and free spins without royals—are all well-worn ideas. They work fine, but there aren’t any real surprise moments either. Everything is neatly assembled and functions as intended, yet it gives the impression the game was designed with fairly modest ambitions. “Modest” also suits Diamonds of Egypt’s win potential, which is limited by a 2,500 times the bet maximum.

So what’s the takeaway? It’s easy enough to imagine some players getting quite into Diamonds of Egypt. It’s fairly straightforward in places (bet levels aside), runs smoothly, and offers two bonus rounds to break up the base game. Overall it’s a slick production, but one that may struggle to leave a lasting impression. Then again, it probably wasn’t Pragmatic Play’s goal to shake up the entire slots scene with Diamonds of Egypt.